The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Esther Didi Walson-Jack, has admitted that her office failed to carry out adequate due diligence before granting approvals to a purported federal agency now under investigation.
Walson-Jack made the admission before the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee probing the alleged illegal creation of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The committee said it uncovered a network of forged documents used to obtain government approvals, including a recruitment waiver granted to the agency.
“We concede that we ought to have carried out more due diligence,” Walson-Jack told lawmakers, noting that her office relied on documents later discovered to be fake.
She explained that officials of the agency presented what appeared to be a valid Establishment Act and a letter appointing a Director-General during the 2025 Annual Manpower Budget Defence. Based on standard civil service procedures, the documents were accepted and approvals processed.
However, she later identified discrepancies, stating that the Act was not authentic and the appointment letter contained mismatched signatures. Police forensic analysis has since confirmed the signatures were fake.
The committee chairman said the documents lacked key legal features such as citation and gazette numbers, describing the case as a coordinated fraud involving fabricated legislation and fictitious government offices.
Despite acknowledging the lapse, Walson-Jack maintained that approvals followed existing procedures but pledged reforms to strengthen verification processes and prevent future occurrences.
The committee also faulted the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation over how an administrative code was issued to the agency. Officials said the code was sent to the State House for verification, but lawmakers revealed it was intercepted by the suspect posing as Director-General.
Investigators further stated that the referenced State House department did not exist, raising concerns about internal controls.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force told the committee it could not produce the alleged fake Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, citing a subsisting court order. Police assured continued cooperation but said a court directive would be required for his appearance.
The committee said its final report will detail findings and recommendations after concluding the investigation.
