Revealed: “Fake” Presidential Council Got Approval To Recruit 300 Staff

By Ayodele Oni

As controversy over the legality of controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) deepens, it has been revealed how an official memo approved recruitment of 300 personnel for the agency.

Fresh documents obtained revealed that the Federal Government approved the waiver in August 2025 for the agency to recruit 300 personnel, despite an existing embargo on general recruitment into the federal civil service.

The approval, contained in a two-page letter dated August 7, 2025, was signed by Mimi Abu, Director of Organisation Design and Development in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and copied to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The waiver authorised the council to recruit staff across multiple cadres, including 10 directors on Grade Level 17, 20 assistant directors on Grade Level 15, 44 administrative officers and  45 planning officers.

Others were 32 commercial officers, 22 investment promotion officers, 26 accountants, 10 legal officers, 13 procurement officers, 11 programme analysts, 12 information officers, executive officers, technical officers, data processing personnel, confidential secretaries, and motor drivers/mechanics.

According to the letter, the approval was strictly tied to the agency’s 2025 approved establishment.

“This approval is based on and limited to the 2025 Approved Establishment position of the Agency, which covers the proposed recruitment,” the letter stated.

The Office of the Head of the Civil Service directed the council to obtain clearance from the Budget Office of the Federation before commencing recruitment, comply with the Federal Character principle, and reserve five per cent of the positions for persons living with disabilities.

It further warned that the approved number of recruitments must not be exceeded, while officials from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service were to monitor the exercise to ensure compliance.

Just a day after the waiver was issued, PFIPC Director-General Adeniyi Adeyemi took to social media to publicly thank President Bola Tinubu for the approval.

“Mr. President, we are growing because you believe in us,” Adeyemi wrote.

He also announced that the council had secured approval to establish offices in all 36 states of the federation, alongside plans to roll out 127 international offices.

“The visionary support strengthens our resolve to champion Nigerian enterprise and attract foreign direct investments across every border,” he added.

The latest revelation comes amid an ongoing controversy surrounding the PFIPC.

On June 11, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, declared that the PFIPC was not an agency recognised by the Tinubu administration, effectively distancing the Presidency from the organisation.

Adeyemi rejected the disclaimer and called on President Tinubu to constitute an independent panel to investigate the matter.

Despite the Presidency’s position, Adeyemi is reported to have operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, where he allegedly hosted diplomats, government officials and organised public engagements.

The controversy has since deepened, with the Nigeria Police Force filing an eight-count criminal charge against Adeyemi, according to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.

In response to the Presidency’s denial, Adeyemi alleged that the dispute stemmed from his refusal to surrender 48 per cent of the council’s take-off grant.

He further claimed that he paid N400 million to secure his appointment, with an outstanding balance of N200 million yet to be paid. Those allegations have not been independently verified.