The shocking revelations from the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the “fake” Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) are not entirely unexpected. The worrisome aspect is the dimension of corruption in the country, especially in government circles as well as the civil service with many ministries, department and agencies (MDAs), including the strange fake agencies that exist in government.
The committee has confirmed what all of us know: that corruption walks on four in the country unchallenged. This could explain why former British Prime Minister David Cameron described Nigeria and Afghanistan as “fantastically corrupt” and “possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world.”
Cameron said this in 2016. I don’t know if he would still describe Nigeria in the same way today or vary it. Whether he varies it or not, Nigeria is a corrupt country. I do not know if it is one of the most corrupt countries in the world or the “fantastically corrupt” as Cameron described it then. I shall return to this theme of corruption later in the article.
In its preliminary findings, the committee’s chairman, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, disclosed that it traced about 58 bank accounts to Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the estranged Director-General of the PFIPC. Gadgi further revealed that over 30 of the bank accounts were operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations and related entities.
The committee also uncovered over 12 organisations and entities allegedly linked, directly or indirectly, to Adeyemi. The committee said the discovery has raised concerns over a possible network of organizations operating under governmental, international, investment, educational, charitable, foundation and United-Nations-related identities.
The committee said the PFIPC was not established by law, presidential order or administrative instrument. It said the appointment of Adeyemi as the DG of the PFIPC agency was false and undocumented. The committee also cleared the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any wrong doing, saying evidence before it did not establish that he authorized, approved, established or participated in the activities of the purported organization. The COS was also exonerated by the ICPC probe of the fake agency.
Although the committee noted that the probe has not been concluded, it should be commended for the shocking revelations so far. However, the committee should let Nigerians hear the other side of the story. Prince Adeyemi side of the story should not be obstructed or muted. His silence is not golden in this particular matter.
If we really want to fight corruption, the means of fighting it must be credible and transparent. Due process and the rule of law must be upheld. The investigation should be open and Adeyemi should be allowed to openly defend himself. The one-sided tale is not in line with the principles of justice and fair hearing. It is not balanced at all.
Nigerians would want to hear how Adeyemi opened the 58 bank accounts in this country where the procedures for opening personal account or group account is so cumbersome, including supplying the maiden name of your mother and power utility bill of your residence and other KYC requirements. Shielding Adeyemi from public view does not show that the government is serious about fighting official corruption, especially the type that has permeated the Federal Civil Service, MDAs and the government itself leading to the formation or establishment of fake agencies.
The committee and the ICPC should indeed do a thorough job and tell Nigerians those responsible for the establishment of fake agencies. We say this because only Adeyemi cannot wake up one morning and start creating these agencies and opening and operating bank accounts for them. Some people must have aided him in this corrupt exploits. The committee should name his collaborators in this perfidy. The committee should tell Nigerians how the PFIPC was allotted some billions of naira in the 2026 budget. Nigerians are interested in hearing of such revelations.
Who are the promoters of the newly discovered fake agencies said to be more than 12? Have these agencies taken allocation from our national budget? Do they have ban accounts as well? These are germane questions the committee should provide urgent answers. How did Adeyemi and others like him recruit workers for the fake agencies? The existence of fake agencies in government has already given Nigeria a bad image before international community. It is going to affect foreign aid flows to the country. It does not speak well of our anti-corruption war.
The corruption in Nigeria, especially the existence of fake agencies, demands revisiting Cameron’s jab on the country in 2016. Although the President Muhamamdu Buhari administration said that they were shocked and embarrassed by the remark, but the president did not ask for apology. He rather asked the UK authorities to focus on returning stolen Nigerian public funds hidden in British territories. Although Cameron later added that Nigeria and Afghanistan had taken some remarkable steps forward and that their leaders were working hard to fix the issue. Perhaps what our leaders have done is not enough to clean the Augean stable.
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had in her book, Fighting Corruption is Dangerous, said “Nigeria is one of the most interesting countries in the world. It is energetic and sometimes chaotic, and its people are wonderfully entrepreneurial. Nigerian women are particularly enterprising. The actions of a small percentage of Nigeria’s population have given the country a bad name—one associated with corruption—and this book talks about that.” In The trouble with Nigeria, Chinua Achebe, said “the test of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.” Let’s our leaders begin to fight corruption headlong.
Accountability is still a problem in our government circles. It is lacking in all tiers of government, federal, state and local governments. This is why the subsidy windfall of N15. 8 trillion has not trickled down. All the three tiers of government should explain to Nigerians what they did with the subsidy windfall. State governments have a lot to explain here. The local governments, where they exist, should do so.
Perhaps this is why Atiku Abubakar is saying that he will return the subsidy if elected in 2027. His thesis is like if the removal of subsidy has brought to the masses untold hardship and economic misery, its restoration will alleviate the suffering of the people. Atiku has argued that continued closure of land borders is inimical to business and has vowed to open them if elected. The federal government must bare its fangs in the war against corruption and ensure that the PFIPC probe is open and transparent.
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