Ombudsman offices sealed over non-payment of rentals by Malawi government
The Office of the Ombudsman offices housed in St Martin’s Building at City Centre in Lilongwe, have been sealed due to government’s failure to honour the rentals to the private landlord.
The offices, both the Headquarters and Central Region Offices, were sealed around 17:30hrs on Tuesday by the building owners.
The building owners resorted to sealing the offices after efforts to have the rentals paid by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development proved futile.
The development has led to suspension of all services in Lilongwe until the situation is resolved.
However, the Office of Ombudsman stated that services in all other Regional Offices (Blantyre, Balaka and Mzuzu) are available to the general public.
Meanwhile, some people believe that government is not forthcoming with rentals to frustrate the Office of the Ombudsman, which is led by Martha Chizuma.
Harold Arnold Chinyama commented: “Very sad. This is a deliberate ploy to cripple the office of the ombudsman. ”
While Richie Kayenda said it disheartening that”the government ignoring its best performing offices”.
This comes at a time when the public protector Ombudsman Chizuma has pinned down government and two controlling officers over irregularities on the purchase and disposal of Farm Machinery under an India line of credit worth US$50 million.
The two controlling officers, one of them Gray Nyandule Phiri Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development were dragged to Court by the Ombudsman.
The Court ordered them to apologize to Malawians, but failed to do so and this did not go down well with Ombudsman Chizuma who took them head on.
The two are currently in court fighting a contempt of court conviction for failing to issue public apologies in the handling of the procurement.
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Are some of these observation done factually or just a question of sheer ignorance. The sealing of government rented offices is not something new or unique to the said offices. A few years ago the line department’s headquarters were sealed forvthe same reason and if one says it is punishment for the head of yhat office for being robust in her work is total rubbish In case of the case i have narrated who was punishing who? Lets be constructive and factual in our comments and if you don’t have anything to contribute silence is golden. Departments are running on… Read more »
You can fool some people some time but not all the people all the time. This is not rubbish
. You know the facts about the issues you are referring to do you can make your judgment based on the the facts you know. The Martha issue from a distance its reading punish the star to dampen her spirit.
Deliberate move to frustrate the best performing oubudsman so far
ntchito za mbamva za DPP cholinga asapilize kufufuza zakwa Nsundwe
Malawi is so captured that performers like ombudsman Chizuma are being punished for doing good
I totally agree with you Bribery. Its so shameful and pathetic.