The Samoa Ombudsman’s Office is hosting a delegation from the Tonga Ombudsman Office this week as part of efforts to strengthen each other’s work in areas of good governance.
The Tonga delegation is led by Chief Executive Officer Linda Folaumoetui who is on a one week attachment supported and funded under the Flexi Funding Program administered by the Office Commonwealth Ombudsman.
“We are very pleased with the opportunity to be able to come over to Samoa to make connections and further our relationship with the Ombudsman Office here and share ways we can learn and strengthen each other’s work and responsibilities to our citizens,” Folaumoetui said.
This is the Tonga Ombudsman staffs first official visit to Samoa since the Office was formally constituted in December 2001 as the Ombudsman Office of Tonga which was formerly known as Office of Public Relations Tonga.
“I am delighted with the Tongan delegation to Samoa. Not only will we learn from each other’s good practices in its Governance work but also an opportunity for them to see something of my Office’s other mandates that maybe of interest to them such as the Special Investigations Unit and Human Rights” Samoa Ombudsman Maiava Iulai Toma commented.
The delegates will spend their week in each of the divisions within the Ombudsman Office with the opportunity also to observe the Office’s prison inspections work and meet villagers of Vavau village during the Office’s awareness and education program.
Photo supplied MPMC. Caption: From left front row: Maiava Iulai Toma (Ombudsman Samoa), Ms. Linda Folaumoetui (CEO Tonga Ombudsman, Maualaivao P. Seiuli (Deputy Ombudsman Samoa). From left second row, Roman Vaihu, Loukinikini Vili, Mo’onia Taufa and Fuimaono Vaiao Eteuati) (Delegation and Staff with Assistant Commissioner of Prison Services, Ulugia Niuia Aumua)