The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has admitted that her office failed to carry out adequate due diligence before granting key administrative approvals—including an authorized establishment structure and a recruitment waiver—to the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Appearing before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee chaired by Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, the Head of Service conceded that administrative oversights allowed the promoters of the fake agency to gain official recognition across federal institutions using forged presidential signatures and counterfeit legislation.
Key Findings & Revelations at the Hearing
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Admission of Institutional Lapses: HCSF Walson-Jack acknowledged that her office relied on documents bearing the State House logo and forged signatures without subjecting them to independent verification, leading to the erroneous issuance of an Authorized Establishment and Recruitment Waiver.
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Diversion of Official Correspondence: The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) disclosed to the committee that a staff member, Bello Abdullahi, was identified as the official responsible for diverting official correspondence meant for the Permanent Secretary, State House, which helped sustain the fraudulent scheme.
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Pretext of Ad-Hoc Confusion: Walson-Jack explained that the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) previously existed as a legitimate ad-hoc body, creating initial confusion when promoters presented documents combining the PEAC and PFIPC titles.
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Suspect in Police Custody: Deputy Commissioner of Police Olayemi Akinyola informed the panel that self-acclaimed PFIPC Director-General Adeniyi Adeyemi remains in police custody under a subsisting court order, preventing his physical appearance before lawmakers for direct questioning.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PFIPC PROBE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Key Witness : Didi Esther Walson-Jack (Head of Civil Service) │
│ │
│ • Key Admission : Lack of due diligence in granting Authorized │
│ Establishment & Recruitment Waiver approvals. │
│ │
│ • Intercepted Official: Bello Abdullahi (OAGF staff involved in letter │
│ diversion to State House). │
│ │
│ • Status of Suspect: Adeniyi Adeyemi remanded in police custody via │
│ court order; criminal prosecution underway. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
(Sources: House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee Records & OHCSF Briefings)
“We Ought to Have Carried Out More Due Diligence”
Accepting responsibility for the failure to verify the authenticity of the documents presented by the fraudulent council, the Head of Service assured lawmakers that internal vetting procedures are being restructured to prevent future breaches:
“My office received the Letter of Appointment and the Establishment Act and, based on those documents and also based on the interaction with the representatives, we went on to issue the Authorised Establishment and later the Recruitment Waiver… Having seen all the facts and observed all the documents, we concede that we ought to have carried out more due diligence in the discharge of the duties of the office.” — Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
The panel adjourned sittings to review submitted files and finalize recommendations regarding institutional reforms and criminal referrals.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
