A pressure group, the North Central Progressives Forum (NCPF), has expressed disappointment over the alleged involvement of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in matters relating to the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), whose existence has been publicly denied by the Presidency.
In a statement made available to journalists in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the group’s President, Yunusa Usman, described the development as embarrassing for Benue State and the North Central region.
The forum said its concerns were informed by a report published by Saturday Punch, which alleged that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation received, acknowledged, and processed official correspondence submitted in the name of the PFIPC months before the Presidency publicly stated that the council did not exist.
According to the group, the report further claimed that the OSGF processed and forwarded a request by the council’s self-styled Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, seeking office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The NCPF questioned how the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which coordinates government policies across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and serves as the secretariat for key constitutional bodies, could allegedly process correspondence relating to an organisation whose legal status has been disputed.
The group also claimed it came across a letter dated June 24, 2025, purportedly issued by the OSGF, inviting the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC to participate in the Canada-Africa FinTech Summit.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as equitable appointments and developmental projects in Benue State and the North Central region, the forum expressed concern that the controversy surrounding the PFIPC had cast a negative light on the administration.
The group appealed to the President to continue supporting the region despite what it described as the embarrassment caused by the alleged failure of the OSGF to detect the purportedly non-existent agency.
The NCPF, however, praised the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, for reportedly referring the matter to security agencies for investigation.
According to the group, an interim report by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, filed in court proceedings, indicated that investigations into the matter were initiated following a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The forum called on President Tinubu to ensure that anyone found culpable in the controversy is thoroughly investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted in accordance with the law.
As of the time of filing this report, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had not publicly responded to the allegations raised by the North Central Progressives Forum.
