OC refuses to respond to report

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The Ombudsman Commission has no need to respond to the Auditor-General’s Report for 2016, Chief Ombudsman Michael Dick says.
Dick was responding to several allegations made against the commission in the report including:

  • A breakdown in control of usage of internet and telephones in 2015 which racked up a huge bill of more than K750,000;
  • Ombudsman operating account bank reconciliations not prepared and certified on a timely basis;
  • lack of proper maintenance and update of the fixed assets register;
  • the commission built eight new houses and acquired a duplex from National Housing Corporation, however, continued to pay housing allowances to staff in what could be seen as double dipping;
  • the office vehicle fleet needed to be better managed;
  • there was no proper human resource and payroll procedural manual; and,
  • An officer’s employment contract expired on Jan 26, 2014, but he continued working for more than two years without a valid employment contract.

“We really can’t take the battle into the media when there is misreporting,” Dick told The National.
“The report is from the Auditor-General which is based on an unqualified opinion. These are things that they have highlighted in the report and they have given to us to respond.
“We are actually doing what we have to do to put things in order.
“He (Auditor-General Philip Nauga) has done what he has to do, but the report itself is based on an unqualified opinion.
“We have responded to that by putting out house in order already.
“There is no need for us to respond (in media).”