OAGF Denies Releasing Funds to PFIPC as Babachir Lawal Calls for Investigation
Nigeria's Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has denied claims that public funds or salaries were paid to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting no government money was released to the body.
The clarification follows public scrutiny over the inclusion of PFIPC in the 2026 federal budget despite earlier statements from the Presidency describing the council as a non-existent entity. The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation's clarification states that although an account-opening process was initiated, it was never completed because the required documentation and authorised signatories were not submitted.
According to OAGF spokesperson Bawa Mokwa, PFIPC does not operate an active account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, making it impossible for government funds or salaries to be disbursed. He also maintained that no agency can receive public funds without obtaining the necessary approvals and fulfilling established financial procedures.
The controversy deepened after former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, questioned how an agency alleged to be fictitious could appear in the national budget. He argued that the SGF's office should ordinarily detect such anomalies, suggesting that either normal procedures were bypassed or there was a failure within the administrative process.
The Presidency has previously disowned the PFIPC and identified its promoter, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, as an impostor. However, investigations have revealed that correspondence from the purported council was processed by several government institutions before questions were raised over its legitimacy, as detailed in a PREMIUM TIMES investigation.
Prince Adeyemi is currently facing criminal charges, including alleged forgery and impersonation, before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case has intensified calls for greater oversight of government agencies and budgetary processes, with lawmakers and civil society groups urging a transparent investigation into how the council appeared in official records despite repeated claims that it had no legal existence.