The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has revealed that the phantom Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) does not operate any account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), adding that no public funds or salaries have been paid to the organisation.
The latest clarification was issued by the director of public relations at the OAGF, Mr Bawa Mokwa, amid controversy over the status of the PFIPC as a Nigerian government entity.
Earlier on June 11, the Chief of Staff to the Nigerian President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, said in a disclaimer that the purported activities of the so-called ‘Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC)’ were a fictitious entity and that his office had not appointed anyone to lead it.
The Chief of Staff said the PFIPC/PEAC convener, Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi, is an impostor and is facing criminal prosecution.
The Presidency, in an X statement on July 1, said that Mr Adeyemi used forged documents to fraudulently open a CBN account by deceiving the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
“The police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account,” it said.
Meanwhile, on July 2, Mr Adeyemi countered the Chief of Staff’s disclaimer, alleging that Mr Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment.
The OAGF spokesperson explained that the process of opening a CBN account for the PFIPC was never completed because the required documentation to activate the account was not submitted.
“You cannot open an account at the CBN without authorisation from the Accountant-General. The Accountant-General will authorise them to open an account at the CBN,” Mr Mokwa said.
Mr Mokwa stated that the purported PFIPC Director-General, Mr Adeyemi, approached the OAGF and presented an appointment letter, but alleged that the document concerned an already existing agency rather than the PFIPC.
The OAGF press director explained that the account-opening process commenced based on the document presented. Still, the account never became operational because the names of the officials expected to serve as account signatories were not submitted.
He insisted there was no channel through which the Office of the Accountant-General could release government funds to the agency because it did not have an operational account or a CBN-created one.
“The account, till today, has not seen the light of day. It has not seen one kobo because the account is not completely operational.
“That portrays that he has not collected a dime. The AGF has not released a dime to him because they don’t even have a place where the money can be paid,” Mr Mokwa said.
Mr Mokwa explained that before any federal agency can recruit workers and place them on the government payroll, it must first obtain the necessary approvals from the Federal Character Commission (FCC), the Budget Office, and the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
He added that after the approvals are granted, the names of employees can be submitted to the Office of the Accountant-General for enrolment on the federal payroll and payment of salaries.
“If they give you a waiver for 200 people, you take the waiver to these agencies and then present the papers to the Accountant-General.
“He cannot capture even one name without those approvals because once they are captured, payment will come from the budget,” Mr Mokwa explained.
Mr Mokwa added that none of those requirements had been completed.
