OAGF denies funding, salary payments to ontroversial PFIPC

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has dismissed claims that public funds were disbursed to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that neither the organisation nor its purported employees received any payment from the Federal Government.

In a statement issued at the weekend, the OAGF’s spokesperson, Bawa Mokwa, said the agency allegedly led by Adeniyi Adeyemi has not received any government funding and that no salaries have been paid to workers purportedly employed by the council.

The clarification follows public controversy over the inclusion of the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a reported allocation of about N1.3 billion, as well as speculation that salaries had already been paid to staff of the organisation.

The Presidency has consistently maintained that the PFIPC has no legal existence, describing it as a fictitious organisation and alleging that Adeyemi fraudulently presented himself as a government official.

Adeyemi has, however, rejected the Presidency’s position and has threatened legal action, while also making allegations against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, including claims that he paid him N400 million—allegations Gbajabiamila has denied and over which he has threatened a N10 billion defamation suit.

Addressing the controversy, Mokwa explained that it is impossible for any federal agency to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria or receive public funds without the approval of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

According to him, there is no record showing that the PFIPC was authorised to operate an account or that any salary payments were processed on its behalf.

“You cannot open an account at the CBN without authorisation from the Accountant General. The Accountant General will authorise them to open an account at the CBN,” Mokwa said.

READ ALSO: PFIPC Saga: Gbajabiamila threatens N10bn lawsuit against Adeyemi

He added that no personnel could be enrolled on the Federal Government’s payroll system without the necessary approvals and budgetary processes.

“He cannot capture even one name without those approvals because once they are captured, payment will come from the budget,” he stated.

The controversy surrounding the PFIPC has continued to generate widespread public attention, with civil society groups, legal practitioners and political stakeholders calling for a transparent investigation into the council’s inclusion in the 2026 budget and the circumstances surrounding its operations.

The dispute has also fuelled renewed calls from some quarters for the removal of Gbajabiamila, even as the Presidency maintains that the council is fraudulent and that the matter is already the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.