By: Fatmata Binta Bah
The Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Tejan Ahmed Israel Jah Esq., has encouraged people to report their complaints against public functionaries to his office while highlighting functions of his office, key among which he said is receiving complaints from citizens against state actors, something he said is crucial in addressing grievances.
The country’s Ombudsman was speaking at the government weekly press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s conference hall in Freetown on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024.
He said the role of the Ombudsman is a public defender, lawyer or someone that serves as the public complaint commissioner for citizens due to government actions and decisions.
He also stated that the Office of the Ombudsman is created by the Constitution of Sierra Leone. making it more important. He cited that the Constitution empowers them to intervene in issues such as maladministration and injustice to citizens and non-nationals with Sierra Leoneans that suffer injustice and maladministration as a result of administrative actions or decisions of government officials, including ministers, department and agencies.
He added that, for instance, if someone whose relative is at the Sierra Leone Correctional Center for a long term and perhaps the Law Officers Department fails to ensure their case is resolved, that person should report to the Ombudsman immediately.
The Office of the Ombudsman also serves as a judicial institution and its actions are geared towards the promotion and protection of fundamental human right. “We received cases at times that do not fall under our mandate, so we referred them to ACC,” he pointed out.
The Ombudsman furthered that, in 2019, his office received three hundred and thirty-three cases, of which seventy-seven were referred, eighty-nine being investigated while one hundred and sixty-three cases were concluded. In 2022, he said his office received eight hundred and ninety-seven cases, out of which two hundred and sixty-three were referred, two hundred and twenty-eight being investigated while four hundred and seven have been concluded.
He continued to encourage citizens to report issues to his office while promising assistance, noting they operate at no cost to citizens and people who report their concerns and complaints.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, May 13TH, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
