Alleged Head of Disputed Presidential Agency Denies Sole Guilt, Claims Federal MDAs Approved Operations

Adeniyi Adeyemi, the detained self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, has rejected accusations that he unilaterally created the disputed agency, claiming multiple federal ministries, departments, and agencies processed and recognized its operations.

In a statement issued by his legal defense team led by Festus Akhigbe, Adeyemi requested permission to appear before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the council, warning that any legislative findings produced without his testimony would violate his right to a fair hearing.

Adeyemi’s defense team disputed characterizations of their client as an isolated impostor, asserting that several key government bodies interacted with and validated the council over an extended period. According to the statement, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation acknowledged council documents and facilitated office space, while the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria issued administrative budget codes, granted self-accounting status, posted civil service personnel, and opened operational accounts.

The defense further claimed that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved the agency’s organizational structure and granted recruitment waivers for 314 staff members. Additionally, they stated that security agency heads attended council functions, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission allocated property to the council while presenting its leadership with a plaque of recognition.

Argued by his legal counsel as an effort to make Adeyemi a scapegoat for systemic administrative oversights, the statement called for a broader multi-stakeholder panel involving civil society and legal experts to audit the complete paper trail across all involved institutions.

The development follows recent testimony before the House ad hoc panel, where the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, acknowledged that her office failed to conduct sufficient due diligence prior to approving recruitment requests linked to the council.