NLC seeks full probe of presidential foreign investment commission controversy

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for a comprehensive investigation into the controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Commission (PFIC), saying the presidency owes Nigerians a clear explanation to restore public confidence in government institutions.

The congress warned that regardless of whether the commission is eventually confirmed to be genuine or fictitious, the controversy has already raised fundamental questions about accountability, institutional integrity and the vulnerability of government systems.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the presidency remains the only authority that can provide a definitive account of the matter, stressing that Nigerians deserve clarity rather than speculation.

“That story is one of the dramas we experience in this country,” Ajaero said.

“There is no other person that can speak authoritatively on it apart from the presidency. Our reaction will largely depend on how the Presidency responds to it, because that will give Nigerians confidence that the matter was not swept under the carpet.”

He said while conflicting claims continue to trail the commission, it would be premature to draw conclusions until the relevant authorities conclude their investigations.

Ajero said the responsibility now lies with the country’s anti-corruption and investigative agencies to establish the facts and hold anyone found culpable accountable.

“Ordinarily, something like this should never happen. But whether they tell us it happened or that it did not happen, the situation is neither here nor there for now,” he said.

“Many voices have already called for an investigation, and we have anti-graft agencies whose responsibility is to handle matters like this. I think we should allow them to do their jobs.”

Ajaero, however, maintained that if investigations eventually reveal that the commission has no legal existence, such a finding would expose serious lapses within public institutions and raise troubling questions about how a non-existent body could allegedly operate within official government circles.

“If the agency is not real, then questions must be answered. You cannot tell us the agency is fake when they claimed to have opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria. Questions must be asked there.

“They also claimed to have offices at the national secretariat. Questions must be asked there too. They even said they were captured in government projects. So, investigations must go that far,” he said.