Africa-Press – Angola. The Ombudsman of Justice in Angola, Florbela Araújo, encouraged this Saturday, in the province of Cunene, citizens to present complaints to her institution, to restore legality, when they see their rights violated.
The jurist, who was giving a lecture on the theme “The Ombudsman in the Constitution of the Republic of Angola”, recalled that each individual enjoys rights, guarantees and freedoms, which must be safeguarded and protected.
He said that, when they notice that they are being violated, they should present complaints to the Ombudsman’s Office to mediate and restore legality within the institutional partnership with the bodies that act in the administration of justice.
To this end, he advised people to know their rights, including social, economic, political, cultural, moral, physical and intellectual, among others, to know whether their complaints are legitimate or not.
He stated that the clarification session aims to raise the legal awareness of the population, in order to know the function and role of the Ombudsman, as a mediator of conflicts and defense of their rights in case of violation.
He asked injured parties to always appoint lawyers who can help provide advice in legal proceedings, in drafting appeals, and in defending their clients’ rights in court.
He informed that the Justice Ombudsman oversees the defense, advocacy and guarantee of citizens’ rights, from access to health, education, land, retirement pension, among others, in the event of non-compliance or disputes.
He made it known that, as a result of the mediation work, in 2023, around a thousand prisoners were released, representing a continuous challenge from the perspective of bringing trust and services closer to society.
Florbela Araújo highlighted that, from January of last year to the present date, the ombudsman’s office registered nine thousand complaints, with emphasis on procedural slowness, delays in paying pensioners and land disputes.
For his part, the deputy governor for the Political, Economic and Social Sector of Cunene, Apolo Ndinoulenga, praised the role of the Ombudsman in promoting the legal culture of citizens and defending their rights.
He recognized the results of the ombudsman’s services in the province, highlighting that in the first quarter of this year, 326 hearings were notified, including complaints, denunciations and complaints, which culminated in 155 cases being processed.
Of the cases in question, he continued, 51 were resolved, 14 were forwarded and 90 were partially resolved and others were undergoing treatment.
Apolo Ndinoulenga highlighted that the local government will continue to provide the necessary support to the ombudsman’s office to fulfill its mission of defending the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens.
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 activities.
“Ombudsman Week” takes place from the 19th to the 28th of April under the motto “The ombudsman as a mediator of conflicts between the citizen and the public administration”.
As part of the day commemorating the 19th anniversary of the institutionalization of the Ombudsman in Angola, the incumbent has been on a three-day visit to the province of Cunene since Thursday 25th.
The provider’s work program included visits to the Ombudsman’s service facilities, the Oifidi Leprosary, the Ondjiva General Hospital and the Peu-Peu prison establishment, as well as work meetings and lectures.
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