PCC resolves over 400 cases, vows to charge other offenders to court in Benue 

From Attah Ede, Makurdi 

The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in Benue State has resolved over 400 cases, out of  many pending complaints between October 2024 and October 2025 in the State.

The PCC Federal Commissioner in charge of Benue State, Chief James Oche disclosed this while  speaking with journalists in Makurdi as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the commission.

Chief Oche stated that several cases were brought to the commission within the period and over 400 were resolved in addition to the many unresolved pending complaints he met on assumption of duty. 

He said the Commission has, from these complaints, resolved a substantial number in a manner that has never been recorded before in the history of the Commission and assured that appropriate action would be taken on any of the cases that are unresolvable, adding that the commission has make deliberate to ensure that no case is left unattended to.

According to him, the commission has the power of summoning in its investigations, stressing that the commission has been empower by to charge offenders to court for prosecution.

He appealed to government both at the state and national levels to continue to support the Commission to live faithfully up to its mandate of fighting injustice and maladministration. 

“On the commission’s 50th Anniversary, we celebrate our Chief Commissioner, the Bashir Abubakar whose insightful leadership has continued to steer the Commission in a most positive manner. 

“The Public Complaints Commission, on whose platform we celebrate 50 years today, has its origin from the Global Ombudsman Institution which took roots from Sweden in 1809.

” It gradually spread its tentacles globally, reaching Nigeria and was nationally established by the Federal Government on 16th October, 1975, through Decree 31 and later became an Act of the National Assembly, incorporated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and further codified in CAP. P. 37, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. 

“The Commission’s core mandate is to investigate and resolve both reactive and proactive cases of administrative injustice, maladministration and social disorder in the Nigerian polity.

“In Benue State, the Commission became an autonomous Branch on 1st October, 1979, with its Honourable Commissioner”, he added. 

The federal  commissioner maintained that due to the complex nature of the mandate of the Commission with the desire to attain its vision, the enormous geographical size and populous nature of our state, the Benue Office is one of the most populated nationwide and has an area office in each of the 23 local governments to fight administrative injustice in the rural areas also.

“The Public Complaints Commission has been carrying out its mandate of redressing administrative injustice in Benue State with determination. 

 “From the 2nd of October, 2024, when I assumed duty as Federal Commissioner to date, many complaints have been received across the state. In addition to the many unresolved pending complaints we met on assumption of duty. 

The former executive chairman of Ado LGA however, highlighted poor response to complaints by some unwilling respondents most of whom are government functionaries and government agencies, insufficient and dilapidated office furniture and equipment, lack of operational vehicles, among others as challenges confronting the commission.

He also sought the support of other institutions  and all stakeholders in the state to make the PCC more active in the state.