The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Esther Walson-Jack, has told the House of Representatives that her office neither allocated office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja nor deployed any civil servants to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Walson-Jack made the clarification while appearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the PFIPC controversy and the N1.3 billion reportedly earmarked for the agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Addressing lawmakers, the Head of Service explained that although the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation received a request from the PFIPC seeking the deployment of officers, the request was merely acknowledged and never approved.

"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," she said.

She also dismissed claims that the council was officially allocated office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat Complex.

"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," Walson-Jack stated.

The Head of Service further disclosed that the PFIPC had approached her office seeking approval for its proposed organisational structure. However, the request was rejected because the council failed to provide the statutory documents required to establish its legal status.

According to her, every newly created government organisation seeking recognition from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service must first submit an enabling Act of the National Assembly or other valid legal instruments establishing its existence before requests relating to organisational structure, staffing or conditions of service can be processed.

She explained that although her office is responsible for approving the conditions of service for government agencies, there was no record showing that the PFIPC formally applied for such approval.

Walson-Jack also clarified that issues relating to salaries and staff remuneration do not fall under the jurisdiction of her office.

She noted that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission is responsible for determining the remuneration and emoluments of public servants, while the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission handles the remuneration of political office holders and chief executive officers of government agencies.

Giving further details to the committee, Walson-Jack recalled that representatives of the PFIPC attended the 2025 Annual Workforce Projection and Human Resources Planning exercise, where they informed her office that the council was already operating with personnel seconded from other government agencies.

She said the organisation subsequently requested an authorised establishment and a recruitment waiver to enable it employ substantive staff, adding that the council informed her office that it already had 14 personnel on ground.

However, she stressed that recruitment into government agencies is not handled by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service.

"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 told the lawmakers.

According to Walson-Jack, the PFIPC also submitted copies of what it described as the appointment letter of its director-general, alongside documents showing it had been assigned a budget code.

Her testimony comes amid mounting controversy surrounding the alleged council and the claims made by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.

Adeyemi had claimed that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, personally issued him an appointment letter as director-general of the council. He also alleged that he paid money to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives to secure the appointment.

Gbajabiamila has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as false, and has instituted legal action against Adeyemi.

The self-acclaimed PFIPC boss was arrested by security operatives in Osun State on July 14 as investigations into the matter intensified.

The Presidency has equally distanced itself from the controversial council, insisting that no such agency exists under the Federal Government. It further accused Adeyemi of forging the purported appointment letter and falsely presenting himself as the head of a non-existent government body.