PCC emphasises need to enhance institutions for quality service, combating injustice

The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has emphasised the need to strengthen institutions to combat administrative injustice and corruption, stating that properly developed institutions were key to good governance.

The Chief Commissioner, PCC, Mr Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at a one-day summit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was in collaboration with the Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice highlighted the importance of the summit in supporting democracy.

NAN also reports that the summit aims to foster collaboration and discuss issues beneficial to national development.

Ayo-Yusuf said that the summit would help to improve service delivery and ensure that the right to complain and raise issues is available to everyone.

According to him, The purpose of this Summit, is to foster collaboration between the Public Complaints Commission and other organisations.

“It is quite timely and key to the understanding of the mandate of the Commission, “he said.

The Chief Commissioner commended stakeholders for their support and hoped for positive outcomes following the discussions.

The PCC, known as the Nigerian version of the Ombudsman, was established to investigate complaints regarding administrative actions.

Speaking, Ms. Sandra Benson, the Director Administration, Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice, said that the Foundation and PCC were working hard to ensure justice for those who have faced injustices over the years.

Benson expressed gratitude to attendees addressing unheard citizen complaints of injustice.

She emphasised the need for collective action to address these issues, stating that now was the time to match voices with action for good governance.

She highlighted the importance of addressing citizens’ complaints about administrative actions and called for immediate responses, sensitisation of workers on grievance channels, and cooperation for swift justice.

“The Summit marks the beginning of important engagements with stakeholders and the PCC, aiming to restore trust in the system and liberate workers from bad leadership.

Also speaking, Maurice Okoye, the retired Deputy Corps Commander and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jewel Social Empowerment Initiative, said that the critical need for consequence management in addressing issues in Nigeria was necessary.

Okoye cited the absence of consequence management as a major challenge, leading to a lack of accountability among government agency heads.

The CEO highlighted instances where agency heads neglected principles and laws, leading to privatisation and favouritism, which further erodes public trust.

The retired Deputy Corps Commander also mentioned the reluctance of many to seek justice due to a lack of confidence in the system, citing an example where a friend chose not to pursue justice after a robbery due to high costs and skepticism about the outcome.

Okoye called for a restoration of public confidence in the justice system and emphasised the need for accountability and responsibility among leaders.

The CSP El-Musta Sani, Head, Police Complaint Response Unit, the Nigeria Police Force, said that the unit was created in 2015 to handle complaints against police officers from members of the public.

He said so far from the 1st quarter of 2024, the unit had received 459 from members of the public through its social media platforms against the conduct of police officers.

He further explained that 265 cases had been resolved and 195 were still being handled by the police, adding that it takes the Unit 21 days to receive and conclude investigations.

He added that members of the public do not know about these platforms to channel their complaints, he however called for more sensitisation to enlighten the public to take advantage of this opportunity.

“The major problem is that the institutions are there, but Nigerians do not know their functions. This is the bottlenecks to this resolution we are handling today.

“The Police Complaint Response Unit was created in 2015 for Nigerians to seek justice. We received complaints through WhatsApp, Twitter handles, phone calls, and walk-in petitions.

“And the Unit is directly responsible to the office of the Inspector General of Police through the Public Relation Officer,” he said.

He, however, called on the public to take advantage of this unit to report all cases of police misconduct for proper handling and justice served.

On her part, Hajiya Salamatu Mamman, the Secretary to the Commission, calls for more collaboration among the relevant stakeholders for effective service delivery.

“I urged all to come together to serve the nation better.

“PCC has served the nation for over 48 years, and every day, we find the need to improve and deliver on our mandate, hence the need for this summit.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that stakeholders at the summit call for more sensitisation to Nigerians on the proper channels to submit their complaints to achieve justice.