The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Yusuf Gadgi, has confirmed that the signatures of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on letters sent to nine government agencies are authentic.
Gadgi made the disclosure on Thursday during an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives into the alleged fraudulent establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the appointment of its purported Director-General, Adeyemi Adeniyi.
According to the lawmaker, only the signature on Adeniyi’s appointment letter was found to be inconsistent with Gbajabiamila’s verified signatures.
He said letters from the Office of the Chief of Staff addressed to key government institutions, including the National Security Adviser, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Office of the Head of the Federal Civil Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force, carried signatures that matched Gbajabiamila’s known signatures.
“Letters written by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the National Security Adviser, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Office of the Head of the Federal Civil Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DSS, Nigeria Police and nine different letters from the Chief of Staff, including some of his former signatures, are the same,” Gadgi said.
“The only signature that differs is the signature that appointed the fake DG,” he added.
The development follows revelations by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who said officials of PFIPC had approached her office claiming to represent a newly created government agency.
Walson-Jack said such an occurrence had never happened since the establishment of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
She further disclosed that the PFIPC, led by Adeniyi, had requested an appointment letter for its Chief Executive Officer in line with public service establishment procedures.
The House committee is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the creation of the agency and the legitimacy of Adeniyi’s appointment.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.