Esther Walson-Jack, head of the civil service of the federation (HoS), has admitted that her office failed to carry out adequate due diligence in verifying documents submitted by the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) before approving its staffing structure and recruitment waiver.
Speaking on Wednesday before the committee investigating the controversy surrounding the PFIPC and the N1.3 billion appropriated to the council in the 2026 budget, Walson-Jack said the approvals were granted based on documents presented by the council, including its establishment Act and a letter appointing Adeniyi Adeyemi as director-general.
According to her, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service relied on the documents and engagements with representatives of the PFIPC before authorising the agency’s establishment structure and subsequently granting a recruitment waiver.
“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 of the PEAC/PFIPC, we went on to issue the authorised establishment and later the recruitment waiver,” she said.
Acknowledging shortcomings in the verification process, Walson-Jack said her office would strengthen its procedures to prevent similar occurrences. Related News Building 700,000 bpd refinery was "biggest business risk" of my life, Dangote admits Dangote Refinery to consume 2.5% of global crude oil trade ADC tackles Tinubu over 'fight to finish' remark
