Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has sarcastically urged the Federal Government to honour Adeniyi Adeyemi over the controversy surrounding his alleged appointment and claims involving the Presidency.

Dalung made the remarks during an interview on Trust TV on Friday while reacting to the dispute between Adeyemi, who has been described as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to facilitate his appointment. The Presidency has denied the allegations, insisting that the Chief of Staff neither issues appointments nor writes appointment letters.

Reacting to the government’s position, Dalung questioned how an individual could allegedly operate under the guise of a government agency without being detected if the Presidency’s account was accurate.

“If we are to believe the story of the government, then the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has collapsed, and it should resign, because it means there are even more scammers operating in the government,” he said.

He also argued that if Adeyemi had managed to deceive multiple government institutions, including the National Assembly, it raised serious concerns about the credibility of public institutions.

In a sarcastic remark, Dalung said President Bola Tinubu should confer the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Adeyemi, describing him as “a very intelligent and smart Nigerian” whose abilities, if genuine, should be harnessed for national development.

The Presidency has maintained that Adeyemi’s allegations against Gbajabiamila are false and has distanced the Federal Government from the claims.