PFIPC Scandal: How Senate blocked N1.3bn budget probe; ‘history ‘ll judge us’ - Kawu

A significant scandal is unfolding in Nigeria surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a purported agency that allegedly secured over N1.3 billion in the 2026 national budget despite appearing to be a "ghost agency."

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the self-proclaimed Director-General of PFIPC, operated the entity for months without authorization. He reportedly secured office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and hosted foreign ambassadors and international partners, creating a facade of legitimacy for the fictitious organization.

Public outrage erupted upon the discovery that this "fictitious" entity had been included in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Scrutiny of the budget revealed an allocation of N1,302,978,784 to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. This included N1,002,978,784 for recurrent expenditure and N300,000,000 for capital expenditure.

Authoritative legislative sources revealed that the PFIPC's budget proposals never underwent the mandatory defense process. The agency's management did not appear before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters, which holds constitutional jurisdiction over such budget reviews. This bypass of parliamentary tradition and Senate Standing Orders suggests potential high-level administrative complicity within the corridors of power.