The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has disclosed that it has received 890 petitions from Nigerians since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, blaming the persistent non-compliance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with its invitations for delaying justice for many petitioners.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus La’ori, made the disclosure on Thursday at a retreat organised for members of the committee with the support of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the European Union.

La’ori said the committee had successfully concluded 200 petitions and presented reports on 70 cases to the House for consideration, while several others are awaiting legislative action.

According to him, the volume of petitions received underscores the growing confidence Nigerians have in the committee as an avenue for seeking legislative intervention and redress.

“So far, this committee has received 890 petitions from different segments of citizens of this country and we have successfully concluded 200 petitions. We have presented reports and the House has considered 70, while the others are still awaiting consideration,” he said.

The lawmaker noted that public confidence in the committee had become so high that citizens now bring even domestic disputes before it.

“Almost every petition, including domestic petitions, is brought here. Husband and wife come to the Public Petitions Committee over personal domestic matters. It is because citizens have confidence in this committee and have seen the fairness and transparency with which we conduct our affairs,” he said.

La’ori identified the refusal of many MDAs to honour the committee’s invitations as a major obstacle to its work, saying the practice unnecessarily prolongs the resolution of cases.

“We send invitations to various MDAs. Some of them will not honour the invitation until we threaten them with arrest before they appear. That has to change because by not appearing, they further delay matters before us, which could have been dealt with expeditiously,” he said.

He stressed the need to strengthen documentation, institutional memory, knowledge management and digital record-keeping as the 10th National Assembly enters its final year.

According to him, the retreat was convened to review the committee’s performance, identify operational gaps and develop practical strategies to improve petition handling, reporting and institutional learning before the end of the current Assembly.

La’ori said participants were expected to adopt a roadmap for consolidating the committee’s achievements, improve the quality and timely presentation of committee reports, and deploy digital tools to enhance petition management and record-keeping.

“Every petition represents the voice, hope and expectation of a Nigerian seeking justice. The committee must remain responsive, fair and timely in delivering legislative redress,” he added.

Speaking earlier, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, urged members of the committee to use the remaining months of the 10th Assembly to conclude pending assignments and strengthen institutional systems that would benefit future assemblies.

He also advocated a legal framework that would formally recognise constituency projects and provide a dedicated implementation mechanism to ensure projects approved in the national budget are executed.

Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Hon. Bashir Abubakar, said the commission and the House Committee on Public Petitions share a common mandate of providing citizens with accessible avenues for justice and administrative redress.

Abubakar noted that while the PCC investigates complaints against public institutions to promote administrative justice and accountability, the House Committee provides a constitutional platform for legislative intervention where administrative remedies have failed or where systemic shortcomings require parliamentary oversight.

He said both institutions must strengthen collaboration, as many of the complaints received by the commission often overlap with petitions before the National Assembly.

According to him, recent international engagements by the commission exposed it to global best practices in digital case management, forensic investigations and citizen-centred dispute resolution, adding that such experiences would help improve accountability and transparency in public administration.