…Head of Service Admits Due Diligence Lapses in Recruitment Approvals
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) will conclude its inquiry without taking testimony from two central figures in the case—the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the self-acclaimed Director-General of the council, Adeyemi Adeniyi.
Instead, the committee said it would rely on documentary evidence already before it, submissions from government institutions and reports from security agencies before presenting its preliminary findings next week.
The development comes as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) continues its investigation into the alleged fake agency, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the anti-graft commission conclude its probe within 30 days.
The President had described the PFIPC as a fictitious organisation with no legal basis or presidential approval and ordered a comprehensive investigation into its activities, including allegations of forged government documents, impersonation and the opening of bank accounts in the names of non-existent government agencies.
At the committee’s resumed hearing on Wednesday, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, admitted that her office failed to carry out sufficient due diligence before approving recruitment requests linked to the PFIPC.
Appearing before the panel investigating the activities of the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), Walson-Jack said her office relied on documents submitted by representatives of the organisations, including a purported Establishment Act and letter of appointment, without independently verifying their authenticity.
According to her, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service subsequently issued an Authorised Establishment and later granted a Recruitment Waiver based on the documents presented and its engagements with representatives of the PEAC/PFIPC.
“My office received the Letter of Appointment and the Establishment Act and, based on those documents and also based on the interaction with the representatives of the PEAC and PFIPC, we went on to issue the Authorised Establishment and later the Recruitment Waiver,” she said.
The Head of Service acknowledged that the approvals should not have been granted without more rigorous verification.
“Having now seen all the facts and examined all the documents, we concede that we ought to have carried out more due diligence in issuing the Authorised Establishment and Recruitment Waiver to the PEAC/PFIPC,” she said.
She explained that the existence of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council as an ad hoc body may have contributed to the confusion because the documents presented to her office bore the names ‘PEAC/PFIPC.’
“We knew that PEAC existed as an ad hoc organisation, and the documents presented carried PEAC/PFIPC. However, proper due diligence could have established whether those documents were genuine,” she added.
President Tinubu had on 7 July directed the ICPC to investigate the PFIPC after the Presidency declared that the organisation was never established by the Federal Government and that it lacked any legal or executive backing.
The directive also ordered all ministries, departments and agencies to cooperate fully with investigators.
Both Gbajabiamila and Adeyemi have since honoured invitations by the ICPC as part of the ongoing investigation. Gbajabiamila’s lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed that the Chief of Staff appeared before the commission and cooperated fully with investigators.
Earlier, after the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the House committee, lawmakers directed the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to produce Adeyemi for questioning.
However, the Nigeria Police Force informed the committee that it could not comply with the request because Adeyemi remains in custody under a valid order of the Federal High Court.
Representing the Inspector-General, Deputy Commissioner of Police Olufemi Akinola, Deputy Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, appeared alongside Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi.
Explaining the police’s position, Akinola said: “The NPF may not be able to produce the suspect as requested in view of the subsisting warrant. However, in this case, it will be appreciated if the reproduction warrant could be sought from the court of competent jurisdiction to enable the police to comply with this request.”
Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi accepted the explanation, saying the panel would immediately seek the necessary court order before making another request to the police.
He also clarified that the police did not refuse to honour the committee’s directive, saying “The Inspector-General did not refuse to produce him before this committee. The police only informed us that the suspect remains in custody by virtue of a subsisting court order.”
Gagdi added that the committee would continue to liaise with the ICPC, Nigeria Police Force, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser through formal correspondence where necessary before submitting its report.
The decision means the House panel will conclude one of its highest-profile investigations without hearing directly from Gbajabiamila, whose alleged signature appeared on some documents linked to the purported council, and Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as the council’s Director-General.
The committee’s investigation followed revelations that the PFIPC, despite lacking legal status, allegedly secured a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act and operated with forged government documents.
Lawmakers have also disclosed that about 29 suspected forged official documents have been uncovered so far during the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Debo Adeniran, has described the House investigation as unnecessary, arguing that it duplicates the ongoing probe by the ICPC.
Speaking on the controversy, Adeniran said the National Assembly should allow the anti-corruption agency to perform its statutory responsibilities without interference.
According to him, launching a parallel investigation while the ICPC is already handling the matter raises concerns that it will complicate the investigative process.
“I don’t want to speculate on whether there is an attempt to cover up the matter, but the ICPC should be allowed to do its work without interference,” he said.
Adeniran argued that the ICPC possesses the legal mandate, technical expertise, and investigative capacity to examine allegations of financial misconduct, abuse of office, and related offenses.
He also maintained that more effective legislative oversight could have exposed issues surrounding the PFIPC much earlier, stressing that government institutions must conduct thorough due diligence whenever organisations claim official government recognition.
The anti-corruption advocate insisted that all allegations against individuals linked to the PFIPC should be investigated impartially, regardless of their political status or connections.
“The National Assembly has oversight responsibilities, but it does not possess prosecutorial powers over criminal matters. The ICPC is the agency specifically mandated to investigate corruption-related allegations and should be allowed to complete its work,” he stated.
Adeniran further called for greater transparency in dealings involving organisations claiming government backing, warning that failures in due diligence could undermine public confidence and expose both investors and public institutions to reputational risks.
He urged all relevant authorities to cooperate fully with the ICPC, adding that anyone found culpable after due investigation should be prosecuted, while those wrongly accused should be exonerated through an independent and transparent process.
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