By NEWSCOUNT Desk
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has named 13 public officials in its interim report on the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC.
The report, submitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on August 6, followed the President’s directive for an investigation into the organisation and how it operated within government offices despite not being established by any known law, Executive Order or other valid government instrument.
The ICPC recommended the prosecution of Adeniyi Adeyemi, whom it described as the promoter of the purported PFIPC, over allegations of forgery, impersonation, making false statements to public officers and criminal misrepresentation.
The commission also said Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government as Director General of the purported agency.
The interim report further named Mimi Abu of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Rosemary Achem, Special Adviser in the Budget Office; Patricia Akhigbe of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning; Sanni Olubunmi, Muazu Balami, Omameh Florence, Akinlose Moses, Ogaba Harry, Esther Orji Okoli and Bello Abdullahi of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF; Joshua Kadiri Luka, Director of the Consolidated Accounts Department, OAGF; Aminu Abdullahi of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Ogunbade Habeebat Ajibola of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.
The ICPC recommended administrative action against the 13 officials over acts of commission, omission or negligence which the commission said may have enabled the purported agency to operate within government.
Luka, in response to the issues concerning his office, said he signed a letter dated November 2, 2024, addressed to the Permanent Secretary, State House, and not to the PFIPC.
According to him, official correspondence from his office was routed to the State House and was not sent directly to the purported agency.
He also said an advance copy of the letter to the Permanent Secretary, State House, was delivered to the Budget Office of the Federation for information only and was not to be acted upon until the addressee so requested, in line with civil service administrative procedures.
Luka said the letter could have exposed the purported agency earlier but was diverted and never got to the State House. He added that the delivery of official letters was not the responsibility of a director.
He further said he travelled shortly after signing the letter and, on his return, was posted out of the Consolidated Accounts Department to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to him, he was no longer Director of CAD after the posting and had no further opportunity to deal with the letter.
Luka has also maintained that some of the responsibilities attributed to his office in reports concerning the PFIPC belonged to other departments involved in government financial processes.
The ICPC said its investigation was still ongoing and called for further inquiries into the roles played by government institutions and individuals connected with the purported agency.
The commission also examined how the organisation obtained recognition in some government offices and gained access to government processes and financial systems despite having no legal basis for its existence.
According to the interim report, no Federal Government funds were approved or disbursed to the purported agency. The ICPC said its investigation found that documents connected with the organisation had been forged and identified weaknesses in verification processes that allowed it to operate within parts of the government system.
