ADEYEMI UNDER SPOTLIGHT OVER ₦1.3BN ALLEGED GHOST AGENCY SCANDAL
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By; Ganiyat Sunmola
Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has come under intense public scrutiny following allegations that he falsely presented himself as the Director-General of a government agency the Presidency says does not exist.
Adeyemi, who describes himself as a public administrator and investment promoter, is facing an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations bordering on forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency.
Despite the charges, he has maintained that he is the legitimate head of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency the Presidency has repeatedly insisted was never established by the Federal Government.
The controversy
Adeyemi attracted national attention after identifying himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to in some documents as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
He claimed the council was created to attract foreign investment into Nigeria and asserted that it had operational offices, staff, bank accounts and official government approvals.
During a television interview, Adeyemi also alleged that he paid ₦400 million to secure the appointment, a claim the Presidency has firmly denied.
Presidency denies existence of agency
The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has consistently maintained that the purported agency has no legal backing and was never created by the Federal Government.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi allegedly forged official documents, including appointment letters bearing the names and signatures of senior government officials, to portray himself as the head of the council.
The Presidency further alleged that he operated from an office within Phase III of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where he reportedly held meetings with government officials, diplomats, foreign investors and members of the public.
Investigators also alleged that he sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals associated with the purported agency.
₦1.3 billion budget controversy
The controversy intensified after reports indicated that an entity listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, or under similar variations, was allocated more than ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The development has raised questions about how funds were appropriated for an agency the Presidency maintains has no legal existence, with the matter now attracting widespread public and legal attention.
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