In accordance with section 10 (2) of the Ombudsman act, which states that “the Ombudsman may in public interest publish his/her findings at the end of his/her investigation,” the office of the Ombudsman has released its periodic report for the period 2003-2006.

The report, which aims at enabling the general public to keep abreast with the activities of the ombudsman office, highlighted the nature of complaints ranging from injustices, unfair treatments and unlawful termination. According to the report, some of these have already been investigated and recommendations have been made in certain instances.

A statistical summary of the report shows that a total of 60 complaints were received in 2003, 59 (98%) were completed and one is pending.

In 2004 a total of 57 complaints were received with 56 (98%) of it completed and one is pending. In 2005, out of a total of 92 complaints, 87 (95%) were completed and five are pending while in 2006, out of a total of 131 complaints received, 109 (83%) were completed with 22 cases pending.

The report revealed that “unlike the years 2001-2002 there were no cases of non-compliance by respondent institutions during the years 2003-2006. All recommendations were either complied with or the complaint dismissed as frivolous or the case discontinued.” Two of the cases are set out hereunder as examples of the complaints the Ombudsman has been dealing with and the manner in which they have been resolved.

According to case No.12 /2003 of the Ombudsman report, a complainant had salary arrears of 13 months and even before he was paid, his services were terminated. Upon their subsequent investigation, the Ombudsman office found out that the way and manner in which the complainant was terminated was wrong. The complainant was paid his correct entitlements in accordance with the recommendation of the office of the Ombudsman, which further recommended that before ancillary staff are terminated, their entitlements should be computed and paid accordingly.

In case No. 18/2004 of the report, a complainant claimed to have suffered injustice as a consequence of mal-administration in connection with non-payment of wages and accrued benefits, but upon investigations and findings, the Board of Directors adhered to the recommendations of the Ombudsman and the complainant was paid with effect from December 2001 to February 2005 a total sum of D160,500.50.