A CROSS-SECTION of academicians, politicians, diplomats and other stakeholders have come out strongly in defence of President John Magufuli’s decision to delegate foreign trips to other government leaders.
National Assembly Chairperson and
Special Seats Member of Parliament (CCM) Mary Mwanjelwa said every
regime has its own style of leadership and Dr Magufuli has his own
style.
“If President Magufuli is not attending
the meetings, it is because he has other commitments and hence his
decision to delegate the responsibility to others,” Ms Mwanjelwa noted.
Head of Political Science and Public
Administration Department at the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Benson
Bana, faulted those criticising Dr Magufuli, stressing that the
president is setting the nation in order.
“Those criticising the president have
nothing better to do. It is for the president to decide which meetings
he wants to attend and which he wants to delegate to the vice-president
or the prime minister who can also serve the purpose,” he emphasized.
Dr Bana said the president’s priority at
the moment is directed within the country, addressing woes facing the
public -- coupled with his need to ‘set the house in order’.
“The presidency is an institution and Dr
Magufuli has the right to decide who attends which meetings... It’s not
like we were not represented in the African Union (AU) Summit... the
vice-president was there representing Tanzania.
We should let the president make his own
decisions,” Dr Bana, who is also the Chairman of the Research and
Education for Democracy in Tanzania (REDET), added.
The Board Chairman of the Arusha
International Conference Centre (AICC), Ambassador Christopher Liundi,
said the president has the right to decide on own style of leadership.
“He can delegate duties to the
vice-president, prime minister or ambassadors to attend such meetings
because he is tied down with other commitments to the public of
Tanzania,” he said.
The veteran politician, administrator
and diplomat said even Founding Father Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was also
criticised for travelling abroad. “And indeed, former President Jakaya
Kikwete was also criticized for travelling abroad more often”.
“We must give President Magufuli time to
plan his own way of leading the nation and delivering on his promises
to the public,” he explained.
Former CCM Secretary General Yussuf
Makamba said the president has his own style of leadership and a lot of
work ahead of him, including various appointments that needs to be made.
“We must respect the president and his
style of leadership. We should let him lead the nation in his own way,
otherwise we will not see the difference between his leadership and the
past leadership,” he stressed.
The President of Tanzania Teachers’
Union (TTU), Mr Gratian Mukoba, said President Magufuli is busy working
to deliver what he promised Tanzanians and should not be distressed. “He
has only five years in office. As much as it might seem a lot of years
to some, it is a very short time.
We all should give him time and space to
work for Tanzanians,” he explained. President Magufuli is not the only
African president who has chosen to delegate most of his foreign
meetings to vice-president, prime minister and ambassadors representing
the country abroad.
Botswana President Ian Khama was once
quoted saying he has only been outside the country five times; one to
the UN General Assembly, two to both AU and SADC conferences.
Lt. Gen. Khama had said that Botswana
has vice-president, foreign minister and ambassadors to represent the
country, urging that he was elected by Motswanas to listen and solve
their problems. He personally flies his helicopter outside the city to
the villages every evening -- sitting and chatting with ordinary
Motswanas around bonfires as they dwell on how to solve their pertinent
problems.
As a result of President Khama’s
steadfastness and excellent leadership, Botswana is one of the few
fastest growing economies in Africa and its per capita is over 3000 US
dollars.
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