ABUJA, Nigeria — The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Esther Walson-Jack, has acknowledged that proper due diligence was not carried out before approval was granted for the staffing structure and recruitment waiver of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), admitting shortcomings in the document verification process.
Walson-Jack made the disclosure on Wednesday while appearing before a committee investigating the controversy surrounding the PFIPC and the N1.3 billion appropriated to the council in the 2026 national budget. She said the Office of the Head of the Civil Service accepted responsibility for the oversight, explaining that officials failed to thoroughly verify the authenticity and validity of documents presented by the council before granting the necessary approvals. According to her, the lapse has prompted an internal review aimed at strengthening verification procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The investigation into the PFIPC has drawn national attention following concerns over the legitimacy of the council, its legal status, and the circumstances surrounding the allocation of public funds to it. Lawmakers have questioned how the council secured a staffing structure and recruitment waiver despite growing concerns over its establishment and operations. During the hearing, members of the investigative committee sought explanations on the processes followed by relevant government agencies before approvals were issued.
Responding to the lawmakers, Walson-Jack said the approval process relied on documents submitted by the council without exhaustive verification. She admitted that the expected checks were not completed and assured the committee that her office was cooperating fully with the investigation. The Head of Service added that new measures would be introduced to ensure stricter scrutiny of future requests involving staffing approvals, recruitment waivers and institutional documentation submitted to the federal civil service.
The committee is expected to continue its investigation into the PFIPC, including the circumstances surrounding the N1.3 billion allocation contained in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Lawmakers say the probe is intended to establish accountability, identify any procedural failures and recommend reforms to strengthen transparency in government approvals and public spending. The outcome of the investigation could shape future oversight of federal agencies and reinforce stricter compliance with administrative and financial regulations across the public service.
