Probe: Ad hoc committee to trace N1.3bn allocation through budget process; Senate defers action pending ICPC investigation

The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the controversial inclusion of N1.3 billion for the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act, marking a decisive departure from the Senate’s cautious approach.

The House constituted an ad hoc committee chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, Chairman of the Committee on Navy, to probe how the fictitious agency secured budgetary allocation without legal establishment.

The resolution emerged from a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Gagdi on Wednesday, describing the PFIPC’s budget inclusion as an “embarrassing development” that poses a significant threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s budget process and public financial management. Lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion when Speaker Tajudeen Abbas called for a voice vote.

“The ease with which a single unestablished entity processed through official channels suggests a systemic vulnerability rather than an isolated administrative lapse,” Gagdi warned, raising concerns that other fictitious agencies could have slipped into previous budgets undetected.

“Whoever is involved must be brought to book and face the full weight of the law,” he said.

The House committee is mandated to trace the disputed allocation from the Executive’s budget proposal through legislative consideration, identify the precise stage at which scrutiny mechanisms failed to detect it, and recommend measures to prevent similar occurrences in future appropriation exercises. The committee must report back within four weeks.

Deputy Speaker’s embarrassing disclosure during the probe debate

During the debate, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu disclosed that he had personally granted a meeting to representatives of the alleged agency after receiving correspondence bearing official-looking Presidency letterheads. The letter, received on 2 May 2025, referenced the Office of the Director-General, the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC under the same administrative authority.

“When I saw this, I looked down the letterhead and saw Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase 3, Second Floor. I also saw the website, pfipc.gov.ng. It was a bit confusing for me. Some of the information looked credible, while some did not,” Kalu explained.

His team subsequently verified that an organisation was operating at the stated location, prompting him to approve the meeting. The disclosure underscored how effectively the alleged fraudsters utilised official-appearing documentation to gain institutional legitimacy.

Institutional oversight imperatives

The House invited the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation to explain the verification procedures applied before new entities are admitted to the federal budget. The House also directed that every ministry, department, agency and government body reflected in the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Frameworks be verified against its legal instrument of establishment.

The Accountant-General of the Federation was requested to confirm that no public funds have been released and that no payment warrants will be issued in favour of the alleged agency pending investigation conclusion. Going forward, the Budget Office must submit alongside every appropriation bill a comprehensive list of all bodies proposed for funding, together with their enabling laws or instruments, to prevent inclusion of unverified entities.

Senate defers action

In contrast, the Senate rejected a similar motion on the same day, resolving instead to withhold further action until the ICPC concludes its investigation ordered by President Tinubu.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that instituting multiple concurrent investigations could complicate matters, preferring coordination under the anti-corruption agency’s leadership.

The PFIPC has been shrouded in controversy since the Presidency disowned it in June, insisting it never existed under President Tinubu. The council was allocated N1.3 billion in the 2026 budget despite having no legal establishment.