*The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, in Nigeria, says the controversial Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew-led ‘Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council’ does not operate any account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, stating the PFIPC has no public funds, and no salaries have been paid to the ‘illegal’ Council from the government’s treasury till date
Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect
Contrary to the recent widespread claims and counter-claims in the news media and attendant discourses in the public space, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has clarified that the controversial “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council” (PFIPC) does not operate any account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The OAGF clarified that the PFIPC has no public funds, and no salaries have been paid to the so-called illegal Council from the Federal Government’s treasury.
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Bawa Mokwa, Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, disclosed this development amid the raging controversy over the true status of the PFIPC as a Nigerian government entity.
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It is recalled that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Nigerian President, June 11, 2026, in a disclaimer, had stated that the purported activities of the ‘Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC)’ were a fictitious entity, and that his office had not appointed anyone to lead it.
Gbajabiamila noted Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, Convener of PFIPC/PEAC, is an impostor, who is currently facing criminal prosecution in Nigeria.
Likewise, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement released July 1, alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to fraudulently open a CBN account by deceiving the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The Presidency’s statement noted: “We are aware of the public interest in the matter of a man called Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who has been parading himself as the Director-General of a fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
“The office of the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President first blew the whistle on the existence of the illegal agency, following complaints from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) that another government agency appeared to be functioning at cross-purposes with it.”
Onanuga equally noted: “The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
“According to the Police, no government money has been transferred into the account.”
However, in his direct response to the Presidency’s statement at a media briefing, Adeyemi countered the Chief of Staff’s disclaimer, alleging that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy with an outstanding balance of N200 million, to facilitate his appointment.
Accountant-General’s reaction
Responding to Onanuga’s earlier statement on Adeyemi’s supposed opening of a CBN account for the PFIPC during the weekend, Mr. Mokwa, Press Director in OAGF, said neither public funds nor salaries had been paid to the organisation, PFIPC.
The OAGF Spokesperson also explained that the process of opening a CBN account for the PFIPC was never completed because the required documentation to activate the account was not submitted.
He declared: “You cannot open an account at the CBN without authorisation from the Accountant-General.
“The Accountant-General will authorise them to open an account at the CBN.”
Still, report indicated that the OAGF wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) July 29, 2025, directing the Bankers’ Bank to open four domiciliary accounts for two government entities: the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the PFIPC.
Subsequently, the CBN, on August 13, 2025, informed the OAGF that it had opened a Dollar- and Pound-denominated account for the PFIPC, Premium Times report noted.
OAGF: No signatories, no CBN accounts
Mokwa stated that the purported PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeyemi, approached the OAGF, and presented an appointment letter, but alleged that the document concerned an already existing agency rather than the PFIPC.
The Press Director in OAGF as well explained that the account-opening process commenced based on the document presented at the time.
According to the Spokesperson, the account “never became operational” because the names of the officials expected to serve as account signatories were not submitted by the Council.
Mokwa restated that there was no channel through which the Office of the Accountant-General could release government funds to the Council because it did not have an operational account or a CBN-created one.
The statement further noted: “The account, till today, has not seen the light of day. It has not seen one Kobo because the account is not completely operational.
“That portrays that he has not collected a dime. The AGF has not released a dime to him because they don’t even have a place where the money can be paid.”
However, media reports said that the Federal Government granted the PFIPC a waiver August 2025 to recruit 300 members of staff.
Mokwa, nonetheless, maintained that the Council had not received any budgetary allocation from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The statement as well clarified that funding for the Council was expected to be included in the 2026 Budget, but had not yet reached the stage where government funds could be released to it.
The Press Director also dismissed reports making the rounds, especially in the social media space, that salaries had been paid to the PFIPC workers, saying the Council had not recruited any staff through the procedures required for Federal establishments in the country.
He stated: “Based on our knowledge, he (Adeyemi) has not employed anybody.”
Mokwa explained that before any Federal agency could recruit workers and place them on the government payroll, it must first obtain the necessary approvals from the Federal Character Commission (FCC), the Budget Office, and the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
After the approvals are granted, he explained the names of employees could be submitted to the Office of the Accountant-General for enrolment on the Federal payroll and payment of salaries.
Mokwa said: “If they give you a waiver for 200 people, you take the waiver to these agencies, and then, present the papers to the Accountant-General.
“He cannot capture even one name without those approvals because once they are captured, payment will come from the budget.”
None of those requirements had been completed, stated the Press Director in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.