Senate Seeks Additional Judges as PCC Handles 600,000+ Complaints Yearly

Senate Seeks Additional Judges as PCC Handles 600,000+ Complaints Yearly

The Senate has called for the urgent recruitment of more judges for the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to cope with the rising volume of grievances from Nigerians.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Neda Imasuen, made the appeal on Tuesday during the presentation of the 2026 budget estimates for agencies under the committee’s oversight.

He noted that the commission’s current eight judges are insufficient to manage its heavy caseload.

“There are only eight judges; eight judges cannot, will not, be able to do the needful as they are statutorily required to do. So there’s going to be hiring of judges as well,” Imasuen said.

Established under the Public Complaints Commission Act of 1975, the Public Complaints Commission serves as Nigeria’s ombudsman, providing free redress for complaints against government ministries, departments, agencies, and private organisations.

The commission handles cases ranging from maladministration, abuse of office, and wrongful termination to unpaid salaries, pension disputes, land matters, and communal conflicts. It also mediates disputes between individuals and institutions, helping to prevent issues from escalating into litigation or broader crises.

Unlike the courts, the PCC’s services are free, making it one of the most accessible justice mechanisms for ordinary Nigerians. With offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the commission operates as a grassroots dispute-resolution body, particularly for citizens unable to afford lengthy court proceedings.

According to Imasuen, the PCC received over 700,000 complaints in 2025 and successfully resolved more than 600,000 of them — many involving communal tensions that could have escalated into major crises.

“Over 700,000 cases came to the agency, PCC, and over 600,000 of those cases were adjudicated. Communal issues that would have created problems were resolved but didn’t make the headlines. The PCC is working. These are cases from ordinary Nigerians; they do it free, they don’t charge them, and the adjudication is also very quick,” he said.

The senator further noted that petitions received by his committee from lawmakers suggest that the overall number of cases handled nationwide by the PCC is even higher.

His remarks underscore the urgent need to strengthen the commission’s human resources to sustain its role in delivering timely, accessible, and cost-free justice to Nigerians.