(a) A public corporation is an entity that is created by the government to carry out certain public missions and services.
A pubic corporation is defined as the government establishment or enterprise set up by an Act of parliament to provide essential services like electricity, postal services, pipe-borne water etc
(b) (I) Legislative control: Legislative control or Acts of parliament: Public corporations are set up by Acts of parliament. Their power is stipulated in the Acts. Abolition: Any public corporation that is deficient and unproductive could be abolished by the legislature. Auditing: Any accounts of the public corporations are always audited by a body set up by the legislature. Summoning of officials: The legislature can ask any official to appear before it if there are allegations of wrongdoing.
(ii) Ministerial control: Dissolution of the board of directors: A minister whose ministry controls a public corporation can appoint and dissolve a board of directors of such a corporation. Appointment and dismissal of senior officers: The minister also has the power to appoint or even dismiss some senior categories of staff in any corporation under his control. Approval of loans and expenditures: The minister approves any loan to be taken and some major expenditures. Auditing: A minister can appoint auditors to audit the accounts of public corporations under his or her control.
(iii) Judicial control: Judicial control of court order: The courts can declare any act made by some corporations illegal and unconstitutional. This is done when they are breaching the acts upon which they are set up. Denial of services: The judiciary can also stop any public corporation from denying its services to any customer e.g. PHCN
(iv) Financial control: Finance: Most public enterprises depends, to a large extent, on the government for allocations to meet their running costs. The government may withhold such allocations. Budget: This is usually debated upon. The senior official or the minister responsible for the enterprise can be questioned before the legislative committee. Annual Report: Annual reports of public corporations are presented to the parliament for scrutiny.