Real Reason I Established Presidential Foreign Intervention Council — ‘Fake’ Agency DG

The embattled Director General of the “fake” Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, has explained the reasons he established the now-defunct agency.

Speaking with social media critic, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a video call on Wednesday, Mathew revealed that it was not unconnected to his passion for Nigeria’s outlook in the world, attracting foreign investors and promoting President Bola Tinubu’s administration, rather than for personal interest.

He also claimed that he was not aware of his agency’s budget insertion and defence in the national budget approved by the National Assembly and assented to by the President.

The embattled DG said, “I established that amount (rumoured N400 million) for the agency’s office out of passion for the country. I wanted to bring in foreign investors to Nigeria so that I can write my name in gold. I am just desperate to serve.

“That’s the reason I paid the money. I just want to do my part for the country. That agency was established to bring in foreign investments to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for foreign investors.

“I walk around the inter-ministerial agencies and partner with the MDAs and EFCC to make Nigeria a preferred world destination for investments. So, it’s not about personal interest. Before this whole brouhaha, we were expecting the world to be in Nigeria through our forthcoming global summit.”

Dismissing the Presidency’s stance of being alien to the agency, Matthew said, “This whole thing is confusing, especially when the Presidency said that the agency does not exist. How come? The agency that found its way into the national budget. I didn’t prepare any budget. In fact, I was in detention for 23 days when the budget for the Presidential Foreign Council was prepared and defended in the National Assembly between October and November.

“The former Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had invited me to explain how I came about the agency from the Chief of Staff to the President. I gave him the name and number of the person that facilitated the appointment letter for me. I was thereafter detained.

“How come the budget that nobody defended still found its way into the national budget? By the time I came out on November 19, 2025, I was charged to court, and they said the same office space had been reallocated to another government official. So I’ve not been going to the office since October 27.”

While fielding questions on Gbajabiamila petitioning him, the embattled DG stressed that he did not meet with the Chief of Staff to discuss the petition, but admitted speaking with him on the phone through his late friend, Dolapo Tanimola.

He argued that he has all the documents backing the establishment of the agency and is willing to submit them to the relevant authorities, stressing that he is ready to turn himself in for further clarification.

He continued, “Any moment from now, I will go to the police and DSS to submit every document that I have to support the investigation. My friend (Tanimola), who paid the money for the establishment of the agency, is now dead in a fire accident in a hotel in Utako, Abuja.”