The Federal Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Ebonyi State, Hon. Chukwu Donald Ogbonna, has said that the Commission has been saving Nigerians from becoming victims of administrative rascality.
In an interview with Blueprint on Saturday, Hon. Ogbonna revealed that the latest intervention by the Commission was in the matter of a resident, Mr. Godwin Onwe, and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) in Ebonyi State, where it saved Mr Onwe’s property from demolition.
He said: “The dispute leading to this complaint is stated in the facts contained in Mr. Godwin Onwe/ the petitioner’s case file transmitted to the PCC, Ebonyi State, by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on April 28, this year.
“The Petitioner’s case was that NEWMAN/the Respondent, without lawful notice, besieged his storey building comprising 11 rooms, including its appurtenances and annexed same to itself, claiming, among many other things, that the property was erected on a water way and thus, constituted a nuisance and obstacle to the dredging of a river channel by the Respondent’s office.
“The Petitioner quickly embarked on an undaunting task of protesting the injustice unleashed on him by the Respondent.
“Consequent upon the protest, the Petitioner was offered an unpalatable twelve million Naira by the Respondent as compensation to mitigate the illegal concession of the Petitioner ‘s property.”
He added: “Aggrieved by the Respondent’s rascality and insincere actions, the Petitioner approached the Ombudsman to intervene in his cause and save his family house from being further unlawfully annexed or destroyed by the Respondent.
“Upon receiving the petition, the PCC, through the office of the Director, Public and Private investigations, headed by Mr. Jesse Ebirim, wrote to the Respondent for its representations on the Petitioner’s allegation.
“The Respondent made its representations, admitting the petitioner’s allegation that it wrongly marked the Petitioner’s land for demolition, but had started making frantic reparations for trespassing on the Petitioner’s land through expended positive acts to fortifying the destroyed part of the property.
“Humanity is better served through the services offered to victims of maladministration and bureaucratic recklessness by Ombudsman.”
