Esther Walson-Jack tells lawmakers the disputed council failed to meet requirements for recognition, as investigations into its N1.3bn budget allocation deepen…..
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Esther Walson-Jack, has distanced her office from the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that no office space was allocated to the body and no federal civil servants were deployed to it.
Walson-Jack made the clarification on Tuesday while appearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the council and the N1.3 billion earmarked for it in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Addressing lawmakers, she said her office received a request seeking the deployment of officers to the council but never approved it.
“The request for deployment of officers was received and noted for consideration. However, there was no deployment of officers by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to the council,” she said.
She also dismissed reports suggesting the PFIPC was allocated office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat Phase Three in Abuja.
“While there is speculation that the council occupied office space in the Federal Secretariat Phase Three, 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 PFIPC,” she stated.
According to Walson-Jack, the council had approached her office seeking approval for its proposed organisational structure, but the request could not be processed because it failed to submit the statutory documents required to establish its legal status.
She explained that any newly created government organisation must present an establishment Act or other valid legal instruments before requests relating to its operations can be considered.
The Head of Service further disclosed that there was no record of the council applying for approval of its conditions of service, a responsibility that falls under her office.
She clarified, however, that issues relating to salaries and staff remuneration are handled by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, while the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission is responsible for determining the remuneration of political office holders and chief executive officers.
Providing further details, Walson-Jack said PFIPC representatives attended the 2025 Annual Workforce Projection and Human Resources Planning event, where they informed her office that the council was operating with personnel seconded from other government agencies.
She added that the council later requested approval for an authorised establishment and a recruitment waiver, stating that 14 officials were already working with it.
“We also wish to state that recruitment and placement of staff in agencies or into agencies is not under the purview of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. It is the responsibility of the agencies to recruit and carry out proper placement of their staff,” she told the committee.
She also disclosed that the council submitted copies of what it described as its director-general’s appointment letter, along with documents indicating that it had been assigned a budget code.
The revelations come as investigations continue into the controversial council and the circumstances surrounding its inclusion in the 2026 budget.
The man identified as Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, had earlier claimed that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed him and personally signed his appointment letter. Adeyemi also alleged that he paid money to secure the appointment.
Gbajabiamila has denied the claims, describing the appointment letter as fake, and has since instituted legal action against Adeyemi.
Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State on July 14, while the Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency, accusing him of forging official documents.
