President Muhammadu Buhari has described the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) as the best suited Agency to domicile the whistleblowing policy of the Federal Government.
The President was responding to requests by the Chief Commissioner of the Commission, Honourable Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf and members of the management team during a courtesy visit.
He also thanked the Commission for conferring him the award of the GRAND OMBUDSMAN OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, pledging to continue to do his best in expanding the frontiers of anti-corruption, rule of law and good governance in Nigeria.
The President also promised speedy consideration of the Commission’s application to own a radio station to facilitate dissemination of its activities to the citizenry and to enhance its public enlightenment programmes.
On the 2023 elections and the need to protect the will of Nigerians, President Buhari urged the Commission to use their privileged position and network of numerous offices in all the States of the Federation and presence in many Local Government Areas to protect the interest of the down- trodden and sensitize the citizenry on their rights and obligations.
He underscored the role of the Commission in ensuring free, fair and credible elections and a smooth democratic transition and transfer of power in 2023.
On the honorary award presented to the President, Ayo-Yusuf praised President Buhari for releasing all outstanding pension liabilities, from 2014, to retirees of the Federal Government, especially those of the treasury funded Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), under the contributory pension scheme.
He added that the President also approved the payment of backlog of death benefits due to beneficiaries of deceased employees of MDAs.
Ayo-Yusuf also highlighted the President’s approval for payment of the 13 percent derivation deductions, for the nine oil producing states of the Federation, which has been outstanding since 1999.
The Chief Commissioner also told the President that between July 1, 2021 when he assumed office with his colleagues and November 2022, a total of 125,064 out of 173,500 complaints have been resolved.
He said the complaints came mainly from the Nigerian work force and the downtrodden who ordinarily could not afford the cost of justice in the Nigerian Judicial System.
Making the case to become the hub of the whistleblowing policy and provide confidentiality for whistleblowers, Ayo-Yusuf said the Commission has over the years served as Chair of the Interagency Task Team on Anti-Corruption.
Bello Wakili
