The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, has told the House of Representatives that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service never allocated office space to the embattled Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Appearing before the House Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged fraud surrounding the council, Walson-Jack clarified that the office reportedly occupied by the PFIPC at the Federal Secretariat, Phase III, was officially allocated to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), not the council.

The committee is investigating allegations that Adeyemi Adeniyi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC using what lawmakers suspect was a fake presidential appointment.

Lawmakers are also probing the legality of the council’s establishment, the authenticity of its appointment documents, recruitment of staff, office allocation, and the alleged misuse of public funds and government facilities.

Walson-Jack said her office, which is responsible for allocating office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat, never approved any office for the PFIPC.

She explained that the office listed as the council’s official address falls under accommodation allocated to the OSGF for its operations and those of presidential bodies.

Further Disclosure

The Head of Service also disclosed that the PFIPC had earlier sought approval for its organisational structure and authorised establishment but failed to provide the required documentation, leading to the rejection of its initial request.

According to her, the council later submitted additional documents, including the appointment letter of its director-general and details of its mandate during the 2025 Annual Manpower Budget Defence Exercise.

She said the application was subsequently processed alongside those of 87 other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), resulting in the approval of an authorised establishment for 314 positions and the issuance of a recruitment waiver.

However, Walson-Jack stressed that her office neither recruited nor deployed staff to the council, noting that recruitment into federal agencies is the responsibility of the agencies themselves.

She added that the establishment, supervision and operational oversight of presidential councils do not fall under the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, urging lawmakers to direct further inquiries to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other relevant authorities.

The House committee is continuing its investigation into the activities, funding and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council over allegations of fraud and procedural irregularities.