SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE! simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961
Prince Matthew Adeniyi Adeyemi, the “director-general” of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), said something mouth-watering shortly before he was arrested and flown to Abuja: that he took a loan of N400 million to pay a bribe to secure the appointment and that his creditors have reported him to the EFCC. The briber did not name the bribee — presumably for legal reasons — but this claim adds yet another layer to the storm surrounding the PFIPC, which was assigned an office at the Federal Secretariat, got an allocation of N1.3 billion in the 2026 federal budget, and received a waiver from the office of the head of service to recruit 300 members of staff.
The PFIPC has now been officially described by the federal government as “fake” (what a grievous self-indictment and international embarrassment). Adeniyi is now known as “self-styled DG” of a “fake agency”. I am very much aware that this case is now in court. Adeniyi is charged with forgery and impersonation. I am, therefore, constrained in the extent to which I can comment on this saga. All I can say is that Adeniyi and his entire packaging never inspired me at any point in time. A simple glance at him from head to toe sets off alarm bells in my head. But, if the truth be told, that is also how I feel about many of our legislators. Adeniyi would fit perfectly into the National Assembly.
