HOSCF denies allocating office to alleged “fake agency,” PFIPC

…says space belonged to SGF

By Christiana Ekpa

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOSCF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, on Monday told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged fraud surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) that her office never allocated office accommodation to the council.
The House probe followed allegations that Adeyemi Adeniyi fraudulently presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) using a purported presidential appointment that was later alleged to be fake.
The controversy prompted the House of Representatives to launch an investigation into the legality of the council’s establishment, the authenticity of the appointment documents, the recruitment of staff, office allocation, and the alleged misuse of public funds and government facilities.
The committee is investigating the roles played by relevant government agencies in the council’s operations and whether due process was followed.
Appearing before the committee, Walson-Jack said records available to her office showed that the office space reportedly occupied by the council 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 PFIPC.
She explained that while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service is responsible for allocating office spaces within the Federal Secretariat complexes, no allocation was ever made to the council under investigation.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Walson-Jack also disclosed that although the council applied for approval of its organisational structure and an authorised establishment, it initially failed to provide the required supporting documents, resulting in its request not being granted at the time.
She, however, explained that during the 2025 Annual Manpower Budget Defence Exercise, the council later submitted additional documents, including the appointment letter of its Director-General and details of its mandate, after which its request was processed alongside those of 87 other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to her, an authorised establishment for 314 positions was subsequently issued to the council, while a recruitment waiver followed days later.
The HOSCF further clarified that her office neither deployed staff to the council nor approved any recruitment into the organisation.
She stressed that recruitment into federal agencies falls within the responsibility of the agencies themselves, while matters relating to the establishment, supervision and operational oversight of presidential councils are outside the mandate of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Walson-Jack urged the committee to direct further inquiries on the council’s establishment and operations to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other relevant government institutions.
Her testimony came as the House Ad-hoc Committee continues its investigation into the activities and funding of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council over allegations of fraud and irregularities in its operations.