By Gloria Osemudiamhen
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani has advised representatives of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to maintain quick response time to issues referred to it, to prevent such situations from degenerating to live threatening cases.
Mrs. Ananni gave the advice while playing host to delegates of PCC, who paid a courtesy visit on the Office of the First Lady at the Government House in Benin City. According to her, “Sometimes, attempts to contact the Commission are unsuccessful due to a lack of personnel to handle inquiries, resulting in backlogs and delays”.
She advised them to look into the issue and improve their response time and publicity, as according to her, many people are still unaware of the Commission’s services in the State.
Mrs. Anani commended their humanitarian roles and cited examples of her office’s efforts in supporting vulnerable individuals, including a lady, Uyi Tina, who was set ablaze in her house by her estranged husband. “We were able to provide timely assistance. This administration prioritizes humanitarian support. We’ve also handled the cases of the Okpella girl who was raped by five boys, and others through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. These cases have been addressed promptly”.
The Federal Commissioner and Leader of the representatives, Hon. Augustine Agbavboa while appreciating Mrs. Anani, expressed the Commission’s desire to collaborate with the Office of the First Lady in protecting women’s rights in Edo State.
According to Agbavboa, “Your progress as Coordinator and vision to better the lives of the youth and women in Edo State are excellently commendable. Your ability to again relentlessly search for solutions to problems and find innovative ways to improve the situation is the key to this success and many to come. I sincerely pray to God to grant you more wisdom and good health for more historic successes in the days to come, months to come, and the years ahead of you.
“Today I am pleased to say to collaborate with your office with a view to creating the awareness about the Commission’s services by helping us to reach out to the women in the State as our services are humanitarian in nature as no fee is charged for such services. I want to also commend you for providing monthly coverage across the three senatorial districts of the State with particular reference to the State’s sexual and gender-based violence centre with modern facilities where the victims are rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society. Your leadership, we say, is defined by impact, vision, and unwavering commitment to the people”.
