APPRAISAL OF PUBLIC COMPLAINT COMMISSION AS AN OFFICIAL OMBUDSMAN IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The role of the ombudsman in curtailing administrative abuse of powers in most countries of the world cannot be overemphasized. The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) was established in 1975 as an organ of the government set up to redress complaints lodged by aggrieved citizens or residents in Nigeria against administrative injustice. Despite this lofty structural vision, the lack of sufficient interest in the Commission by successful government, coupled with other systemic inefficiencies, has considerably undermined the efficacy of the Commission as a temple of justice in Nigeria. With the use of the doctrinal method, this study appraised the Public Complaints Commission as an official ombudsman in Nigeria. It was found that despite recording several achievements, the Commission is beset with challenges preventing it from performing optimally. These challenges include its limited administrative powers, lack of adequate resources, lack of true political independence, and so on. After a critical analysis of the duties and administrative efficacy of ombudsman in Nigeria, this study recommended, among others, that the Public Complaints Commission should be adequately funded to prevent the temptation of seeking external gratuities thereby rendering itself vulnerable to control and manipulation by external persons or groups.