THE OMBUDSMAN PAID COURTESY CALLS ON VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN FREETOWN.

Ombudsman with DG and Commanders of SLGS

On Tuesday 22nd January 2019, he met with the Director General and Regional Commanders of the Sierra Leone Correctional Services at New England Ville Headquarters. The Director General and the Ombudsman held fruitful discussion in establishing cordial working relationship within their various institutions. The Ombudsman also made visits to the Male and Female Correctional centers in Freetown.

 OMB and IPAM

On Wednesday 23rd January 2019 the Ombudsman and team paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Sahr Foday of the University of Sierra Leone. The Ombudsman highlighted issues reported in the office and the DVC responded that they have reviewed their policies and that has brought Change to the institution.

OMB and CDS

Also the Ombudsman and Team met with the Chief of Defence Staff and team of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. The Ombudsman briefed the CDS and team about the function and Mandate of the Office. The CDS pledge to work with the Office and immediately appointed a Liaison between the Office of the Ombudsman and the RSLAF.

OMB and CJ     OMB and IG

A similar Visit was also made to His Lordship the Chief Justice, Justice Babatunde Edwards at his Office at Law Court Building and the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Force,Dr. Richard Moigbeh and the Executive Management Board at the Sierra Leone Police Force Headquarters in Freetown.

OMBUDSMAN LECTURES FREETOWN TEACHERS COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENTS

Omb Presenting  Omb. Admin n students  Students

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone Leon Jenkins-Johnston Esq. and team on Wednesday 30th January 2019 conducted a mini lecture for the Administration and Students of the Freetown Teachers College at Jui. The lecture is part of the ongoing sensitization to create awareness on the mandate and functions of the office of the Ombudsman.

Welcoming the Ombudsman and Team, the Principal, Freetown Teachers College Dr. Samba Moriba thanked the Ombudsman and Team for visiting them. He stated that the Office of the Ombudsman has serious responsibility in the fight against injustice and maladministration. He noted that the major role of the office of the Ombudsman is to bring justice and sanity to public life. He informed the gathering that the students are not only on campus to receive certificate but also to develop their working relationship with others and to serve as resource persons to talk about responsibility.

Making his presentation, the Ombudsman Leon Jenkins-Johnston Esq. said that the Office of the Ombudsman is a constitutionally created and it is spelt out in subsection 2 of section 146 of the constitution of Sierra Leone Act No. 6 of 1991. He further explained that the functions of the Office of Ombudsman are laid out in section 7 of the Ombudsman Act of 1997. He noted that Freetown Teachers College having being created by statute is under the watch of the Office. He stated that in the preamble of the Ombudsman’s act the FTC falls under section (b) of the title which states that:

WHEREIN by subsection (2) of section 146 of the Constitution, it is provided that the functions of the Ombudsman shall “include the investigation of any action taken or omitted to be taken by or on behalf of – (b) any statutory corporation or institution of higher learning or education , set up entirely or partly out of public funds;

The Ombudsman noted that the Injustice as prescribed in the Ombudsman Acts Includes:

includes hardship, detriment or grievance occasioned by any inequitable treatment, whether legally or otherwise;

He further describes Maladministration as:

  1. Bias;
  2. Unfair discrimination or failure to explain grounds of a decision which appears discriminatory;
  3. Harshness or general high-handedness;
  4. Misleading a member of the public as to high right or deliberately withholding from him material information concerning the rights of such person;
  5. Using powers for a wrong purpose;
  6. Failing to consider relevant material or taking irrelevant material into account for any decision;
  7. Losing or failing to reply to correspondence with a member of the public;
  8. Delaying unreasonably before making a tax refund or presenting a tax demand or dealing with any application for a grant or license.

For which the latter is not applicable to the institution. He revealed that under section 10 the Ombudsman has powers to investigate any complaints relating to a prescribed authority. He noted that under section 10(4) gives powers to the Ombudsman’s office to be transformed to a High Court or a judge when carrying out investigations.

He revealed that some of the complaints received from institutions ranged from delay in acting on complaints from students, bias, victimization sexual harassment from student to student and from students to lecturers.

He furthered that the office of the Ombudsman serves as an outlet for complaints. He noted that the office of the Ombudsman is closely monitoring the Free Quality Education program to ensure that the President Succeeds in its implementation.

The lecture was climaxed by a question and answer session.

Police   CDIID 1  CDIID 2

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone Leon Jenkins-Johnston Esq. and team on Friday 8th February 2019 conducted a mini lecture for the personnel of the Complaint Discipline and Internal Investigations Department (CDIID) at the Sierra Leone Police Training School at Hastings in the Koya Rural District. The lecture is part of the ongoing sensitization to create awareness on the mandate and functions of the office of the Ombudsman facilitated by.

Welcoming the Ombudsman and Team,  Liz Macleod, ISAT trainer, thanked the Ombudsman and team for honoring her invitation to talk to personnel of the CDIID on the mandate and functions of the Office of the Ombudsman. She appealed to the officers to take the lecture in good faith, so that they can be guided in performing their task.

Making his presentation, the Ombudsman Leon Jenkins-Johnston Esq. said that the relationship between the Sierra Leone Police Force and the Office of the Ombudsman is a statutory relationship and it is spelt out in subsection 2 of section 146 of the constitution of Sierra Leone Act No. 6 of 1991. He further explained that the functions of the Office of the Ombudsman is laid out in section 7 of the Ombudsman Act of 1997. He noted that Sierra Leone Police Force, having being created by statute is under the watch of the Office. He stated that in the preliminary  of the Ombudsman’s Act the Sierra Leone Police Force falls under “Prescribed Authority” which states that:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires;-

“Prescribed Authority” means bodies of persons referred to in the preamble, the Public Service Commission, the Armed Forces, the Police Force, the Prison Service or any other institution for which a minister in answerable to Parliament.

He further said that the investigations carried out by the office of the Ombudsman are in two folds: either by complaint of from any other source. He outlined the definition of injustice as prescribed in the Act which is define as:

“Injustice” includes hardship, detriment or grievance occasioned by any inequitable treatment, whether legally or otherwise;

He further define Maladministration as prescribed in the Act as:

  • bias;
  • unfair discrimination or failure to explain grounds of a decision which appears discriminatory;
  • harshness or general high-handedness;
  • misleading a member of the public as to high right or deliberately withholding from him material information concerning the rights of such person;
  • using powers for a wrong purpose;
  • failing to consider relevant material or taking irrelevant material into account for any decision;
  • losing or failing to reply to correspondence with a member of the public;
  • delaying unreasonably before making a tax refund or presenting a tax demand or dealing with any application for a grant or license.

For which the latter is not applicable to the institution. He revealed that under section 10 the Ombudsman has powers to investigate any complaints relating to a prescribed authority. He noted that section 10(1) gives powers to the Ombudsman’s office to carry out investigations into complaint received from the public.

He furthered explained that section 19 of the Ombudsman’s Act stated the independence of the Ombudsman which states that:

Except as otherwise provided for in this Act, in the exercise of his function under this Act, the Ombudsman shall not be subjected to the control or direction of any other person or authority.

Spain 1 Spain 2

The Ombudsman of the Republic Of Sierra Leone, Leon Jenkins-Johnston Esq. on Wednesday 13th February 2019, paid a courtesy call on the Honorary Consul of Spain in Sierra Leone at his Siaka Stevens Street Office.

The Ombudsman Leon Jenkins- Johnston Esq. gave a background about the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman. He informed the Spanish Consul that the work of the Ombudsman is to fight administrative injustice in Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He further explained the mandates and functions of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Ombudsman Leon Jenkins-Johnston Esq. said that he recognizes the cordial relationship between Sierra Leone and Spain and promised to maintain the good bilateral cooperation between the two countries. He noted that the four goals set out in the strategic plan of the Office of the Ombudsman 2018-2022 has not been implemented. He revealed that he is soliciting support from donors and other multilateral agencies to carry out the implementation of the Strategic plan. He further presented a copy of the strategic plan to the Spanish Consul.   

Responding, the Honorary Consul of Spain in Sierra Leone, Antoine Yazbeck, thanked the ombudsman for the visit. He expressed appreciation to His Excellency the president Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio for appointing young people into position of trust, thereby building the foundation for justice and proper administration in Sierra Leone. He promised to take an in depth look into the Strategic plan and revert to the Ombudsman for further deliberations.