Africa-Press – Angola. The deputy ombudsman, Aguinaldo Cristóvão, said this Wednesday in Huambo that the body will continue to privilege partnership with traditional authorities in the defense of citizens’ rights and guarantees.
Speaking to the press, at the beginning of a four-day workday in Huambo province, the deputy ombudsman said that the sobas play an important role in raising awareness in communities, in addition to dedicating themselves to satisfying and protecting the interests of the citizen.
He underlined that the defense of rights consists of responding quickly to the citizen’s complaints, hence the need for the body to work with the chiefs to raise awareness in the communities, so that they understand the role of the ombudsman in solving the problems they may have with the public administration. , with a view to finding a more balanced solution.
In case of injustice, he said, the citizen does not need to make a request, hire a lawyer or pay any fee to have access to the Ombudsman’s services, because, even in those cases in which the victim does not speak the official language (Portuguese), the body will create the necessary conditions for it to present its complaint in the language it understands best.
He said that the body is working to become increasingly simple, less bureaucratic and deconcentrated, with the installation of focal points in some locations, to ensure that every citizen can have a voice.
Without presenting statistics, he pointed out cases related to social security, land disputes and the condition of many prisoners, as being the main complaints registered by the Ombudsman’s Office in Huambo province which, as a result of cooperation with the Government of Huambo province and with Prison Services, some prisoners were released in 2022.
Aguinaldo Cristóvão said that he came to Huambo with the aim of carrying out work at the level of the municipalities of Bailundo, Caála and Cachiungo, aimed at intervention and raising awareness among citizens.
The work agenda foresees, among other activities, a visit to the provincial Human Rights Committee, inauguration of the headquarters of the provincial services of the Ombudsman’s Office, trip to the municipalities of Bailundo, Caála, Cachiungo, meeting with the deputy attorney general of the Republic Huambo and with the chairman of the local council of the Angolan Bar Association.
The ombudsman is an independent public entity whose mission is to defend the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens, ensuring, through informal means, justice and the legality of public administration activity.
He is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly (AN), by deliberation of the absolute majority of deputies in office and takes office before the president of parliament, in plenary.
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