House Panel Clears Gbajabiamila in PFIPC Forgery Probe, Blames Adeyemi

A House of Representatives investigative committee has absolved former Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila of involvement in the establishment and operation of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), concluding that documents purporting to link him to the agency were fabricated. The Ad-hoc Committee, headed by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed that its preliminary findings show the council was never lawfully created by the Federal Government and that Gbajabiamila neither authorized, established, nor participated in its activities.

The committee's investigation identified forged documentation connected to the matter, specifically pointing to an appointment letter for Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi that bore false credentials. The panel commended Gbajabiamila for acting swiftly when concerns about the organization surfaced, treating his response as appropriate and timely.

The discovery of counterfeit presidential and legislative documents in connection with the PFIPC marks a significant development in the inquiry into how an agency without legal standing managed to feature in the government's budgetary allocations. Committee Chairman Gagdi stated publicly that the panel's investigation was not confined to any single individual, and that its core purpose was establishing how an entity operating without proper legal authorization became embedded within Federal Government structures.

The committee maintains flexibility to summon additional witnesses should evidence warrant such action, though Gbajabiamila's clearance appears to close that particular line of inquiry. The probe's scope encompasses the PFIPC's overall legality and operational history rather than targeting any one official.

The forged documents unearthed during the investigation suggest deliberate attempts to manufacture legitimacy for the council through fraudulent means. The committee's findings represent one of the first major determinations in what began as a broader examination into the PFIPC's presence within government frameworks.

Further details regarding the source of the forged materials and other entities potentially involved remain subjects of the ongoing investigation.