Abuja — The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has admitted that her office failed to carry out adequate due diligence before approving an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver for the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), despite the agency relying on forged documents.
Walson-Jack made the admission while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the PFIPC controversy, chaired by Rep. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau).
She disclosed that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) acted on documents presented by the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), including what was claimed to be the agency’s Establishment Act and letters of appointment.
According to her, the office later discovered during an internal review prompted by the House investigation that the supposed Establishment Act was not authentic.
«”When this matter came up, I requested to see the documents myself and discovered that the Establishment Act was not really an authentic Act,” Walson-Jack told the committee.»
She explained that the OHCSF routinely processes requests from newly established agencies once they present an enabling law and appointment letters, adding that officials relied on the documents submitted without conducting further verification.
“In other words, my office received the letter of appointment and the Establishment Act, and based on those documents, as well as interactions with representatives of the PEAC and PFIPC, we issued the Authorised Establishment and later the Recruitment Waiver,” she said.
The Head of Service acknowledged that the office should have exercised greater caution before granting the approvals.
“We now, having seen all the facts and examined all the documents, concede that we ought to have carried out more due diligence in the discharge of our responsibilities before issuing the Authorised Establishment and Recruitment Waiver to the PEAC/PFIPC,” she added.
Her testimony comes as the House Ad Hoc Committee continues its probe into the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the PFIPC and the alleged use of forged documents in securing official recognition and recruitment approvals.
The committee is expected to continue its investigation to determine those responsible for the alleged forgery and recommend appropriate actions.