49 Years After Establishment, Complaint Commission Crippled by Funding Gaps, Says Mamman

James Emejo in Abuja

The Secretary, Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Hajiya Salamatu Mamman, yesterday said protracted funding challenges have continued to limited the efficiency of the commission.

Speaking at the maiden plenary of the newly designated Chief Commissioner and other 37 Federal Commissioner of the commission in Abuja, she appealed to the federal government to release funds to boost its activities which had dragged within the 49 years of its establishment.

She said the commission was still fraught with a lot of challenges especially in funding of the institution.

Mamman said, “Our major problem is poor funding which has affected training, welfare, infrastructure and backlog of promotion arrears, these are all tied to lack of funds in the Commission.

“In 2022, a resolution was passed for an improved funding as the salary structure of staff has been a serious challenge, nothing has been done yet, we are hopeful.

“The primary function of the commission is to provide impartial investigation on behalf of all complainants who feel aggrieved by the actions and inactions of the government in the federal, states and local level or private companies.”

She said the commission remained the ombudsman institution to Nigerians, which was set up to redress complaints lodged by aggrieved citizens against administrative injustice, it is the machinery for the control of administrative excesses.

The commission’s enabling Act CAP P37, Laws of the federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 is entrenched under section 315 (5) (b) of the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria as altered.

According to her, the commission aimed at promoting social injustice for the individual citizens, and provide a viable option for Nigerians and anyone resident in the country seeking redress against injustice arising from administrative bureaucratic errors, omission or abuse by officials of government or limited liability companies in Nigeria.

However, the Chief Commissioner, PCC, Hon. Bashir Abubakar, urged the commissioners from all states of the federation to remember they are under oath of office, adding that part of their core assignment was to handle the issues of injustice.

He said, “This assignment should be taken as the most important assignment of their lives, putting the nation first in all they do.”