RismadarVoice Reporters
July 30, 2026
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions says it has received 890 petitions from Nigerians since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, attributing delays in resolving many cases to the failure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to honour its invitations.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus La’ori, disclosed this on Thursday during a retreat for committee members organised with the support of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the European Union.
La’ori said the committee had concluded investigations into 200 petitions, while reports on 70 cases had already been considered by the House of Representatives. He added that several other reports are awaiting legislative action.
According to him, the growing number of petitions reflects increasing public confidence in the committee as a platform for seeking justice and legislative intervention.
He noted that the committee now receives petitions on a wide range of issues, including domestic disputes, which he said demonstrates the level of trust Nigerians have in its transparency and fairness.
The lawmaker, however, expressed concern over the refusal of many MDAs to respond promptly to the committee’s summons, stating that some agencies only appear after being threatened with arrest.
He said such non-compliance prolongs the resolution of cases and undermines the committee’s efforts to deliver timely justice.
La’ori also stressed the need to strengthen the committee’s documentation, institutional memory, digital record-keeping and knowledge management systems as the 10th National Assembly approaches its final year.
He explained that the retreat was convened to assess the committee’s performance, identify operational challenges and develop strategies to improve petition management, reporting and institutional learning.
Also speaking, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, urged lawmakers to use the remaining period of the current Assembly to conclude pending assignments and strengthen institutional processes that would benefit future legislatures.
Nwankwo also advocated legislation to formally recognise constituency projects and establish a dedicated framework to ensure projects approved in the national budget are fully implemented.
Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Hon. Bashir Abubakar, said the commission and the House Committee on Public Petitions share similar responsibilities in providing citizens with accessible channels for justice and administrative redress.
He called for closer collaboration between both institutions, noting that many complaints received by the commission overlap with petitions before the National Assembly.
Abubakar added that recent international engagements had exposed the commission to global best practices in digital case management, forensic investigations and citizen-focused dispute resolution, which could further strengthen accountability and transparency in public administration.
