Nigerian Senate: BILL to amend PCC Act scales first reading
A Bill for an Act to Amend the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Act CAP P37 LFN sponsored by Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Sen. Albert Bassey Akpan (OBA) was on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 read the first time in the Senate.
The amendment seeks to amongst others, provide additional powers for the PCC to ensure compliance with the commission’s recommendation by respondents, create adequate awareness as well as precision on the commission’s functions, restrictions and the regulatory powers of the National Assembly.
Under the extant law, refusal to honour the Commissioner’s summon attracts a paltry fine of N500 or six months imprisonment; but with the amendment, the proposed fine will be N500,000 for individual and N5 Million for corporate bodies and or 7 years imprisonment as punishment.
It would be recalled that the existing Act was promulgated in 1975 under the military era and as such not in tandem with the current operational functions of the commission.
