The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has acknowledged that her office failed to carry out adequate verification before approving the establishment of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Speaking during a hearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the agency on Wednesday, Walson-Jack admitted that officials relied on documents presented by representatives of the council without confirming their authenticity.
According to her, the office approved the agency’s establishment and recruitment waiver after receiving what appeared to be an official appointment letter for its Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, alongside a document claiming to be the law establishing the council.
However, subsequent checks triggered by the National Assembly’s investigation revealed that the documents were forged.
She conceded that stricter scrutiny should have been carried out before the approvals were granted, describing the oversight as a lesson in the importance of due diligence.
The House committee is investigating how the agency secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat and was allocated more than N1.3 billion in the 2026 budget despite questions surrounding its legal status.
Lawmakers also disclosed that forensic checks showed discrepancies in the signature on Adeyemi’s appointment letter, noting that it did not match that of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
They maintained that both the appointment letter and the purported Act establishing the council were fraudulent.
Following the discovery, Walson-Jack confirmed that every approval previously granted to the PFIPC had been revoked.
The committee further alleged that Adeyemi improperly obtained a verification letter intended for the State House from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, describing the action as a serious violation of official procedures.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force informed lawmakers that Adeyemi could not be produced before the committee because he remains in custody under a valid court remand order. Police said only a court warrant could authorize his release.
The House committee said its investigation has uncovered widespread document falsification and is expected to submit its final report next week.
Reacting to the development, several civil society groups have called for a comprehensive audit of federal ministries, departments and agencies, warning that the scandal could expose broader weaknesses in the government’s document verification and approval processes.
