The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Esther Walson-Jack, has debunked alleged allocation of office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and deployment of staff to the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Walson-Jack held that her office never allocated space for the agency with its request for staff also not approved.
The HoS stated this during her appearance before the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee probing the PFIPC scandal and the N1.3 billion allocated to the agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
While acknowledging the request of the disputed agency led by its Self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Matthew, Walson-Jack held that no staff was deployed to the agency.
“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,
“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 said.
According to her, the PFIPC had approached her office, requesting the approval of its organisational structure. However, the request was turned down because the ‘council’ did not submit the necessary documents.
She said that while the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has responsibility for approval of conditions of service of agencies, there is no record of such a request from the council.
“Meanwhile, remuneration and emoluments of personnel are not under the purview of the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation but under the purview of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission,” she said.
Meanwhile, Walson-Jack maintained that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission is responsible for the remuneration of political appointees and chief executive officers.
She said that new organisations must provide either an establishment Act or other valid documents establishing their existence before such demands are processed.
The HoS told the committee that at the 2025 annual workforce projection and human resources event, PFIPC officials said they were participating and operating with personnel seconded from other government agencies.
According to her, PFIPC requested an authorised establishment and a recruitment waiver to get substantive staff and told her office that 14 officials were on the ground already.
“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 said.