Jakaya Kikwete
20th March 2013
The government is considering extending
the contracts of agricultural researchers who are about to retire,
President Jakaya Kikwete has said, citing acute shortage of such
scientists in research institutions in Tanzania.
He said without a succession plan under
which some experienced scientists are retained as fresh hands are
employed, improving agriculture would remain a remote dream.
The president said this at Mikocheni
Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) in Dar es Salaam yesterday when
launching a genetic engineering laboratory that will be used in the war
on crop diseases, with a view to enhancing productivity in agriculture.
He said there was no denying that
research scientists in the country have been “forgotten” for many years,
“but given the impact of climate change and the emergence of crop
diseases, the government is now committed to supporting them in terms of
training and equipment”.
“My government has committed 30 billion/-
for research and so far 15 billion/- has been disbursed to facilitate
training and research works in the country,” he said.
Agriculture, Food Security and
Cooperatives minister Christopher Chiza had earlier said that the
ministry runs 16 research centres in seven zones but all were both
understaffed and underfunded.
He said the ministry is encouraging
people to write project proposals which, if approved, would help raise
funds with which to improve operations.
The minister allayed public fears
relating to the application of biotechnology, particularly genetic
engineering, saying that was “one of the sources of the knowledge needed
to boost agricultural productivity”.
MARI director Dr Joseph Ndunguru
meanwhile explained that they were conducting a wide range of research
activities all seeking to enable farmers in Tanzania to benefit more
from their investment in agriculture.
President Kikwete, who was on the second
day of tour of Dar es Salaam Region, meanwhile said people forging
midwifery and nursing certificates were engaged in extremely dangerous
practice that put public health at serious risk and ought to face the
full wrath of the law.
He made remarks to that effect after
receiving complaints from Tanzania Nurses and Midwives Council
chairperson Dr Khadija Malima during celebrations to mark the council’s
60th anniversary.
“We are facing the challenge of nurses
and midwives used forged certificates. We have been trying hard to
overcome the problem but things are tough and we have left the matter to
security organs after filing at least six cases in court,” she said.
She added that they were working hand in
hand with the National Examination Council of Tanzania in an effort to
identify those using fake academic certificates to apply for nursing and
midwifery studies in health colleges.
President Kikwete said he would work on
the challenges and complaints cited and have an audience with health
stakeholders early next month to brainstorm on the way forward.
“Those found to have forged midwifery and
nursing certificates should be taken to court and punished heavily,
including being jailed for many years. Human health is too important to
be played with,” he noted.
amended and
lay down a harsher penalty.
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