Complaints
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Dutse, May 25, 2018 (NAN) The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Office in Jigawa said it received 374 complaints between January and December 2017.
The commission’s spokesman in the state, Malam Nasiru Abdallahi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Friday.
Abdullahi said 296 of the complaints were resolved, while 115 were still pending.
He explained that the complaints were received from 212 male and 162 female complainers.
The spokesman stated that the complaints were mainly lodged against Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at both state and federal levels, Public Sector (Pension).
According to him, others are Educational Institutions, Local Government Councils (LGCs), Companies, Banking and Financial Institutions and Communities.
He said that the commission was established in 1975 with significant degree of independence, charged with representing the interest of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or violation of right.
“An Ombudsman or public advocate (Public Complaints Commission) was created by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the year 1975, with significant degree of independence, which is charged with representing the interest of the public.
“The typical duties of the commission are to investigate complaints and attempt to resolve the complaints, usually through recommendations or mediation.
“Ombudsman also sometimes aims to identify issues leading to poor services or breaches of the people’s right.
“Ombudsman in public complaints commission has a wide mandate to deal with entire public sector organisations and element of private sector organisations.
“The office renders its services free of charge,” the spokesman explained.
Abdullahi further stated that the commission also worked with other organisations, individuals and groups in the state to ensure that justice was done to any person or organisation that suffered from administrative injustice.
According to him, the commission is always bring systematic concern to the attention of the organisation complained against for resolution or mediation.
He further explained that the commission discharges its duty voluntarily at anytime towards a mutually beneficial resolution of disputes, especially on reasonable administrative delay, faulty procedure, bias, misleading advises or refusing to answer reasonable question.
“Such kinds of problems were resolved by the commission with impartial and neutral mind in respect of our investigation output.
“We are always ready to accept or initiate complaints when something has been handled badly or unfairly, making government or someone to suffer as a result,” he said. (NAN)
MNB/MS/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide