The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Esther Walson-Jack, has denied allocating office space or deploying government personnel to the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Walson-Jack made the clarification while appearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the PFIPC controversy and the N1.3 billion allocated to the agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
She told lawmakers that although her office received a request for the deployment of officers to the council, no staff were ever deployed.
“The request for deployment of officers was received and noted for consideration. However, there was no deployment of officers by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to the council,” she said.
The HoS also dismissed claims that PFIPC occupied an office at the Federal Secretariat Phase Three in Abuja, insisting that her office did not approve any allocation of workspace to the council.
“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 PFIPC,” Walson-Jack said.
She explained that PFIPC had approached her office seeking approval for its organisational structure but failed to provide the required documents to support the request.
According to her, while the Office of the Head of Service is responsible for approving conditions of service for government agencies, there was no record of such approval being granted to PFIPC.
She added that issues relating to salaries and allowances of personnel fall under the responsibilities of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, while remuneration of political appointees and chief executive officers is handled by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Walson-Jack said new government organisations must present an enabling law or other valid documents establishing their existence before requests for administrative support can be processed.
She further disclosed that PFIPC officials claimed during a 2025 workforce projection and human resources meeting that they were operating with personnel seconded from other government agencies.
The HoS said the council later requested establishment approval and a recruitment waiver to employ permanent staff, claiming that 14 officials were already working with the organisation.
“Recruitment and placement of staff in agencies or into agencies is not under the purview of the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
”It is the responsibility of the agencies to recruit and carry out proper placement of their staff,” she stated.
Walson-Jack also told the committee that PFIPC submitted documents including a purported director-general appointment letter and evidence of a budget code.
The clarification comes amid controversy surrounding Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as PFIPC’s director-general and claimed he was appointed through a letter issued by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbajabiamila has denied the allegation and filed a lawsuit against Adeyemi, who was arrested in Osun State on July 14.
The Presidency has also rejected claims that the council exists, alleging that the appointment letter was forged.
