Public Complaints Commission receives 11, 244, Resolves 9,517 Cases In 32 Years In Jigawa 

By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse

The Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Jigawa State Office, has revealed it recorded 11,244 cases since its establishment in the last 32 years of its establishment in the state.

The Commissioner of the Commission, in the state, Barde Usman-Shehu, at a briefing to mark the 50th anniversary of the ombudsman in Dutse, said 9,517 of the complaints were resolved amicably, while 1,727 cases were still pending.

He explained that between 1993 and 2023, the commission received 797 complaints, resolved 460, with 337 pending, between 2004 and 2014, it received 2,123, resolved 1,560, with 563 pending, while between 2015 and 2025 it received 8,324, resolved 7,497, with 1,727 pending.

The commissioner noted the PCC, had played a crucial role in de-congesting Nigerian courts in the last 50 years of its establishment.

According to him, the commission assisted in the decongestion of the courts through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and mediation providing the common man with affordable avenue to seek redress against administrative injustice, maladministration and abuse of power in both public and private sectors.

Usman-Shehu added that the ombudsman’s key activities include handling complaints, conducting investigations, mediating disputes, recommending administrative reforms and promoting citizens’ rights.

“Over the past three decades, the Commission has received millions of cases and resolved hundreds of thousands, strengthened public trust in institutions and promoted accountability and good governance, despite challenges such as limited resources and public awareness.

“The Commission has championed fairness, transparency and good governance by ensuring that the ordinary citizen has access to justice outside the court room,” he said.

He added the ombudsman has expanded over the last 50 years from a single federal of in 1975 to 36 states of nation, including FCT and 185 zones.

“This enable us handle hundreds of thousands of complaints and securing justice for citizens on issues range from wrongful dismissal, delayed pensions, salary arrears, land issue to abuse of administrative authority.

According to him, the commission has recently witnessed further innovations such as the establishment of radio station, digital complaints channels, call centres and community sensitization programs, designed to make its services more accessible and responsive.

On history of the PCC, the commissioner said the concept of ombudsman originated in Sweden  in 1973 as an institution for citizens to challenge government actions.

“And by the mid-1980s, it had become a global phenomenon. In Nigeria, the idea was first proposed in 1952 but only materialized after the Udoji Committee recommended it in 1974.

“The PCC was eventually established in 1975 by Decree No. 31, later preserved under the 1999 Constitution as amended (CAP P37, LFN 2004),” the commissioner said.

He therefore, urged residents of the state to patronize the commission in order to resolve their disputes through the ADR mechanism, describing it as very useful means of resolving disputes at a reasonable time and is free of charge.

To make its services accessible to residents, he said the commission has five zonal offices in Birnin Kudu, Hadejia, Kazaure, Ringim and Gumels towns.