The House of Representatives’ investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has taken a new turn after the Budget Office of the Federation disclosed that although ₦1.302 billion was allocated to the council in the 2026 budget, no public funds were released because the agency failed to meet the legal requirements for expenditure.
Appearing before the House Ad Hoc Committee, Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, said the office neither created nor approved the establishment of the council, stressing that it only processed fiscal implications based on official documents received from relevant government institutions.
Yakubu revealed that the PFIPC initially requested ₦3.85 billion for personnel costs, but the Budget Office rejected the proposal and independently reduced it to about ₦803 million before it formed part of the Executive Budget submitted to the National Assembly.
He explained that despite the appropriation, the council never received any funds because it failed to obtain the mandatory Financial Clearance required for recruitment, payroll enrolment and salary payments. He also noted that the council could not access its ₦200 million overhead allocation or ₦300 million capital vote, as no treasury warrants, cash backing or procurement approvals were issued.
Lawmakers also questioned the authenticity of documents purportedly establishing the PFIPC, describing them as lacking key legal features such as a gazette number, the Clerk of the National Assembly’s signature and presidential assent.
The committee said its investigation has now shifted to uncovering how allegedly forged documents enabled a non-existent agency to secure official recognition, obtain a budget code and appear in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
