Joel Ajayi
A pressure group in known as the North Central Progressives Forum (NCPF) has expressed disappointment in the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, over his inglorious role in the fictitious Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
The group in a statement signed by its President, Yunusa Usman, and made available to newsmen in Lafia said the role of the SGF in the scandal that has rocked the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is an embarrassment on Benue State and North Central in general.
The group expressed disappointment that based on a report by Saturday Punch,
“There are documents revealing that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation received, acknowledged and acted on correspondence submitted in the council’s name months before the Presidency publicly disowned it.
“The SGF’s office formally processed and forwarded a request by the council’s self-styled Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, seeking office accommodation from recovered federal government properties through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”
According to the group, it is unfortunate that the SGF’s office which acts as the bureaucratic engine of the presidency, and is responsible for policy harmonization across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)and serves as the central secretariat for key constitutional bodies like the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Council of State now claims to have been manipulated by one Prince Adeneyi Adeyemi.
The group’s President further disclosed that, “We were shocked when we came across a letter dated June 24th, 2025, from the office of the SGF, inviting the Director General of the fake agency for the Canada-Africa Fintech Summit in Canada,” he said.
The group disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been fair to Benue people and the North Central in terms of Projects and appointments, they are however pained that the office of the SGF which is manned by a former governor of Benue State fell for a scheme that has embarrassed the President Tinubu administration.
BPF appealed to President Tinubu to continue to be fair to Benue State and the North Central, not minding the embarrassment caused the administration by the failure of the OSGF which failed to identify a fake agency.
The group however commended the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila for petitioning the fake agency to security agencies.
According to BPF, an interim report by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, filed as part of the court processes, stated that the investigation was triggered by a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Mr Usman called on President Tinubu to go after those who have embarrassed the nation through the scandal and ensure they are brought to justice.
