Head of Service denies allocating office to PFIPC, says space belonged to SGF

Didi Walson-Jack, the head of the Civil Service of the Federation, on Monday distanced her office from the operations of the embattled Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), telling the House of Representatives that no office accommodation was ever allocated to the council by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

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

The committee is probing allegations that Adeyemi Adeniyi fraudulently presented himself as the director-general of the PFIPC using what lawmakers suspect was a fake presidential appointment.

The investigation is also examining 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 told lawmakers that although the Office of the Head of the Civil Service is responsible for allocating office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat, it never approved any space for the PFIPC.

She said, “There is speculation that the council occupied office space in the Federal Secretariat, Phase III.

“We can state categorically that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation did not allocate any office space to the council.”

“The office space indicated as the council’s official address forms part of the office accommodation allocated to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for the use of the OSGF and presidential bodies,” she said.

She also disclosed that the council had approached her office seeking approval for its organisational structure and authorised establishment but initially failed to provide the required documentation, leading to the rejection of its request.

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

She said the application was then processed alongside those of 87 other Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Walson-Jack explained that an authorised establishment for 314 positions was subsequently issued to the council and that a recruitment waiver was granted days later.

However, she insisted that her office neither recruited nor deployed any staff to the council.

She told the committee that recruitment into federal agencies is the responsibility of the agencies themselves, while the establishment, supervision, and operational oversight of presidential councils do not fall within the mandate of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

She urged the lawmakers to direct further enquiries into the council’s establishment and operations to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other relevant government institutions.

The House ad hoc 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.