*** Projects 60% reduction in Nigeria’s problems in two years

The Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Bashir Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to seek redress through the Ombudsman rather than resorting to court battles, saying effective complaints resolution could help prevent grievances from escalating into wider conflicts.

Abubakar also projected that Nigeria could reduce its problems by 60 per cent within two years if the commission received the necessary institutional support to discharge its mandate effectively.

He spoke at the Nigeria Ombudsman Annual Conference organised by the commission, with the theme, “System Building and Compliance: A Key Factor in Good Governance.”

The PCC chief said many governance challenges could be addressed through early intervention, mediation and effective channels for citizens to seek redress, particularly over the actions and inactions of public institutions.

According to him, unresolved grievances could heighten tensions and create avoidable disputes, while an effective Ombudsman would provide citizens with an accessible avenue to seek justice without necessarily resorting to litigation.

“The best way of settling disputes is out-of-court settlement,” he said.

Abubakar added, “The Ombudsman mission is, why are you going to the court? Let us settle before we go to the court.”

He expressed confidence that the commission could make a significant contribution to addressing the country’s governance challenges if its leadership and personnel were given the necessary support.

“If the leadership of the Public Complaints Commission can be given the opportunity, with all the federal commissioners here present and the management we have, in two years, we are going to reduce the problem of Nigeria by 60 per cent,” he said.

The chief commissioner disclosed that the commission had received approximately 1.2 million complaints and resolved more than 700,000 cases within the last two years.

He described the volume of complaints handled during the period as overwhelming, contrasting the figures with the commission’s record over its first 50 years, when it received approximately 1.8 million complaints and resolved about 1.4 million cases.

Abubakar attributed the commission’s recent progress partly to the support of President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, saying sustained engagement with the executive and legislature had helped address some of the challenges confronting the institution.

He said he and the federal commissioners had written to relevant government institutions and agencies to draw attention to the commission’s needs and secure interventions.

According to him, the Presidency, working with the National Assembly, had responded to some of the issues raised.

“The Presidency, in collaboration with the National Assembly, was able to quickly address part of our issues,” he said.

Abubakar expressed appreciation to Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen and other lawmakers for their support.

He, however, stressed the need for sustained institutional backing to strengthen the commission’s capacity to promote administrative justice, resolve disputes and improve public service delivery.

The PCC chief also called for closer collaboration between the commission and traditional institutions, noting that community leaders could play an important role in resolving disputes at the grassroots and easing pressure on the judicial system.

He said traditional institutions had historically served as avenues for settling disagreements and maintaining peaceful relations within communities.

“That is why, to me, an Ombudsman office in Africa cannot go well without the traditional institution coming in, because we reduce a lot of tension to the judicial institution,” he said.

Abubakar urged leaders to listen to the people they govern, stressing that responsive leadership was essential to achieving lasting results.

“There is no success you can achieve when you are a leader without listening to the people that you govern,” he said.

He further argued that effective leadership depended on strong institutions, compliance with the rule of law, professional ethics and adherence to established procedures.

“No matter how good you are in leadership, if the organs of where you are governing, only one of them is not working or functioning well, that leader is wasting his time,” he said.

Abubakar warned against building institutions around individuals rather than sustainable systems, noting that some organisations had collapsed after the departure of their founders because they lacked structures to sustain their operations.

He said the PCC was guided by the principle of leaving every office and sector better than it was found.

The chief commissioner added that the commission planned to institutionalise its conference as an annual platform for bringing together government officials, traditional rulers, judicial officers and other stakeholders to discuss institutional development, compliance and good governance.

He expressed optimism that stronger institutional support, increased public awareness and improved collaboration among stakeholders would enable the commission to expand its reach and contribute more effectively to administrative justice and national development.