Business and Economy
Senate President Akpabio urged to reposition Public Complaint Commission
By Lateef Taiwo
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has been called upon to come to the rescue of the public complaint commission (PCC).
The National coordinator of the Network for Peoples Congress (NPC), Malam Ladan Mohammed who made the call argued that there is the need to reposition the PCC to ensure service delivery to Nigerians.
The right group maintained that the PCC has not lived up to its mandate basically as a result of poor funding and management.
The group noted: “No doubt, the 10th Assembly is facing numerous challenges as the Legislature tries to settle down to face the business of law making and preservation of the constitution.
“However, the quiet and of most important task before Akpabio is helping Nigerians get Justice.
“The National Assembly is the protector and custodian of democracy, democratic values and social justice. The National Assembly is open to complaints from Nigerians from every part via their representatives in the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives.
“These complaints are brought before the National Assembly and are discussed and looked into in the chambers of National Assembly or at ad-hoc committee levels.
“These channel is not easily accessible to generality of Nigerians who have myriad of Complaints. This is because most people do not have easy access to their representatives.
“The National Assembly in its efforts to resolve complaints from Nigerians in every sphere, has an agency which is constitutionally mandated to address cases of maladministration and proffer solutions to this complaints.
“The Public Complaints Commission is the National Assembly agency mandated to investigate cases of social and administrative injustice for Nigerians, free of charge.
The Commission is empowered to help Nigerians get justice perpetrated by either government official or authority, private organisation or between persons.
Our checks revealed that apart from funding, the Commission has been plaqued with bad leadership over the years. Leadership of the National Assembly also contributed to the poor state of the Commission as a result of their neglect of an agency which is an extension of the National Assembly.
“In the last 8 years, the Commission’s staff under their Labour Unions has embarked on about 4 industrial strike actions demanding for payment of their promotional arrears, better welfare and better workplace condition.
“The 10th Assembly under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio unarguably has a lot to do in order to revive the almost dead Ombudsman of the country. This will boost the confidence of the ordinary Nigerians in getting social Justice in this renewed hope administration.
“Strengthening the Public Complaints Commission by the Akpabio led 10th Assembly in all ramifications will go a long way in calming the already highly tensed and negative perception of the 10th Assembly.
“The Public Complaints Commission is not just an agency supervised by the National Assembly but totally belongs to the National Assembly In all ramifications and the neglect it has faced over the years largely contributes to its comatose state.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio as the chairman of the 10th National Assembly has a date with destiny. It’s up to him to take charge and control of the Public Complaints Commission for efficient service delivery to Nigerians.
“This task must be fulfilled now and not later. The importance of efficient and responsive Ombudsman institution can not be overemphasized. Tik tok says the clock!!”
