PCC helmsman promises speedy dispensation of cases

The newly appointed Chief Commissioner of Public Complaint Commission (PCC), Chile Igbawua, has said that the biggest problem the commission has is the issue of feasibility. Speaking with Daily Trust, Igbawua said that the commission, which was established 43 years ago is relatively unknown to most Nigerians. He said, “If we look at the comparative […]

The newly appointed Chief Commissioner of Public Complaint Commission (PCC), Chile Igbawua, has said that the biggest problem the commission has is the issue of feasibility.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Igbawua said that the commission, which was established 43 years ago is relatively unknown to most Nigerians.

He said, “If we look at the comparative knowledge among Nigerians it is very low because it is expected that by now we should be known much more we are known for all these years even agencies that were established several years later are much more known than the public complaints commission.”

He said that his administration would ensure that the commission get to the public, lamenting that the country with a population close to 200 million, the commission is treating less than 10 million petitions in a year, indicating that it does not enjoy much patronage by the public.

The Chief Commissioner said that the Act establishing the commission is old and needed to be amended to suit the current situation.

“You can imagine that an Act which is that old certainly has limitations. The sanctions are very loose because the amounts that are there for penalties are irrelevant, nobody would be deterred you can image somebody could offend 20 times and of course pay off the sanctions. If we can get the act amended, it is not easy because the act is part of the constitution; this institution is a constitutional institution so the act must undergo the procedures.”

He cited poor funding as part of the challenges of the commission which was recently rejuvenated by the national assembly.