Mrs Fatou Njie Jallow told the joint session of public accounts and public enterprises committees of the National Assembly the move will enhance her office’s efficiency in service delivery.
She said: “My office will endeavour to live up to expectation by bringing justice and relief to those who look up to its services to enjoy a conducive working environment, free of maladministration, injustice and discrimination.”
According to her, the office of the ombudsman had been investigating cases of private individuals and the rate of compliance is high.
She added: “During the year 2013, the office registered cases from all regions of the country and continued to successfully settle cases registered. The compliance rate on the ombudsman recommendations on cases investigated continued to be very high.
“A total of 95 cases were registered and investigations were conducted on all cases registered. 52 complaints were registered at headquarters. Out of these, 17 cases were satisfactorily resolved in favour of the complainants, 13 dismissed after full investigations due to lack of merit, 10 discontinued due to the fact they were frivolous and not made in good faith and 10 pending.”
Mrs Njie-Fallow pointed out that the highest number of complaints were made against the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, followed by the Gambia Ports Authority and Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, respectively.
She added that her office had over the years addressed numerous issues and given advice to hundreds in the private sector whose cases fell outside her office’s jurisdiction.
She told lawmakers: “Despite all the achievements, we are faced with some constraints, such as decentralisation, office space and mobility. We are still not able to have our own quarters and offices in the regions. The regional offices are been housed in the governors offices and other institutions’ premises. The office has been allocated a plot of land at the Kanifing Institutional Development Area and in Mansakonko and we still need additional vehicles to address the transport inadequacy.”
Meanwhile, the office of the ombudsman will reappear on May 4 before the National Assembly for consideration of its activity and financial reports.
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