PCC meets House of Representatives Speaker, Seeks More Funding
The leadership of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) haa congratulated Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, the Speaker of the House of Representatives on his emergence.
Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, the Chief Commissioner of the PCC expressed their felicitations when he led his management team on a courtesy visit to the Speaker on Wednesday.
The Public Complaints Commission is a statutory body under the National Assembly.
“On behalf of the Commissioners and staff of the PCC, I congratulate Mr Speaker on his emergence as the Number 4 Citizen on June 13.
“Sir, you have proven within the short period of your election as Speaker of this esteemed House of Representatives that you are the people’s leader.
“Little wonder, your colleagues gracefully and overwhelmingly elected you as their first among equals,” he said.
Ayo-Yusuf used the opportunity of the visit to draw the attention of the Speaker to the challenge of underfunding of the Commission.
He appealed to the Speaker to use his good office to effect the Commission’s request for special funding to enable it pay the approved Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure as well as accumulated promotion arrears of staff.
According to him, due to the inability of the PCC to pay these outstanding liabilities.
“The three trade unions in the Commission have recently become agitated and their industrial action is capable of eroding the confidence that Nigerians have in the Commission’s ability to resolve their complaints,” he said.
Responding, the Speaker hailed the PCC for addressing disputes in the polity noting that the performance of the Nigerian Ombudsman was underreported.
Responding to the demands by the Chief Commissioner on issues affecting the PCC, the Speaker noted that he was aware of some challenges facing the commission, adding that the House was ready to assist the management in addressing them.
He described the PCC as the people’s house where common man could go and get redress for all issues that pertain to his endeavours.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank and appreciate you for all that you have been doing. I have been in the National Assembly for 12 years, so I am very familiar with what you have been doing over the years.
“However, your performances, to me, are underreported. Only people like us who are within the system will be able to attest to what you are doing. I believe, with little publicity, people from outside the National Assembly will appreciate what you are doing.
“So, I want to urge you to keep up with the good work; to keep the flag flying and try to enlighten the Nigerian people on what you do so that they will not only appreciate what you are doing, but they will also continue to identify with you and utilise your services in times of dispute.
The Chief Commissioner was joined by the Federal Commissioners of Anambra, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Cross River, Ekiti, FCT, Kaduna, Katsina, Lagos, Niger, and Oyo States.
