The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Monday inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and its inclusion in the Federal Budget Framework.
Abbas said the committee was constituted to exercise the House’s constitutional oversight responsibility and establish the facts surrounding the controversial council.
Represented by the Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, Abbas stressed that the investigation was neither political nor intended to validate speculation but to determine the legality of the council’s existence and operations.
“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.
He said the committee would determine the legal basis for the council’s establishment and examine its mandate, governance structure, funding sources and relationship with existing government agencies.
The panel is also expected to investigate how the PFIPC was included in the Federal Budget Framework, identify the approvals granted and determine whether due process was followed.
Abbas further directed the committee to receive memoranda from relevant ministries, departments and agencies, experts, civil society organisations and members of the public before making recommendations to the House.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, thanked the Speaker for the confidence reposed in him and other members to undertake what he described as an important national assignment.
Gagdi assured Nigerians that the committee would conduct its investigation with fairness, impartiality, professionalism and strict adherence to the Constitution, the law and credible evidence.
“Our mandate is to objectively examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and determine whether due constitutional and statutory processes were followed,” Gagdi said.
He promised that every individual and institution connected with the investigation would be given a fair hearing, while the committee’s proceedings would be guided by transparency, due process and the principles of natural justice.
Abbas urged all stakeholders to cooperate fully with the panel, insisting that Nigerians deserve institutions that operate within the law, while Gagdi expressed confidence that the committee’s report would strengthen accountability, reinforce the rule of law and assist the House in taking informed decisions.
Leave a Reply