PFIPC Saga: Cleric Says Recent Developments Vindicate Earlier Warnings on Governance

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

A cleric and social commentator, Pastor F. E. Bamiduro, has said the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has reinforced concerns he raised years ago about governance, accountability and transparency in Nigeria.

Bamiduro made the submission in a statement titled “History Has Vindicated My Pen,” following recent developments in the PFIPC controversy, which has pitched Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew against the Presidency.

The Federal Government has since filed criminal charges against Adeyemi over allegations of forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency. The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC does not exist as a recognised government body and has urged Nigerians to allow the court to determine the matter.

However, Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing and called for an independent investigation into his allegations against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, insisting that the issues he raised deserve public scrutiny.

Reacting to the controversy, Pastor Bamiduro recalled that he had warned years ago in an article titled Political Vultures on Rampage that some public office holders could exploit the political system for personal gain if accountability was not strengthened.

According to him, the current controversy has renewed the need for transparency in public institutions and an independent investigation into all allegations surrounding the matter.

“The issue involving the Presidency, the alleged Gbajabiamila caucus and the reported council demands a thorough, transparent and independent investigation. If there is any substance to the allegations, the law should be allowed to take its full course,” he said.

The cleric also expressed concern over worsening insecurity, the welfare of rank-and-file police officers and what he described as persistent questions over the utilisation of public funds.

He further revisited another of his earlier articles, Any Hope for the Incoming Generation?, lamenting that decades after it was published, many Nigerians still grapple with insecurity, unemployment and limited access to quality education.

Bamiduro said his interventions in public affairs were motivated by patriotism rather than partisan politics.

“I am not a politician, and I can never be one. But as a social commentator and a cleric, I will continue to raise my voice responsibly on issues that affect our nation,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has maintained that the allegations made by Adeyemi are unfounded, insisting that the matter is before the court and that the judicial process should be allowed to run its course.