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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

HoS exposes irregularities in PFIPC documents as Reps probe begins

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Nigeria's House of Representatives is investigating the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council for alleged establishment without a legal framework.
  • Both the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria have distanced themselves from the councils' operations.
  • The Head of Civil Service stated her office only approves administrative structures and declined the council's request due to missing documentation.

Nigeria's House of Representatives is probing the legality and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. The investigation centers on allegations that these bodies were established without a valid legal foundation.

The approval and establishment of agencies is not within the purview of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. However, the OHCSF is responsible for approving the administrative structure of federal government agencies.

— Representative of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the FederationExplaining the limited role of the OHCSF regarding the establishment of government agencies.

During the House Ad-hoc Committee's inquiry, both the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disassociated themselves from the councils. Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Head of the Civil Service, informed the committee that her office's mandate does not include establishing government agencies. Its role is confined to approving administrative structures.

Walson-Jack revealed that the council had applied for approval of its organizational structure on August 6, 2025, but the request was denied. The denial was attributed to the council's failure to provide the necessary supporting documents. The OHCSF also noted that the council had sought an establishment and recruitment waiver during the 2025 manpower budget defense, initially operating with seconded personnel before requesting 314 positions.

From our records, the council submitted a request to the OHCSF for approval of its organisational structure on the 6th of August, 2025, without providing the requisite documents. Consequently, the request was not granted.

— Representative of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the FederationDetailing the reason for declining the council's request for structural approval.

Further scrutiny by the OHCSF uncovered irregularities in the documents presented by the council as its legal basis, with the representative stating the documents lacked the required features of an enabling law. Walson-Jack also refuted claims of her office deploying civil servants to the council or allocating office space to it.

It was observed that the document presented by the council as its enabling law or legal instrument did not really carry the requisite features.

— Representative of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the FederationHighlighting irregularities found in the council's legal documentation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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