OMBUDSMAN AND TEAM PAY COURTESY CALL ON THE HONORABLE VICE PRESIDENT DR. MOHAMED JULDEH JALLOH

Freetown, Sierra Leone
Thursday 5th September 2024

In ensuring that the message on Administrative Justice and Accountability reaches every sector of the society, the Ombudsman Tejan Ahmed Israel Jah Esq and Team paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh at his office at Tower Hill in Freetown.

In briefing the Vice President about the purpose of their visit, the Ombudsman spoke on the mandate of his office citing the relevant sections of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone and the Ombudsman Act of 1997.

He further informed the Vice President that his office serves as a bridge between the Government and the citizenry in that, it is a national grievance redress Institution to which citizens can complain whenever they have been aggrieved by the administrative actions or inactions of government officials/Institutions. The Ombudsman is mandated to investigate these complaints and resolve them by firstly utilising Alternative Dispute Resolution processes like negotiations, mediation and conciliation. On failure of these mechanisms, the Ombudsman can launch full blown investigations to resolve disputes.

The Ombudsman continued that the mandate of his Office aligns with the national Mid Term Development Plan and one of the manifesto promises of the Government, which is revamping the Public Service Architecture.

The Ombudsman further mentioned that his Office is not only a good governance Institution, but it's also a quasi-human rights and judicial Institution which seeks for the improvement of administrative accountability within Government Institutions.

He maintained that the interventions of his Office in disputes do not only remedy and correct administrative wrongs but also reverse administrative actions/ decisions that cause hardships, detriments or grievances occasioned by MDAs including the Police, Correctional Service, Institutions of higher learning or education and other Institutions that are partly or fully funded by the Government.

Ombudsman Jah requested for political will and support from the Government to ensure the expansion of the Office, protection from reprisals and that the recommendations of the Ombudsman are fully implemented. He appealed to the Vice President as Chair of the Police Council and Correctional Service to ensure that recommendations of the Ombudsman on complaints against the Police and the Correctional Service are fully implemented and adhered to.

In response, the Honourable Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh thanked the Ombudsman and Team for the update on the activities of the Office and spoke about the huge task ahead for the Office. The Vice President pledged his support to the Office of the Ombudsman and further promised to advocate for more budgetary support and vehicles for the Ombudsman's Office taking into consideration the enormity of their mandate.

He further advised that the Office embarks on more sensitisation in the Provinces so that more people will benefit from the services of the Ombudsman. He promised to pay a work visit to the Ombudsman's Office in the coming days.

Communication Dept
Office of the Ombudsman
076-945-926