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The Ombudsman, Melron Nicol-Wilson, on Wednesday 8th November, 2017, visited and interacted with the Paramount Chief of Beke Lokor Chiefdom and the heads various government departments in Port Loko.

The purpose of the visits was for the Ombudsman to familiarise himself with the officials, since his      mandate is to resolve complaints against government institutions.

At about 8:00am, the Ombudsman visited the Correctional Centre in Port Loko and sensitised the Officers and Inmates about their rights to make complaints on administrative wrongdoings in the    correctional service and other MDAs.

 The Ombudsman further mentioned to the inmates that, his mandate is different from that of the Legal Aid Board and the Human Rights Commission, in the sense that, he does not provide legal representation for accused persons, nor investigate human rights abuses and violations, generally. The Ombudsman promised that, from time to time, he would be sending personnel to collect complaints from the inmates, in person, and resolve their grievances against the authorities, where possible.

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On Thursday 9th November, 2017, the  Ombudsman, Melron Nicol-Wilson, sensitised members of the general public about his mandate, in a town hall meeting, held at the Port Loko District Council Hall.

The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Port Loko District Council, Mr. Alex Bangura.

After thoroughly explaining the functions and “modus operandi” of the Office of the Ombudsman, Mr.      Melron Nicol-Wilson informed the gathering of his plan to open a regional office in Port Loko in January 2018. Speaker after speaker applauded the Ombudsman for his intention to open an office in Port Loko.

The main issue that was raised by the participants was the absence of a resident judge in Port Loko, to try cases speedily. The people complained that, accused persons spend more time on remand for     minor offences, because the judge who tries cases in Port Loko is resident in Makeni. The Ombudsman       promised to take their concern to the Chief Justice, when he returns to Freetown.  

The meeting ended with receipt of complaints about injustices caused by maladministration in the public sector.

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The Ombudsman, Melron Nicol-Wilson, on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th November 2017, paid courtesy calls on a number of stakeholders in Bo City, in an effort to create a better working     relationship between the stakeholders of Bo District and his Office.

The Ombudsman said he visited the stakeholders in the provinces to introduce himself to them as the new Ombudsman; secondly, to sensitise them about his mandate and how that relates to their own mandates; and to build good working relationships that would make it easier for him to resolve complaints from and against their offices.

To these ends, the Ombudsman visited and held     discussions with the Senior District Officer,  Patrick A. Samba; the Provincial Secretary South, Thomas Lansana, and staff of the Provincial Administration in Bo; the District Health Management Team and the Bo Government Hospital Management and nurses; the Paramount Chiefs of Kakua and Njala Komboya Chiefdoms, Chief Prince L. Boima IV and Chief Ngoko Demby; the Regional Police Commander and the    various Police Commanders in Bo; His Worship the Mayor, Harold L. Tucker and the administrative staff of the Bo City Council; and the Chairman of the Bo District Council, Joseph M. Bindi.

The Ombudsman also met with the Resident Judge in Bo, Justice Momoh Jah Stevens, in his chambers, on Tuesday 14th November 2017. Later in the afternoon, the Ombudsman, on his way to Pujehun, met with the Brigade Commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade in Gondama. On Sunday 12th November 2017, the Ombudsman sensitised the general public about his mandate, through a simulcast radio discussion
programme, held on both KISS 104 FM and SLBC 96.5 in Bo.

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On Tuesday 14th November 2017, the Ombudsman, Melron Nicol-Wilson interacted with Public Officials and the general public on the work of his Office, in a meeting held at the Bo District Council Hall.

The officials, among others, included staff from the Provincial Administration, Office of National Security, Human Rights Commission, Anti-Corruption  Commission, Sierra Leone Police, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Sierra Leone Correctional Service, Local Councils and Civil Society Organisations.

The Deputy Mayor of the Bo City Council, Councillor Wurie Jalloh, gave the welcome address and encouraged the participants to ask as many questions as possible.

 The Ombudsman discussed the kinds of complaints he is mandated to investigate and how he conducts his investigations. He emphasised that, his role is to    resolve the complaints by recommending remedial actions.

 

The participants complained that, there is no industrial court in the Southern Region to deal with industrial disputes. Other concerns were also mentioned for the attention and intervention of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman promised to notify the relevant    authorities about the various concerns.

  1. In Pujehun, Ombudsman Meets With Key Stakeholders
  2. In Pujehun, Ombudsman Explains His Mandate In A Town Hall Meeting
  3. In Kenema, Ombudsman Pays Courtesy Call On Stakeholders
  4. The Ombudsman Reaches Out The People In Kailahun
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