PFIPC Probe: HCSF Admits Failure in Verifying Agency Documents

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Esther Didi Walson-Jack, has admitted that her office failed to carry out proper verification before granting recruitment approvals to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency now under investigation over its legal status.

Walson-Jack made the admission on Wednesday while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and the PFIPC without legal backing.

During the hearing, the committee disclosed that its investigation uncovered what it described as a network of fake documents allegedly used to obtain government approvals for the agency.

The Head of Service acknowledged that her office relied on documents later discovered to be fake when it granted an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver to the purported agency.

She explained that officials representing the organisation attended the 2025 Annual Manpower Budget Defence and presented themselves as officials of a newly created federal agency.

According to her, they submitted what appeared to be an Establishment Act, a letter appointing a Director-General and other supporting documents required for processing recruitment requests.

Walson-Jack said the Civil Service followed its standard procedures by processing the request based on the documents submitted, adding that the situation was unlike anything previously encountered by the service.

She, however, admitted that after reviewing the documents during the ongoing investigation, it became clear that the Establishment Act presented to her office was not genuine.

Drawing from her legal background, she said she immediately noticed that the document did not appear authentic when she personally examined it.

She also said the appointment letter purportedly issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President contained clear differences when compared with genuine official correspondence.

The committee chairman informed the hearing that forensic analysis conducted by the Nigeria Police had confirmed that the signatures on the appointment letter did not match the authentic signatures.

According to the committee, investigations established that both the appointment letter and the Act used to support the agency’s existence were fake.

Lawmakers also pointed out that the alleged Establishment Act lacked the official citation numbers, gazette references and other features expected of a valid Act passed by the National Assembly.

Despite admitting the shortcomings, Walson-Jack maintained that her office acted according to established procedures based on the documents it received.

She said the discovery had exposed weaknesses in existing verification processes and pledged that new measures would be introduced to make the system more resistant to fraud.

The committee also questioned officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation over the issuance of an administrative code to the purported agency.

A former Director of Consolidation Account and Director of Federal Projects in the Accountant-General’s Office, Joshua Patmi Luka, told lawmakers that his office received what appeared to be an official request from the State House seeking an administrative code for the agency.

He said the office responded by addressing the approval to the Permanent Secretary of the State House rather than directly to the agency as part of its internal verification process.

However, the committee faulted the procedure after investigations showed that the letter never reached the Permanent Secretary but was instead collected by the alleged fake Director-General.

Lawmakers further stated that the Directorate of Administration and Support Services mentioned in the correspondence did not exist within the State House.

The committee chairman accused officials of allowing the suspect to collect official correspondence that should have been delivered directly to the Permanent Secretary, arguing that proper delivery would likely have exposed the alleged fraud earlier.

Responding, Luka argued that the incident resulted from the actions of an individual officer responsible for dispatching the letter rather than a failure of the office’s official procedures.

The committee said its investigation has revealed the use of fake appointment letters, fabricated legislative documents and non-existent government offices to obtain official approvals and gain access to budgetary processes.

It added that its final report would contain its findings and recommendations after the investigation is concluded.