What is an ombudsman?
Ombudsman is a high level public officer, appointed by the president in consultation with the Public Service commission subject to confirmation by the National Assembly. He/she receives complaints from aggrieved members of the public against the unfair or unjust actions of public officers in the course of official duties. He/she investigates such complaints and issues recommendations.
How can I complain to Ombudsman’s Office?
It’s easy to lodge your complaints with the Office. You can write your complaints yourself and bring it to the headquarters or our regional offices. You may choose to give a verbal complaint and the complaints officer will reduce your complaint into writing. Your complaints should be submitted alongside all relevant documents such as appointment letters, contract documents, dismissal and any piece of evidence to support your complaint.
When should I complain to the Ombudsman?
Lodging complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman should always be a last resort. First, try to resolve your complaint at the level of the institution you want to complaint against. If all efforts fail, then come to the Ombudsman with your complaint.
How much do I pay for Ombudsman services?
Ombudsman services are completely free.
Will the Office reveal my identity to the general public?
The Office of the Ombudsman treats all complaints with confidentiality. The Ombudsman Act requires the Office to keep confidential the identities of complainants and the persons whose actions or dealings are being investigated.
The Ombudsman’s Annual Report to the National Assembly, which is a public document, does not include the names of persons as mentioned above.
It is to be noted that the Ombudsman’s Annual Report to the President contains names of complainants and the institutions complained against. This report is not made public.
Why does the Ombudsman not investigate complaints against the private sector?
Both the Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia 1997 and the Ombudsman Act 1997 provide for Ombudsman to investigate only government departments and other public bodies. Private sector employees can therefore not complain against their employers, but they can do so against any category of public officers except for those clearly excluded from the Ombudsman’s remit.
What is the Ombudsman going to do about the issue of private sector?
The private sector issue has been frequently raised by the Gambian people. There is hardly a meeting organized by the Ombudsman at which participants do not raise the private sector issue.
Even the members of parliament have repeatedly spoken about the need for the inclusion of the private sector within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction
The Office has therefore planned to seek amendment of the Ombudsman Act in order to include the private sector within its remit. Necessary steps will soon be taken, and hopefully before long , the jurisdiction of the Office will be broadened to include the private sector since there are no private ombudsman schemes in The Gambia.
What does the Office do when it receives complaints over which it has no jurisdiction?
The Office of the Ombudsman receives all complaints however only those complaints within the jurisdiction of the Office are investigated.
When we receive Complainants with grievances that are not within the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman, we register the complaints, and refer them to the Department of Labour, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Secretariat (ADRs), the Industrial Tribunal, the Cadi court or other courts /tribunals, depending on the nature of the complaints.
When a complaint is criminal in nature, the Office refers it to the police.
The Office has also been giving professional advice to people who come purposely to seek advice on matters of concern to them.