Public Complaints Commission decries poor funding

Public Complaints Commission (PCC)

Public Complaints Commission (PCC),

The Chief Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Mr. Chile Igbawua, says that paucity of funds is hindering the investigation and resolution of cases reported in 2018.

Igbawua said this at a news briefing after a plenary session of the commission’s reports from its commissioners from all the 36 states of the federation on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that the commission was facing a major challenge in mobility due to lack of vehicles.

“We are currently faced with difficulty in mobility, due to lack of vehicles, because our job requires officers to go round and carry out investigations.

“Commissioners also need to go and supervise offices located in the local government areas of their various states, so a lot of mobility is required.

“Presently, there is a gross shortage of vehicles, particularly in the states that will facilitate the functions of commissioners and funding is grossly inadequate as funds available to state commissioners are very meager.

“We believe that when the budget for 2018 is implemented there will be an improvement so that the work will be made easier,’’ he said.

Igabwua, however, commended the commissioners for progress made in the last two months after assuming office, in spite of working under very difficult circumstances.

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He described their reports as impressive, stating that not less than 500 cases were reported in each of the states since January but most of them have been resolved.

According to him, issues from the public sector dominated the cases reported to the commission but that the private sector also had a lot of issues too that had to do with the termination of appointments.

He explained that cases were treated through written letters and where letters fail to resolve a case conference was called, where parties involved resolve their cases before the commissioners.

He reiterated the need for the amendment of the Act establishing the commission to ensure stricter sanctions for those who treat the invitation of the commission with levity.

The chief commissioner also said that the plenary agreed that the Public Investigation Department and the Private Investigation Department that operated as a single department would now operate as independent departments.

He noted that from 2019 plenary would be rotated among the six geo-political zones so that its effect can be felt outside Abuja and would henceforth be held every two months.

Igbawua told newsmen that five committees were approved to work and prepare issues for deliberations and conclusions at plenary namely Committees of Finance, Establishment, Publicity, Ethics and Welfare.

He said that the nomenclature Coordinating Director’ for Head of Administration, PCC, was now changed to `Secretary to the Commission.’

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