Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to disclose the identities of public officers mentioned in the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) interim report on the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), saying the findings leave important questions unanswered.
The demand came on Friday in a message issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. Atiku said the report itself points to “negligence and connivance” within government processes, making it important to identify everyone involved.
Atiku said the Presidency should not present the interim report as proof that nothing went wrong when the same report reportedly points to failures within government procedures that made the alleged fraud possible.
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He listed what he said the report contained. These include allegations that one person forged a presidential appointment letter, created a fake federal agency, took over offices and official items of the former Presidential Economic Advisory Council, opened bank accounts with forged legislative documents, carried out impersonation and created two more fictitious government agencies.
He questioned how such actions could have taken place without help from people inside government.
“If there was connivance, who connived? If public officers were negligent, who are they? Who granted access to government offices? Who recognised this supposed Director-General? Who enabled him to operate within the machinery of government?” he asked.
Atiku questions government processes
Atiku said the ICPC’s reported recommendation that public officers whose negligence made the operation possible should face sanctions weakens any suggestion that the matter involved only one person.
“A fake agency does not walk into government offices by itself. A forged appointment letter does not validate itself. Bank accounts do not open themselves. Behind every door that opened, every process that was bypassed and every official instrument that was accessed was a human being. Name them,” he said.
He also said the identities of those who allegedly helped the operation have not been made public. For that reason, he repeated his demand for an independent panel of inquiry to carry out a full investigation.
“What the ICPC Interim Report has done, in the main, is to shield the identities of shadow operatives within the presidency who allegedly connived to enable the fraud.
Their identities should be made public and their roles fully explained. Nigerians deserve to know who did what, who authorised what, and who opened the doors that made this possible,” he said.
Atiku also said the interim report should not be treated as final when investigations into possible collaborators and bank accounts are still in progress.
Calls for live public hearing
The former vice president said the next step should be an open investigation by the National Assembly, especially after the central figure in the case, Mr. Adeyemi, publicly asked to appear before lawmakers in a hearing shown live on national television.
“The Presidency now has nowhere left to hide. If Mr. Adeyemi is prepared to appear publicly, testify under oath, and answer questions before Nigerians, then let him be heard. The National Assembly should immediately institute an open, live-broadcast public hearing into this scandal,” he said.
Atiku also said no one connected with the matter should be prevented from giving evidence.
“The Presidency must not attempt to block, gag, or shield anyone connected to this matter. If the Villa is truly clean, it should be the first to welcome live television coverage.
Let Nigerians watch, unedited, as the witnesses testify, and the evidence is presented under oath. What is the presidency afraid of?” he asked.
He said anything less than a public hearing would leave questions over whether influential people were being protected.
“You can not admit negligence and connivance within government and simultaneously pronounce the system spotless. That is like washing charcoal and expecting white water,” he said.
Atiku also requested the release of the full ICPC report and the names of every public officer found responsible.irresponsible
“Transparency can not stop where the trail enters the corridors of power. The presidency can not investigate itself into innocence.
“Open the investigation. Put the witnesses under oath. Switch on the cameras. Let Nigerians hear the truth for themselves.
“The question remains: WHO INSIDE THE VILLA OPENED THE DOOR?” he said.
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