Category: news

Published: 13 August 2018

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Friday 10th August, 2018   

The Ombudsman Mr. Melron Nicol-Wilson on Thursday 9th August 2018 presented the 2017 Annual Report on the activities of the Office of the Ombudsman to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio at State House.

Presenting the report, Mr. Melron Nicol-Wilson first congratulated President Bio on his election as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and thanked him for granting him audience. The Ombudsman informed the President that the presentation of the report was in compliance with provisions in the Ombudsman Act 1997 which require him to submit an annual report to the President on the activities of his Office.

Receiving the report, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio stated that the Ombudsman is very crucial in promoting good governance and holding public officials to account. The President said his government is committed to enhancing public accountability and therefore would give his fullest support to the work of the Ombudsman.

The report gives an account of the stewardship of Mr. Melron Nicol-Wilson in his first year as Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone. It highlights the number and nature of  complaints the Office of the Ombudsman received and resolved, and the outreach activities undertaken in 2017 as well as the audited financial statement of the Office for the 2016 financial year.

The Ombudsman was accompanied by the following members of his staff to present the report: Dr Sheku Conteh - Executive Secretary, Mr. Alhaji Mansaray - Head of Investigations and Mediation, Mr. Abdulai Senesie - Principal Investigator, Ms. Mamie Fomba - Investigation Officer and Ms. Kadijatu Jalloh - Mediation Officer.

Category: news

Published: 13 August 2018

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I have formally presented the 2017 Annual Report, on the Operational and Financial activities of the Office of the Ombudsman, to His Excellency Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio - President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, in accordance with the provisions of Section 15 of the Ombudsman’s Act of 1997.

The presentation was done at 'State House', on Thursday, 9th August, 2018.

I am pleased to note that, the President is committed to providing support for our work, in order to enhance public accountability.

His Excellency recognizes the work of the Ombudsman as very crucial in promoting good governance, as well as, in holding public officials to account for their actions and omissions.

As an independent institution, established by Section 146 of the 1991 Constitution, I will continue to fulfill the mandate of the Ombudsman, by investigating complaints from members of the public, and the Public service, who might have suffered from injustice, as a result of maladministration by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

I am very grateful to my amazing team at the Office of the Ombudsman, our partners, and the Government and people of Sierra Leone, for their unflinching support.

Together, we are championing administrative justice and safeguarding human rights!

Melron C. Nicol-Wilson Esq.

LL.M (Nottingham), LL.M ( Pret ),

Dip (Lund), LL.B (Hons), BL

Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

13th August , 2018

Category: news

Published: 17 August 2018

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Friday 17 August, 2018.

The Ombudsman Melron Nicol-Wilson presented the 2017 Annual Report of his office to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio on Thursday 9th August, 2018. In the report, the Ombudsman states that his Office received 305 complaints against various government's ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in 2017.

The report also states that when Mr. Melron Nicol-Wilson took up office as Ombudsman in May 2017, he inherited 300 backlog cases from his predecessor, thus summing up the total number of cases he handled in 2017 to 605.

The report further states that within four months of Melron Nicol-Wilson’s stewardship, he concluded 233 of the 300 backlog cases. Mr. Melron Nicol-Wilson says he was able to conclude majority of the backlog cases within a very short period because of the recruitment of additional personnel and the setting up of an internal committee to deal with backlog cases. 

According to the report, out of the 305 complaints that were lodged to the Office of the Ombudsman in 2017, 183 were lodged at the Head Office in Freetown, 32 at the regional office in Bo, 47 at the regional office in Kenema and 46 at the regional office in Makeni.

The report claims that 103 out of 305 complaints received in 2017 were concluded through mediation; mostly in favour of the complainants.

The report highlights that most of the complainants are former employees of private commercial entities who complained the Ministry of Labour for undue delay and bias in dealing with their  complaints against their employers.

The report further highlights that over 57% of the total complaints the Ombudsman received during the period under review were about non-payment of benefits and were largely against the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT).

About 14% of the complaints bordered on wrongful dismissals and were mostly against the Sierra Leone Police, lodged by officers that have been laid off for misconducts.

Unfair treatments accounts for about 28% of the complaints and were also predominantly against the Sierra Leone Police.

The Ombudsman reports that he relied more on informal resolution techniques, including contacts and mediation to resolve the complaints he received during the period under review.