The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has received no fewer than 890 petitions from Nigerians since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, with 200 of them successfully concluded.
The chairman of the committee, Bitrus Kwamoti Laori, disclosed this on Thursday at a retreat organised for members of the committee in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and supported by the European Union.
Laori said the House had so far considered 70 of the committee’s reports, while others were awaiting consideration.
He described the committee as the principal legislative platform for addressing citizens’ grievances, promoting accountability in public institutions and strengthening public confidence in democratic governance.
“So far, this committee has received 890 petitions from different segments of the citizenry across the country, and we have successfully concluded 200 petitions. We have presented reports, out of which the House has considered 70, while the others are still awaiting consideration,” he said.
According to him, the growing number and complexity of petitions reflect the confidence Nigerians have in the committee, with citizens bringing even domestic disputes before it because of its reputation for fairness and transparency.
The chairman, however, lamented the persistent refusal of some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to honour the committee’s invitations, saying the development had slowed the resolution of many petitions.
“Some MDAs will not honour our invitations until they are threatened with arrest. This delay matters could have been resolved expeditiously,” he said.
Laori said the retreat was aimed at reviewing the committee’s performance, strengthening petition-handling procedures, improving documentation and preserving institutional memory ahead of the end of the 10th Assembly.
He added that participants would also consider the deployment of digital tools to improve petition management, records keeping and operational efficiency.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Dr Clement Nwankwo, described the committee as one of the most important in the House because it provides ordinary Nigerians a free and accessible avenue to seek administrative justice without hiring lawyers or paying filing fees.
Nwankwo urged the committee to use the remaining months of the 10th Assembly to consolidate its achievements and ensure a comprehensive handover through proper documentation and reporting.
He also expressed concern over delays in the release of funds for constituency projects, urging the executive and the National Assembly to develop a legal framework that would institutionalise constituency projects and ensure their implementation through designated government agencies.
Also speaking, the Chief Commissioner and National Ombudsman of the Public Complaints Commission, Bashir Abubakar, called for a stronger collaboration between the commission and the House Committee on Public Petitions to enhance citizens’ access to justice.
He said structured referral mechanisms, information sharing and coordinated engagement between the two institutions would improve accountability and strengthen public confidence in democratic governance.
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