Members of the public are cautioned by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), also called the Ombudsman, not to file baseless and malicious complaints against any person, government agency, or business.
While addressing journalists during the celebration of the commission’s 51st anniversary in Nigeria, Alhaji Usman Shehu, the Jigawa State Commissioner of the commission, revealed this.
He warned that the penalty for wilfully making false accusations was six months in prison or ₦500,000 in fines.
He emphasised that complaints must be backed by facts and warned the public against exploiting the commission to bring false accusations against others.
In his introductory remarks, Alhaji Usman laid out the commission’s mandate: to hear and investigate complaints lodged against public and commercial entities, including ministries, departments, and organisations, as well as individuals and businesses.
He explained that their job description included investigating complaints lodged against various public institutions, including the government, ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as private companies and individuals. They were also responsible for mediating disputes between various types of transport workers and customers, as well as between road users and traffic officials, landlords and tenants, and banks.
The commissioner emphasised that anytime citizens of Jigawa State faced injustice or had issues with government agencies or service providers, they should not hesitate to seek assistance from the commission.
He did, however, reassure the public that the commission was and is devoted to preserving individual rights without favouring any party in the dispute and that its officials would not tolerate bribery of any kind.
He emphasised that the commission would not compromise its integrity and warned that disciplinary action would be taken against any staff member detected accepting bribes.
Since many people in Jigawa State do not know that the commission exists or what it does, the commissioner was worried about the lack of public knowledge about it.
Approximately 740,000 of the 1.5 million complaints received by the commission throughout the nation have been investigated and addressed, according to Alhaji Usman.