Senate Rejects Fresh Probe into N1.3bn Budget Allocation

On Wednesday, the Nigerian Senate declined to initiate a fresh investigation into the N1.3 billion budget allocation associated with the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). This decision came after Senator Kawu Sumaila raised concerns regarding the integrity of the budget process, highlighting that the allocation, which totals N1,302,978,000, was linked to a non-existent agency.

The Senate leadership, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, cited an ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) as the reason for not pursuing further legislative action at this time. President Bola Tinubu had previously directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the PFIPC, which was established without legal basis.

The investigation is expected to cover allegations of forgery and false claims regarding appointments and official documents. The ICPC has been tasked to submit its findings within 30 days.