Tanimu Yakubu, the Director-General of the Budget Office, stated that zero funding was utilized for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC). During a Friday session with a House of Representatives investigative committee, Yakubu confirmed that although the National Assembly authorized a budget for these bodies, the necessary legal requirements for financial release remained unfulfilled.
According to Yakubu, no personnel, overhead, or capital funds were ever paid out because administrative controls prevented any movement of money. He confirmed that the Budget Office, along with the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General, ensured that no payroll or procurement activities proceeded. He pledged to continue assisting the legislative probe by providing all requested documentation.
This testimony follows a scandal involving Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed to lead the organization. Despite the Presidency officially labeling the council as nonexistent and initiating legal action against Adeyemi for fraud, the suspect maintained his claims and accused Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, of soliciting bribes. Gbajabiamila has rejected these allegations and pursued legal redress, while Adeyemi has since been apprehended by authorities in Osun State.
