The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee that is investigating the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, has said they would interrogate the Director-General of the agency, Aderemi Matthew Adeyemi, in undisclosed location.
According to the lawmakers, it is to respect the constitutional principles of separation of powers.
This is as the Managing Director of a private firm, Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, Mr. Gbenga Collins, yesterday narrated before the committee how he allegedly paid N400 million to the purported PFIPC DG after being promised a contract to renovate and furnish what was presented to him as the official residence of the agency’s chief executive.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, who disclosed this at the panel’s sitting, said the National Assembly would respect the constitutional principle of separation of powers and would not seek to override a subsisting judicial order.
“As an arm of government, we respect the principle of federalism and separation of powers. We respect the powers of the judiciary, the executive and we equally limit ourselves within our own powers.
“We do not have the power as the National Assembly to vacate an existing court order and say that somebody who is in the custody of the Nigerian Police should leave the police to appear before the National Assembly,” he said.
The chairman, however, disclosed that the committee would interact with Adeyemi at an undisclosed date and location in a manner designed not to compromise investigations being conducted by security and anti-graft agencies.