Menongue - The Deputy Ombudsman, Aguinaldo Cristóvão, on Thursday in Menongue, stressed the role of the institution in ensuring citizens´ rights under the Constitution of the Republic.
While delivering a speech on the topic “The role and function of the Office of the Ombuds in the defence of citizens´ rights, freedoms and guarantees”, Aguinaldo Cristóvão stressed that the institution contributes significantly to the good functioning of democracy, helping to solve major problems that affect citizens.
The official added that the Ombuds role is to defend the rights of citizens´ freedoms and guarantees, thus helping them to access justice.
For this reason, Aguinaldo Cristóvão said, the institution relies on the heads of public and private institutions, traditional authorities, ecclesiastical entities and other social actors in the administration of justice.
In this domain, the official clarified that institutions should attend the Ombuds requests with the responsibility and celerity that is required, in the perspective of facilitating the redress of citizens´ rights, with positive reflections in reducing the waiting time for public attendance and with this, relieve the pressure on the courts.
The Deputy Ombudsman recalled that among various aspects, the ombudsperosn has the competence to function as an organ of mediation of the most varied problems, either involving citizens in a singular way, or involving litigation, between the citizen and the state institutions.
Aguinaldo Cristóvão clarified that the ombudsperson is characterized by the same incompatibility regime as that of judicial magistrates and of the Public Prosecution Service and must dedicate himself/herself exclusively to the functions, abstaining from party-political militancy, in order to gain greater credibility, impartiality and independence.
The Ombuds Office is a public and independent body whose mission is to defend the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens, ensuring through informal means, the justice and legality of the public administration´s activity.
Among those present were the deputy governor for the Political, Social and Economic sector, Adélia Muambeno Samuel, judicial magistrates and public prosecutors, lawyers, traditional and ecclesiastical authorities, students and other guests.
