Reps Summon NSA Ribadu as Foreign Affairs Ministry Disowns Alleged Fake Investment Agency

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to clarify issues surrounding the activities of the controversial organisation.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, announced the summons during the second day of the committee’s public hearing after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs distanced itself from the purported council.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, told lawmakers that the ministry rejected three separate requests from the PFIPC seeking collaboration on a proposed World Investment Summit after discovering inconsistencies in its official correspondence.

Ahmed said the ministry subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser, which confirmed that enquiries made with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed that the individual presented as the council’s Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, was unknown to the Federal Government.

Based on the revelations, the committee directed Ribadu to appear before it to explain the communications exchanged between his office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the alleged agency.

In a related development, the committee expressed concern over the failure of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to honour its invitations.

The panel issued what it described as a final warning to the affected agencies after some heads of MDAs, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, failed to appear before the committee.

The committee said the absence of the invited officials amounted to a disregard for the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight responsibilities.

It reiterated that the investigation is aimed at establishing the facts surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and adjourned proceedings until Wednesday.