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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in Abia State said it handled 2,000 cases from January to October, this year. Of the number, 1,979 cases were disposed of, while the remaining will be treated before the end of the year.
The Commissioner representing Abia State at the Public Complaints Commission, Dr. Madukwe Ukaegbu made the disclosure in Umuahia, during activities marking the 51st anniversary of the establishment of the Commission by the General Yakubu Gowon (retd) administration.
“This year, we have got about 2,000 cases and we have been able to resolve about 1,979 of those cases. And what is pending is about 273 out of the 2,000, which we are hoping to deal with by November and December this year”.
Dr. Ukaegbu revealed that the Commission, in the past 51 years, through its advocacy approach, using the alternative dispute resolution mechanism, has brought peace to the nation.
The PCC Abia Commissioner said although the Constitution of Nigeria, as amended, vested much powers on the Commission in the discharge of duties, it only remains civil and follows due process in carrying out her responsibilities.
“We are the only institution in Nigeria, the ombudsman, that is allowed by the constitution not to get a search warrant for anybody. We don’t go to a magistrate to get a search warrant. The constitution said, in the law that established us, that ‘when once there is an allegation or a complaint against someone, and you have the address and you have the place, you come in for on the spot investigation without recourse to that person”.
Giving in-depth to the Commission’s scope of duty, which includes resolving of disputes of all kinds, Ukaegbu recalled when the Commission waded into land dispute involving a former head of state of the country and resolved the matter amicably.
He recounted some of the achievements the Commission had made in Abia State over the years, which included movement to its permanent site, improvement in staff welfare, and recovery of disputed funds that run into millions of naira.
“I remembered a case we handled; it involved a professor who promised a girl who was her student a job. He took about N500,000 from the said lady and for years didn’t provide a job nor a refund.
“The matter lingered for years, but when it was reported to us, we approached the Professor and within one hour, he refunded the money”.
While thanking President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly for making it possible for the salary of PCC workers to be at par with that of the National Assembly, he, however, called for more funds for them to function effectively.
He urged Abians who feel wronged in any way to bring their matters to the Commission, where they will be handled free of charge, assuring they will obtain justice.
