'Heads suppose roll' - Nigerians react as Head of Service Didi Walson-Jack take responsibility

Di Head of di Civil Service of di Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, don take responsibility for approving recruitment for di Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC), di agency wey di federal govment tok say na fake.

As a result, some Nigerians for social media say e no dey enuf for govment officials to just admit responsibility for dia negligence, dem suppose to either resign or make di President sack dem from office.

Security authorities don since arrest di purported Director General of di agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, and accuse am of forging appointment letter from di Presidency to run di fake agency.

For one investigative hearing for di House of Representatives on Wednesday, Madam Walson-Jack admit say her office no try as dem fail to do di necessary background checks bifor giving critical approvals to di 'fake agency'.

"My office bin receive di letter of appointment and di establishment act, and based on dose documents and also based on interactions wit di representatives of di PEAC/PFIPC, dem go on to issue di authorised establishment, and later di recruitment waiver.

"As we don see all di fact and observe all di document , we concede say we suppose carry out more due dilligence in di discharge of di duties of di office in issuing authorised establishment and recuitment waiver to di PEAC/PFIPC," Madam Walson-Jack tok.

She explain say di Presidential Economic Advisory Council bin dey exist bifor now as adhoc organisation, na im make dem confuse wen dem see say di documents wey Mr Adeyemi present to dem carry PEAC/PFIPC.

"However, as I tok bifor, due dilligence suppose detect weda dose documents dey authentic," di Head of Service tok.

Di House Committee wey dey investigate di mata dey headed by Yusuf Gagdi, wey be di lawmaker representing Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State.

Di alleged mastermind of dis purported fraud, Adeniyi Adeyemi, wey currently dey for police custody, suppose dey present for di investigative hearing.

But di police say dem need court order bifor dem go produce am, sake of say di mata don already dey for court and na court give order make dem arrest am.

Speaking further, Madam Walson-Jack tok say she later torchlight di establishment act of di PEAC/PFIPC wey Adeyemi bin present, and she immediately notice say na fake.

Also, oga Gagdi show di Head of Service sample of di signature of di Chief of Staff to di President, Femi Gbajabiamila, make she compare am wit di signature on top di purported appointment letter wey Adeyemi claim say na Gbajabiamila bin sign am. She confam say di signature no be di same.

"We take full responsibility and we go definitely review our processes to make sure say dem dey more fraud-proof.

"In over almost one century of di Federal Civil Service, we neva encounter situation like dis current one. Criminals dey always try to be one step ahead of law enforcement," she tok.

Accountant General pass blame to surbodinate

One director from di office of di Accountant General of di Federation, Joshua Luka, also appear bifor di House Committee to ansa questions about how im office take get hand for di saga.

But oga Luka blame one of im junior officers for not doing wetin e suppose do, as e allow Mr Adeyemi to take one letter wey suppose dey forwarded to di office of di State House Permanent Secretary.

"As part of our due diligence, wetin we bin do na to convey di administrative code to di Permanent Secretary, State House, and not to di so-called agency. Di idea na say if e no dey genuine, di whole tin go dey unravelled," Luka tok.

Di House Committee Chairman, Mr Gagdi, den point out say investigations don reveal say di letter no get to di Permanent Secretary, rada na Mr Adeyemi collect am.

"You allow di fraudulent DG to come and pick di letter from your office instead of allowing someone from di Permanent Secretary office to receive am. If dat letter bin reached di Permanent Secretary, dis fraud suppose don scatter immediately," Gagdi tok.

Mr Luka reply and say: "Di problem hia no be office lapse; na individual lapse. Somebody bin suppose deliver dat letter to di Permanent Secretary, State House, and e no deliver am dia."

Oga Luka say di name of di individual wey no do im job well na Bello Abdullahi who also dey present for di hearing, and e admit say true-true, e give di letter to Mr Adeyemi.

'Heads suppose roll'... Nigerians react

Nigerians don dey chook mouth for di mata, including comments on top social media and some of dem dey call for di Head of Service to resign sake of di negligence of her office.

Popular broadcaster, Reuben Abati, tok for im TV program dis Thursday say di comments by di Head of Service for dat investigative hearing na "self-indictment and admission of guilt".

Abati, who bin don also serve as presidential tok-tok pesin, tok say for oda kontris of di world, dis admission suppose dey followed immediately wit a letter of resignation.

"Wetin di Head of di Civil Service of di Federation do (on Wednesday) na to say her office don fail di kontri in di discharge of di professional responsibility of dat office," Abati tok.

For social media, Joseph Shoremekun, wey im username for X na @JShoremekun, write say e good as di Head of Service take responsibility, and also say dis don show how porous di system dey.

"Wit this, heads suppose roll and major reform suppose follow to fortify di system," e tok.

Anoda X user wey im username na @emperor_nero01 tok say dis admission by di Head of service na prove say her office dey complicit for di fraud wey hapun.

"Di HOS ma'am wit due respect you suppose resign from dat office bicos your negligence don contribute to di fraudulent act committed by some group of fraudulent Nigerians," e write.

Ogochukwu Monyei - @ogokmc - dey more blunt wit im comment. "Madam resign, simple. Dat na how dem dey do am for sane society," e write.

Howeva, e get pesins wey feel say di Head of Service deserve commendation for being bold to take responsibility for di mistake from her office.

Femi 'Toyinbo wit di user @OluwafemiO78855 write say: "Pesin don accept responsibility for failure wey embarrass di administration but no cause any financial loss, yet many still believe say dem suppose crucify di govment. Accountability suppose dey encouraged, not condemned."