Question

Difficulty: MediumControl of Civil Service and Bureaucratic Problems

An administrative officer in a government ministry consistently delays official files and demands informal payments before processing routine applications. Which institutional mechanism of civil service control is specifically established to investigate such grievances and redress administrative injustice faced by citizens?

  1. The Public Complaints Commission (Ombudsman)Answer
  2. B
    The Civil Service Commission
  3. C
    The Public Accounts Committee
  4. D
    The Judicial Service Commission

Answer

The Public Complaints Commission (Ombudsman) is the body specifically empowered to investigate administrative injustice, corruption, and red tape in the civil service.
The Public Complaints Commission serves as Nigeria's Ombudsman, specifically created to investigate citizen complaints against unfair treatment, administrative delays, abuse of power, and corruption by civil servants.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the nature of the bureaucratic problem described in the scenario.
The scenario depicts red tape, corruption, and administrative abuse of office in the civil service.
Identifying the nature of the grievance helps determine the specific regulatory body intended to address it.
2
Evaluate the statutory mandate of institutional control bodies.
The Public Complaints Commission (Ombudsman) is designed as a redress mechanism for members of the public affected by administrative errors, oppression, or inefficiency.
Differentiating between internal administrative bodies and external oversight commissions ensures accurate mapping of functions.

Key Concept

Ombudsman / Public Complaints Commission as a mechanism of administrative control over the civil service.
Rate this question