By joshua 
50th Anniversary Celebration: High rates of Pension cases worries PCC in Kogi.
Kogi PCC Commissioner
… Trashes over 7000 complaints.
ATABOR JULIUS LOKOJA
As the Public Complaint Commission PCC marked her 50th anniversary, the commission has decried high rates of complaints emanating from workers against the government of Kogi state over discrepancies in the payment of pensions and gratuities.
This is just as the commission disclosed that it has received over 7000 complaints from the publics which are being resolved.
This was disclosed by the Federal Commissioner of PCC in Kogi state, Deinde Abolarin ,in an interactive session during the 50th anniversary ceremony of the commission held on Thursday in Lokoja.
The Federal Commissioner noted with disgust the high number of complaints by pensioners against kogi state government over the backlog of unpaid gratuities and urge government to expedite actions to defray the liabilities to bring peace and security in the state.
He said as an ombudsman, the commission is saddled with the responsibility to resolve complaints by the general publics against institutions, governments and individuals using the instrumentality of law and alternative disputes resolution, saying the commission has satisfactory handled cases that would snowball into crisis.
He urged the public not to keep quiet when their rights are being trampled, but to lodge formal complaints to the commission and assured speeding resolution at no cost to the complainants.
On the number of cases he has received, he said” Although I cannot remember the exact figures now .We have so far treated no fewer than 7000 complaints in recent time and majority of the cases have to do with pension matter. Pension related payment, legacy payment from Kwara and Benue that make up the state
” I will urge our people in Kogi to still come forward and make their complaints known.Problems shared with people are half solved.When you are cheated or you are confused over an issue, contact us.Our services are free. When you lay a complaint before us, we shall investigate and prepare our report on it.”
He, however called on the government to properly fund the commission as paucity of fund has impeded the activities of the commission
Abolarin lauded the kogi state government and other Federal Government agencies including security operatives for their support to the Commission.
In their separate remarks, the Director General of kogi state Pension Commission Mariam Abedo , disclosed that the commission has cleared gratuities from 2003- 2005 and working hard to clear the backlogs and assured the retirees that they will soon be paid
She noted that the present administration is committed to the welfare of pensioners, saying the state government has increased the pension as a fall out from the increase of minimum wage
Abedo advised workers to develop side business to avert being cought unaware by retirement.
In her contribution, the commissioner for innovation, science and Technology Dr. Helen Adeniyi Aderibigbe stated that Governor Ododoto has established Public Defenders and citizens rights commission and domesticated Violence against People’s prohibition Act VAPP to give voices to the vulnerable in the state.
She charged the commission to mount aggressive campaigns to create awareness for the citizens to be abreast with the functions of the commission, saying many citizens are oblivion of her existence.
She commended the commission for the great work and charge them to do more by extending their tentacles to the local government areas.
A resident, Grace Salawu recalled her complaint to the PCC over the Electricity Meter installed in her house, which PCC promptly attended to her and get the issue resolved on time.
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