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Presidency’s Explanation on Fake Agency Questionable – Mahdi Shehu
Public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu has criticised the Presidency’s explanation regarding the alleged fake federal agency controversy, describing it as questionable, doubtful, suspect, contradictory, inconsistent and selective.
In a post shared on his official X hamdle on Thursday, Shehu questioned how an agency allegedly operating without proper legal backing was able to secure a budget allocation, recruit staff, open bank accounts and obtain office space within the Federal Secretariat without attracting the attention of government institutions.
He argued that even if the individual accused of forging an appointment letter is found guilty, there are bigger questions that government authorities must answer.
“Assuming without conceding that Ajibade forged his appointment letter, which is a criminal offence, who is responsible for the following bigger crimes?” he asked.
Shehu pointed to what he described as a series of institutional failures.
He noted that the agency reportedly had a budgetary allocation of about N1.3 billion approved through the national budget process before being signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
He also questioned how the agency allegedly recruited about 300 workers from the federal civil service, opened accounts with a commercial bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria, and secured office space at the Federal Secretariat.
According to him, these developments could not have happened without the involvement or knowledge of several government institutions.
He further questioned why security and anti-corruption agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), failed to detect any irregularities despite their roles in vetting public appointments.
“Even if Ajibade is culpable, many more ‘big men’ are very much,” he said.
Shehu maintained that the Presidency’s account of the controversy leaves many unanswered questions and exposes what he described as serious weaknesses within the country’s public institutions.
“If anything, the explanation coming from the Presidency regarding the ‘fake’ agency is questionable, doubtful, suspect, contradictory, inconsistent, selective and indeed exposes the system, top to bottom, as being sufficiently and extensively vulnerable,” he wrote.
He added that in a properly functioning society, such an incident would attract greater accountability, with those responsible stepping down or facing prosecution.
“In a normal society, nothing close to this will ever happen and if per adventure it does, decent heads will bow out and many more heads will role into prison,” he said.
Recall that the Presidency had earlier stated that Adeyemi forged official documents, created fictitious presidential agencies and falsely portrayed himself as a government official.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Adeyemi would be arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27 to face charges of forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
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Breaking: Nigerian Workers Demand N300,000 Minimum Wage, FG Faces Fresh Salary Pressure
The Federal Workers Forum, FWF, has demanded an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000, noting that the current salary structure can no longer sustain civil servants amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
The Forum made the demand in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly, with the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation listed among the recipients.
The workers also proposed a new salary structure that would place the highest-paid Level 17 officer on a monthly salary of N1.5 million, while Level 1 Step 1 workers would earn N300,000.
“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to N300,000 and a maximum wage of N1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the Forum said.
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The FWF argued that the Federal Government had not fully implemented the 2024 minimum wage agreement, claiming that federal workers had yet to receive the full consequential adjustment and associated allowances.
“It will surprise you to hear that the Federal Government has not fully implemented the new national minimum wage since July 2024. We have been in the battle for full consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage,” it said.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in August 2026, demanded an upward review of the minimum wage to N500,000.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s government increased the minimum wage to N70,000 per month from N30,000.
However, the cost of living for many Nigerians has tripled between 2024 and 2026.
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The Federal Government has said Nigeria will never support a military coup or any unconstitutional change of government, following claims that the country backed a failed coup attempt in the Niger Republic.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the statement, the claims circulating on social media are baseless and misleading.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria remained committed to democracy, constitutional rule and political stability in West Africa and would not support any attempt to remove a government through unconstitutional means.
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“Nigeria will never support illegality or unconstitutional change of government anywhere, no matter who is involved or which country is concerned,” he said.
The minister also rejected claims that Nigeria, through its membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), supported or endorsed the military takeover in Niger.
He said the Federal Government had already stated its position on the situation in Niger in an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026.
According to him, Nigeria remains deeply concerned about developments in Niger and wants the country to return peacefully to stability and constitutional order.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s close historical, cultural and fraternal ties with Niger made peace and stability in the neighbouring country particularly important.
“Nigerians at home and abroad should disregard the videos and narratives circulating online, they are intended to create confusion and tarnish Nigeria’s image,” the statement said.
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