By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate the legal status, operations and budgetary inclusion of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) alleged to be fake; with Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen insisting that the exercise is aimed at establishing facts rather than pursuing political interests.
Speaking on Monday at the National Assembly while inaugurating the committee, Tajudeen said the investigation followed widespread public concerns over the council’s existence, legal foundation and its appearance in the federal budget despite uncertainty surrounding its establishment.
He stressed that the House was responding to growing public interest and fulfilling its constitutional oversight responsibility.
“The House of Representatives has therefore not constituted this Committee to validate speculation or amplify controversy. Neither is this a political exercise. Our objective is simply to establish the facts,” the Speaker said.
According to him, democracy thrives when “facts prevail over rumours, evidence over conjecture, and accountability over opacity,” adding that parliament has a constitutional duty to seek answers whenever legitimate public concerns arise.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, has been mandated to determine whether there is any legal basis for the establishment and operation of the PFIPC and to investigate the circumstances surrounding its creation.
It is also expected to examine the council’s mandate, governance structure, funding sources, operational activities and relationship with existing government agencies responsible for investment promotion, economic planning and public finance.
A key aspect of the investigation will focus on how the council was included in the Federal Budget Framework, the approvals and budgetary processes involved, and whether due process was followed.
The committee will further assess whether the PFIPC duplicates the statutory functions of existing government institutions and evaluate the implications for fiscal responsibility, institutional efficiency and public administration.
In addition, it will receive memoranda and testimonies from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, constitutional bodies, experts, civil society organisations and members of the public before making recommendations on possible legislative and administrative reforms.
Tajudeen said the investigation was not targeted at individuals but at strengthening public institutions and ensuring they operate strictly within the law.
“This inquiry is not about personalities. It is about institutions, and moreover, it is about the integrity of public administration,” he said.
He urged all government officials, stakeholders and witnesses invited by the committee to cooperate fully by providing truthful and complete information.
“The House expects the truth, not rehearsed scripts or defensive posturing. Nigerians deserve candour. They deserve explanations that withstand scrutiny. They deserve to know, with absolute certainty that their public institutions operate within the law”, he said.
Addressing members of the committee, the Speaker directed them to conduct the investigation with fairness, respect the rights of witnesses and allow all interested parties to be heard.
He also urged the lawmakers to follow the evidence without yielding to political pressure or public sentiment.
“The credibility of parliamentary oversight rests not on the conclusions it reaches, but on the integrity of the process by which those conclusions are reached,” Tajudeen stated.
