Fake Agency: Reps panel clears Gbajabiamila

The House of Representatives panel has cleared Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, of any involvement in the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. The Ad Hoc Committee, probing the alleged inclusion of the organization in the Federal Government's budget framework, found no evidence that Gbajabiamila approved, established, or participated in the council's activities.

Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi disclosed this during a press briefing, stating that Gbajabiamila instead alerted security and investigative agencies after concerns about the organization were brought to his attention. The panel found that Gbajabiamila responded within a day by contacting various government institutions and directing administrative verification.

They also uncovered that a letter purportedly appointing Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi as Director-General of the organization was forged and falsely attributed to the Presidency. The committee commended Gbajabiamila for the security and administrative measures he took in response to the matter. The investigation also revealed that a letterhead used in the forged letter was not authentic and did not conform to the official referencing system.

Furthermore, the panel rejected documents presented as a Presidential Executive Order and a National Assembly Act purportedly establishing the organization. There was no valid law, executive order, or other lawful authority establishing the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, according to the committee.