On Thursday, November, 21st,2024, the Honorable Federal Commissioner Public Complaints Commission(PCC) Cross River State, Elder Owa Egbara Owa, PhD made a significant progress in his collaborative drive, visiting the Provost College of Education, Akamkpa, the Chief Medical Director University of Calabar Teaching Hospital( UCTH) and the Commondor Nigeria Navy Ship( NNS) Victory in their offices. The visits witnessed the usual introduction of officials, followed thereafter by the mission statement from the Honorable Federal Commissioner.

In his mission statement which centered on collaborating with the various institutions and creating awareness about the activities of the Commission, the Commissioner expounded that the aim of the visits was to make public complaints Commission known and let the people know that he is around. According to him though it looks as though Nigerian Institutions are dead, but in his time he wants to give PCC a rebirth and let the people know that there is a place to complain.

With college of Education Akamkpa being the first point of call for the visit, the provost of the Institution, Professor Asuquo welcomed the Commissioner and his team on behalf of the management and students of the Institution, and thanked the Commission for the visit.
He complaints about the falling standard of Education, saying that he was determined to ensure that the system is sanitized.

He lamented about the decay within the judicial system, but expressed delight that there was a place like the Public Complaints commission where people can come and vent their grievances free of charge.

He commended the commissioner further for the visit, and added that it is not about the office, but the person occupying the office who has the mandate to ensure that the office is heard.

He pledged on behalf of the management of the Institution to create more awareness about the Commission, bringing the commissioner’s attention to a workshop that was slated to hold later in the day, and promised to draw participants to the existence of the commission and its activities. Adding that with avenue like the PCC nobody can feel oppressed. He shared his past experience and reiterated that if he had known about the Commission, he would not have been treated unjustly, and promised to advise even the students to bring forth their complaints to the commission.

On the complaints in the Commission lodged against the College, the provost promised to look into them and ensure that they are properly resolved.

From College of Education Akamkpa, the Honorable Federal Commissioner and his team headed back to Calabar, and the next point of call was the university of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH). While here, the Commissioner and his team were warmly received by the chief medical Director proffessor Ikpeme Ikpeme on behalf of the Management Staff.

He recalled that the Commission’s visit to his office has been a routine collaboration. Referring to a case in 2021, that was initiated by the proactive Investigation unit against the Hospital about non- payments of monthly stipends to interns of the hospital. He disclosed that the complaints went has far as to the National Assembly of which it was successfully resolved.

While on the visit the Honorable federal commissioner drew the attention of the CMD to two worrisome cases initiated by the proactive Investigation unit which bothered on illegal charges by the Provost , Health Information Management Department of UCTH and complaints by enrollees of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), on the lack of quality assurance on the services rendered by the hospital.

Responding to the above cases, Professor Ikpeme stated that the problem was not with the hospital, but rather with the Health Management Organizations( HMOs). According to him HMO is owing the hospital over 170millions, some of which he claimed dates back to 2021. He stated that 60% of patients in the hospital are NHIA patients which most times the hospital treats them free without nobody hearing outside.

The enrollees, he explained are complaining about the prices of drugs, and for the moment, the NHIA rates are useless considering the high cost of things in the country; and in the midst of this HMO have refused to pay the hospital. According to him, instead of the enrollees going back to the HMO to ask questions, they rather vent their frustration on the hospital, because as human beings we usually look for a soft target, and the soft target here, he said is the hospital.

Inquisitive on why the hospital has not requested for a change of HMO, the Chief Medical Director responded in the affirmative, that the hospital has done that before and it was changed. He explained further that presently there had been mails, and meetings with NHIA requesting for a change of the present HMO, but the response from NHIA is that they are incapable of getting them a new HMO.

Professor Ikpeme lamented his ordeal with the entire NHIA activities and alleged to have suggested to them to produce their own drugs, label them, so that their own patients can come get it at their own price. He added that the prices of drugs are increasing daily in the market and the HMO not paying them is frustrating. He advised the enrollees to hold their HMOs responsible.

On the complaints against the Provost Health Information Management Department , the CMD stated that he got to know about the complaints through the social media and he had put up a memo to that effect asking people to come up with complaints and evidence within seven days which up until the Commission’s visit, nobody has done that. According to professor Ikpeme, there is a standing disciplinary process, and you cannot go through the process without following the rules.

He however promised to respond to the letters from the Commission, stating that the allegation on social media maybe a reaction to somethings, because the students are being audited and issuing of certificates has been suspended due to irregularities observed in some processes.

He thanked the commission for the way the issues are being handled otherwise some people would have gone to social media to write that PCC is fighting the CMD on the above matters if the commission was biased.

He pledged his unwavering support to the mandate and activities of the Commission, including taking advice from the Commission as long as it helps make the services the hospital provides more professional.

Lastly on our Collaboration tour, the Commission experienced a warmth and friendly reception from the Commodore Nigerian Navy Ship(NNS) Victory, Comodore Daniel Oderemi

The commodore assured the commission of his willingness to collaborate with the Commission, and appreciated the Honorable Federal Commissioner for Operationalizing his office by coming to stakeholders in the area of peace processes for collaboration, and also for creating the awareness for the public to know that the Commission exist, asserting that if you don’t blow your trumpet dust will settle on it.

As part of collaboration, the Commodore assured that the Commission will always be invited to any activities hosted by NNS VICTORY as a way to further publicize and create awareness about the Commission. He encouraged the Commission to engage in more awareness, making giggles and reaching out to more people. He thanked the Commission for choosing to visit his office.

The visits to all of these Institutions witnessed the presentation of the Commission’s handbook by the Honorable Federal Commissioner to the respective head of institutions visited, signing of visitor’s register and group photographs, including the presentation of award of recognition for excellence service delivery by the Commodore NNS VICTORY to the Honorable Federal Commissioner.