CCM to new ministers: It’s not personal

Responding to questions from reporters, Mr Nnauye criticised chief secretary Ombeni Sefue for his defense of some underperforming ministers.PHOTO|FILE 

By Frank Kimboy,The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

According to him, the secretariat was not against individuals when it drew seven names of ministers who were accused during the party secretariat’s public rallies in Ruvuma, Njombe and Mbeya at the end of last year.

Dar es Salaam. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has reacted to the recent re-appointment of ministers deemed as underperforming into respective dockets, saying their opposition to such appointments was based on public interests rather than targeting individuals.

CCM secretary for Ideology and Publicity Nape Nnauye said the party would not tolerate any underperforming minister or other government official, arguing that doing so would be suicidal for the party.

Speaking during a press conference held at the party’s headquarters yesterday, Mr Nnauye said claims that President Kikwete defied the party during a recent cabinet reshuffle by re-appointing ministers who had been accused of underperforming was unfounded.

Mr Nnauye said the party’s Central Committee summoned seven ministers who were accused of underperforming, after which it handed its recommendations to the appointing authority, President Kikwete.

Mr Nnauye said the CC recommended that reforms be made in the ministries which were accused of underperforming.

“You can sack people however you want but if you don’t have a good system and other resources like money, you can’t implement your election manifesto,” said Mr Nnauye.

According to him, the secretariat was not against individuals when it drew seven names of ministers who were accused during the party secretariat’s public rallies in Ruvuma, Njombe and Mbeya at the end of last year.

Mr Nnauye said the secretariat was implementing directives issued by the party’s congress at the end of 2012 to assess the implementation of 2010 election manifesto.

According to him, CCM will continue to supervise the government closely.

“We want the ‘underperforming’ ministers to take their reappointment as a wakeup call because we will use our majority in Parliament and our councilors to make the government accountable,” said Nnauye.

Responding to questions from reporters, Mr Nnauye criticised chief secretary Ombeni Sefue for his defense of some underperforming ministers.

One reporter wanted to know why the Education and Vocational Training minister, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa, was reappointed despite the fact that some of the books used in schools, especially history which published by the Radar change contained about 60 factual errors.