Senate to Convene Over Controversial ₦1.3 Billion PFIPC Budget Allocation
The Nigerian Senate is set to meet to address growing concerns over a ₦1.3 billion allocation to the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), as SERAP demands accountability from legislative leaders and new documents link the SGF’s office to the council’s leadership.
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Nigeria’s Senate is scheduled to convene on Tuesday to address mounting controversy surrounding a ₦1.3 billion budget allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a body whose legitimacy is now under intense scrutiny. The meeting, reported by Naija News, comes amid rising public and institutional concern over the approval and oversight of the allocation.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to publicly explain the basis for the allocation. In a statement, SERAP urged both officials to disclose how the council was established, the rationale for its funding, and the legal framework authorizing its operations. The civil society organization emphasized the need for transparency, stating that public funds must be safeguarded against unverified institutions.
New documents have surfaced linking the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to the appointment of the self-styled Director-General of the PFIPC, raising questions about executive involvement in the council’s formation. According to Naija News, these documents suggest that formal approvals may have been issued from within the SGF’s office, despite the council not being widely recognized as an established government agency.
Meanwhile, sources within the Presidency and civil service have pointed to failures in internal oversight mechanisms as a contributing factor in the PFIPC scandal. They suggest that the allocation bypassed standard checks, allowing the controversial expenditure to proceed without adequate scrutiny. The Senate’s upcoming session is expected to examine both executive and legislative accountability in the matter, particularly how a body of disputed status secured significant budgetary approval.