PFIPC scandal: No staff deployment, office space given to fake agency — HoS
July 29, 2026 4:58 pm
File: Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has said that her office neither deployed staff to nor allocated office accommodation for the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Walson-Jack stated this on Wednesday during the investigative hearing of the House of Representatives Committee probing the activities of the fake agency.
She said the Office of the Head of the Civil Service did not approve an organisational structure for the council, contrary to claims that it enjoyed full government recognition.
Walson-Jack said the only approvals granted by her office were an authorised establishment and a provisional recruitment waiver based on documents presented by representatives of the organisation.
“That’s all that we said as regards the issue of deployment. There was no deployment. The issue as regards office accommodation, we did not give office accommodation. The issue as regards organisational structure, we did not issue any organisational structure,” she said.
She explained that the office processes requests for an authorised establishment and provisional recruitment waiver concurrently for newly established agencies seeking to recruit their first employees.
According to her, the authorised establishment provides the approved staffing structure, while the provisional recruitment waiver enables an agency to obtain approvals from the Budget Office of the Federation and the Federal Character Commission before returning to the Office of the Head of Service for final recruitment clearance.
Walson-Jack said the office requires two key documents from new agencies: a letter appointing the chief executive officer or principal officer and the enabling law establishing the organisation.
She noted that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service had processed similar requests from hundreds of federal agencies over the years without encountering a similar case.
“Over the years, this office has dealt with hundreds of requests from both permanent and ad hoc Federal Government agencies for authorised establishment and recruitment waivers. We have never encountered a situation like the current one.
“This is one in almost a century in the Federal Civil Service, and we believe that, like in every society, criminals always try to stay a step ahead of law enforcement,” she said.
The House committee is investigating the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council over allegations that it fraudulently presented itself as a federal government agency and obtained official recognition from several public institutions.
See the video below:
𝐏𝐅𝐈𝐏𝐂 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥: 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 — 𝐇𝐨𝐒
Credit: X | channelstv
— pic.twitter.com/Isiv0wlOM3— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) July 29, 2026
Olugbenga Ige is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over nine years of professional reporting experience. He is known for his sharp eye for compelling stories and a strong instinct for identifying newsworthy developments. Over the years, Olugbenga has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
