...Academic qualifications evaluation process excludes MPs, appointed leaders

DAILY NEWS Reporter in Dodoma

PRESIDENT John Magufuli reads the name of Abdallah Chanja, a civil servant in Simiyu Region, after receiving a list with names of public servants using fake certificates from the Minister of State (President’s Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance), Angellah Kairuki (second right), in Dodoma yesterday. Looking on (third right) is Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan and University of Dodoma (UDOM) Vice-Chancellor, Prof Idrissa Kikula (left). (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

academic qualifications for civil servants released here yesterday indicated that at least 376,969 civil servants in local government authorities, public institutions, corporations and agencies have legitimate academic documents.

The report, however, excludes officials in the central government; ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), politically nominated leaders including regional and district commissioners.

Presenting the first everreport to President, Dr John Magufuli, Minister responsible for Public Service Management and Good Governance, Ms Angellah Kairuki, detailed that Section 67 of the Constitution empowers the President to appoint political leaders who can read and write.

“Therefore, the report excludes all leaders who were appointed by the President,” Ms Kairuki said when giving details contained in three reports, she tabled to the President at the University of Dodoma’s Chimwaga Hall.

The meeting was also attended by Vice- President Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, government representatives, MPs and UDOM students.

The report, which was conducted by a 15-member team comprising 10 members from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) and five others from the President’s Office, targeted 435,000 civil servants. “All Permanent Secretaries and Executives were subject to scrutiny.

The Public Service Act of 2002 makes it a requirement that all servants must have academic qualifications that correspond with their positions,” she said.

The Minister said that during the evaluation, 376,969 officials had documents that match the ones in the council’s database. Some 9,932 or 2.4 per cent officials presented documents with different designs and security features availed by the council.

“About 0.3 per cent (1,538 officials) had documents which were being used by one or more official, within the country.

Some had their certificates with details that did not match those in the database . . . the council has requested all to present their original documents for further scrutiny,” she told the President.Minister Kairuki went on to note that some 11,569 others had also submitted incomplete documents mostly their professional qualifications.

According to the Minister, they too were required to submit all their documents pending further action. Education, Science and Vocational Training Minister, Prof Joyce Ndalichako said time for shortcuts is over under Magufuli administration.

She said that the evaluation considered Form IV and VI academic certificates as well as teachers with certificates and diploma qualifications across the country. “We decided to put our evaluation in three units.

Local Government Authorities, Central Government and Public Institutions, Corporations and Agencies ... The report regarding central government workers will be submitted next Friday,” she said.

The evaluation team was chaired by University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Vice- Chancellor, Prof Rwekaza Mukandalla. Prof Ndalichako said that after academic assessment, it is now critical that the government should conduct qualification assessment to identify whether those appointed or employed meet the specified working qualifications.

She urged students to study hard, warning them that there is no shortcut towards success. University of Dodoma Vice-Chancellor, Prof Idiriss Kikula said the university with over 186 programmes, is facing shortage of classrooms, labs and lecture theatres.

“Out of seven colleges, only three have full infrastructure,” he said. Prof Kikula told the President that the stateowned higher learning institution was facing an escalating debt of property tax of its 6,000 hectare land.

Meanwhile, Dr Magufuli inaugurated the 10th anniversary celebrations which are expected to end next February.