Speaker Lauds PCC’s Efforts In Dispute Resolution

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has commended the Public Complaints Commission, PCC, for addressing disputes in the polity.

Mr. Abbas stated this when the PCC Chief Commissioner, Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf, led the leadership of the Nigerian Ombudsman on a courtesy visit to his office at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The Public Complaints Commission is a statutory body under the National Assembly.

Responding to PCC’s demands, Mr. Abbas noted that he is aware of some challenges facing the commission, adding that the House was ready to assist the management in addressing them.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank you and to 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. You have been doing remarkably well.

“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 to get redress whenever they need one,” Abbas said.

Earlier in his address, Ayo-Yusuf, on behalf of the Commissioners and staff of the PCC, congratulated the Speaker on his emergence as the Number 4 Citizen on June 13.

The PCC head used the visit to draw the attention of the Speaker “to the issue of underfunding of the Commission and appeal to you to use your good office to urgently influence the Commission’s request for special financial intervention to enable it pay the approved Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) as well as accumulated promotion arrears of staff.”

According to Ayo-Yusuf, due to the inability of the PCC to pay these outstanding liabilities, the three trade unions in the Commission have recently become agitated and thier industrial action is capable of eroding the confidence that Nigerians have in the Commission’s ability to resolve their complaints.

At the meeting were the Majority Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere; Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Sani Madaki; Minority Whip, Ali Isa and Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Khadijat Bukar-Ibrahim.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji