Case Backlog Fears: Senate Urges More Judges for Public Complaints Commission
The Senate has called for the immediate recruitment of additional judges for the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to address the growing flood of grievances from Nigerians.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen (Edo South), made the call on Tuesday duting the presentation of the 2026 budget estimates for agencies under its oversight, saying that the commission’s current eight judges are far too few to handle the 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,” Senator Imasuen stated.
Established under the Public Complaints Commission Act of 1975, the PCC serves as Nigeria’s ombudsman, investigating administrative injustices and providing free redress for complaints against government ministries, agencies, and private organizations. The commission addresses cases of maladministration, abuse of office, unfair treatment, delays in administrative processes, wrongful terminations, unpaid entitlements, pension disputes, land matters, and other forms of bureaucratic injustice. It also intervenes in disputes between individuals and institutions, offering mediation and reconciliation to prevent conflicts from escalating into litigation or communal crises.
Unlike the courts, PCC services are free, making it one of the most accessible avenues for ordinary Nigerians seeking justice. With offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the PCC functions as a grassroots complaint-resolution body, particularly for citizens who lack the resources to pursue lengthy court processes. The commission also plays a preventive role, advising public institutions on best practices and recommending reforms when systemic patterns of injustice are identified. Its interventions have led to the payment of withheld salaries and pensions, reinstatement of wrongfully dismissed workers, resolution of land disputes, and settlement of inter-community conflicts.
Senator Imasuen revealed that the PCC received over 700,000 complaints in 2025 alone, successfully resolving more than 600,000 cases. Many of these involved communal disputes that could have escalated into major crises but were resolved quietly and efficiently.
“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 explained.
The senator also highlighted the high number of petitions his committee receives from senators, suggesting that the national volume of cases handled by the PCC is even higher across all states and local government offices. “If we can project the number of cases we get from the distinguished senators to my committee, then we can probably imagine how many of those cases go to these offices in all of the 36 states and in our local governments,” he said.
Senator Imasuen’s remarks underscore the urgent need to increase the human resources of the PCC to maintain its critical role in delivering timely and accessible justice for Nigerians.
