The clarification comes amid public scrutiny over the structure, funding, and legitimacy of the council, which was reportedly granted a recruitment waiver in August 2025 to employ 300 staff members.
Despite its appearance in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the Presidency—with a budget allocation of over N1.3 billion—the OAGF insists that no financial disbursement has been made to the body.
“No Kobo Has Been Released” — OAGF Insists
Speaking over the weekend, Bawa Mokwa, Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, said the council has not received a single kobo from the federal government.
“There is no channel through which the Office of the Accountant-General can release government funds to the agency due to the absence of an operational account,” he said.
According to him, although an attempt was made to open an account with the CBN, the process stalled because key requirements were not completed.
“You cannot open an account at the CBN without authorization from the Accountant General,” Mokwa explained.
He added that while the account-opening process was initiated based on documents presented by the council’s convener, Adeniyi Adeyemi, it was never finalised due to missing documentation, including details of official signatories.
“The account, till today, has not seen the light of day. It has not seen one kobo because the account is not completely operational,” he said.
Disputed Documents and Recruitment Claims
Mokwa further alleged that the documentation submitted to the OAGF referenced an already existing agency rather than the PFIPC itself, complicating verification and approval processes.
He also dismissed claims that the council had begun paying salaries or recruiting staff.
“Based on our knowledge, he has not employed anybody,” he said.
The OAGF stressed that no recruitment can be validly processed into the federal payroll without approvals from key institutions, including the Budget Office, the Federal Character Commission (FCC), and the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).
Only after these approvals, he noted, can names of staff be forwarded to the Accountant-General for payroll enrollment.
Budget Allocation vs. Funding Reality
The controversy deepens against the backdrop of the 2026 Appropriation Act, which lists the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the Presidency.
The allocation reportedly includes:
- N802.9 million for personnel costs
- N200 million for overheads
- N300 million for capital expenditure
- Bringing the total to over N1.3 billion
However, the OAGF maintains that despite the budgetary provision, implementation has not begun because administrative and financial prerequisites remain incomplete.
Mokwa also clarified that the council is expected to become operational under the 2026 budget cycle, meaning funding processes have not yet reached the stage of release.
“No Approval Chain Completed Yet” — Government Position
Reiterating the bureaucratic safeguards around federal expenditure, the OAGF stressed that government funds cannot be accessed without a fully activated account and verified approval chain.
“If they give you a waiver for 200 people, you take the waiver to these agencies and then present the papers to the Accountant-General,” Mokwa said.
He emphasised that none of these procedural steps had been fully completed, making it impossible for the council to draw salaries or execute spending.
Ongoing Questions Around PFIPC Structure
The clarification adds to growing public questions surrounding the structure and operational status of the PFIPC, particularly its relationship with existing federal institutions and the legitimacy of its early administrative actions.
For now, the OAGF maintains a firm position: no operational account exists, no staff have been officially captured on payroll, and no public funds have been released to the council.