Don urges govt to curb embezzlement

DEUS NGOWI in Moshi

Acting Vice-Chancellor of Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU), Prof Faustine Bee.

THE Fifth Phase Government has been asked to direct its guns on individuals who have been embezzling assets of co-operative societies.

Acting Vice-Chancellor of Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU), Prof Faustine Bee, floated the request amid cheers from hundreds of people who had gathered for the first graduation ceremony of the new fully-fledged university.

Prof Bee’s call comes when the newly elected president, Dr John Pombe Magufuli and Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, have been on the warpath against corruption and misuse of public resources, resulting in some civil servants facing the sack and court action.

The don on behalf of the varsity community hailed Dr Magufuli and Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan for being elected to lead the country and Mr Kassim Majaliwa for his appointment as the Prime Minister and pledged that MoCU staff and students will work hard towards poverty alleviation.

“In building a co-operative economy in the country, may I ask the government to throw its weight in identifying and taking action against all those who are engaged in embezzlement of assets belonging to co-operative’ members.

“We undertake to be dedicated in hard work as part of our contribution to alleviate poverty in the country by building a strong economy that would largely be in the hands of co-op members,” said Professor Bee.

In the ceremony, MoCU Chancellor, Mr Pius Msekwa, conferred masters’ degrees, postgraduate degrees, bachelor degrees, diploma, certificates and extraordinary certificates in various fields to some 2,062 students.

Prof Bee said that MoCU, the only university in the Sub-Saharan region that offers co-operative and business education both undergraduate and postgraduate levels is set to give Tanzania experts who could make it effective and compete in the context of globalisation.

“I promise that we will go on to expand the scope of our programmes so as to produce professionals who will enable Tanzania to effectively compete in the context of globalisation by building, strengthen and develop the co-operative sector to the next level,” said the don. He noted that the varsity carries on with sponsorship of some 50 staffs at different levels in a quest to increase efficiency.

However, he noted that it faces budget deficit in that area as well as in research and publication, improvement of computer network, learning and teaching environment, improvement of upcountry campuses and offices and construction of hostels. MoCU, said the acting vice-chancellor, cooperates with institutions from within and outside the country in a bid to improve professionalism.

He urged the graduands to be good citizens, shun corruption, maintain integrity and willingness to serve others and concentrate on quality of work.

On his part, Chairman of MoCU Interim Council, Prof Gerald Monela, hailed the management, staff and students at the varsity for their outstanding work, noting among other things that in 2013/14 the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) judged that its financial records and statements were fairly and appropriately presented.

MoCU became operational last year, from its predecessor -Moshi University College of Co-operative and Business Studies (MUCCoBS) that became operational in 2004. Its history dates back to January 5, 1963 when the Co-operative College Moshi was established to cater for the training needs of the cooperative sector in the country.