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A House of Representatives committee investigating a purported presidential council has uncovered about 58 bank accounts allegedly linked to its Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, and an alleged N400 million transaction, the panel’s chairman said on Wednesday.
Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi disclosed the findings while presenting the panel’s preliminary report to parliamentary correspondents in Abuja.
More than 30 of the identified accounts appeared to have been operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities connected to Adeyemi, raising questions about ownership and control.
The entities identified include the Confederation of United Nations Youths; FCT Investment Promotion Agency; United Nations Youth Global Agency; United Nations Youth Global Foundation; World United Nations Youth Global Foundation; World Entrepreneurship University Limited; and Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation, among others.
Gagdi said the committee had not concluded that every account or transaction identified was unlawful.
He noted that the panel was still “reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information, signatories and transaction histories.”
Of particular concern is an alleged N400 million transaction involving a company which claimed that Adeyemi induced it to make payments in four instalments after representing that he could secure a contract for the renovation or furnishing of a purported official residence allocated to him as PFIPC Director-General.
The investigation found no Act of the National Assembly, gazetted enactment or Presidential Executive Order creating the purported council, Gagdi said.
The committee found “evidence of alleged fabrication of official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter for Adeyemi, a purported Executive Order and a document presented as an Act of the National Assembly establishing the organisation.”
Evidence from the State House established that the purported appointment letter was neither issued nor signed by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.
The committee exonerated Gbajabiamila from allegations of authorising the activities of the purported council.
Gagdi said the investigation was an effort to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s institutions.
“The Presidency cannot be impersonated with impunity,” he said.
The committee recommended that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies refrain from recognising or transacting with the PFIPC and that appropriate agencies should institute criminal proceedings where sufficient evidence is established.
