PFIPC PROBE: HOS ADMITS LACK OF DUE DILIGENCE IN RECRUITMENT APPROVALS

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, has admitted that her office failed to carry out adequate due diligence before approving recruitment requests linked to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

Walson-Jack made the admission on Wednesday while appearing before the House Committee probing the activities of the council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

She acknowledged that her office relied on documents presented by representatives of the organisation without independently verifying their authenticity.

“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 PFICP, we went on to issue the Authorised Establishment and later the Recruitment Waiver,” she said.

The Head of Service admitted that her office should have carried out more thorough checks before granting the approvals.

“We now, having seen all the facts and observed all the documents, concede that we ought to have carried out more due diligence in the discharge of the duties of the office in issuing an Authorised Establishment and a Recruitment Waiver to the PEAC/PFICP,” she said.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the approvals, Walson-Jack said the Presidential Economic Advisory Council had previously existed as an ad hoc body, which may have contributed to the confusion.

“We do know that the PEAC used to exist as an ad hoc organisation on its own, and the documents that were presented had PEAC/PFICP.

 However, as I said, due diligence may have detected whether those documents were actually authentic,” she added.

The House Committee is investigating the activities of the promotion council, a purported government agency, over allegations of fraudulent activities and the circumstances under which it obtained official recognition and recruitment approvals from government institutions.

The committee is chaired by the lawmaker representing Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi.