PFIPC Probe: Head of Civil Service Admits Lapses as Reps Uncover Fake Documents, Irregular Approvals
The House of Representatives’ investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has uncovered fresh evidence of irregular approvals, with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, admitting that her office failed to conduct sufficient due diligence before approving key requests from the purported agency.
The House Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment of the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) without legal backing revealed that the promoters allegedly relied on fake appointment letters, fabricated legislative documents, and fictitious government offices to obtain official recognition from several federal institutions.
Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, Walson-Jack acknowledged that her office processed an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver based on documents that have now been confirmed to be false.
She explained that officials of the agency presented what appeared to be an Establishment Act and a letter appointing a Director-General during the 2025 Annual Manpower Budget Defence, in line with the requirements for newly created government agencies seeking approval to recruit staff.
However, she admitted that the documents were not authentic, noting that upon reviewing them personally, it was obvious that the supposed Establishment Act was fake. She also questioned the authenticity of the appointment letter, saying the signature attributed to the President’s Chief of Staff did not match genuine signatures.
The committee chairman, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed that forensic analysis by the Nigeria Police had confirmed the signatures on the appointment letter were fake and not those of the genuine signatory. He also pointed out that the purported Establishment Act lacked essential features of valid legislation, including citation and gazette numbers.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation blamed one of its officials, Bello Abdullahi, for diverting an official letter intended for the Permanent Secretary, State House, and handing it to the alleged PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi.
Officials of the Accountant-General’s Office maintained that the administrative code issued to the agency was meant to be delivered only to the Permanent Secretary as part of internal verification. However, the committee faulted the process, insisting that the diversion of the correspondence allowed the fraudulent operation to continue.
The committee also revealed that the Directorate of Administration and Support Services, which appeared on some of the documents, does not exist within the State House, further strengthening suspicions that the records were fabricated.
In a related development, the Nigeria Police Force informed the committee that Adeniyi could not be produced before lawmakers because he remains in lawful custody under a valid court order. The committee accepted the explanation and said it would seek the necessary court order to facilitate his appearance.
The House committee said it has concluded most of its fact-finding exercise and will release preliminary findings next week before submitting its final report after the National Assembly resumes from recess.
Lawmakers are expected to recommend legal action against individuals implicated in the alleged fraud and propose reforms to strengthen verification procedures across government institutions.
