Litmus test awaits new leaders

RODGERS LUHWAGO

PRESIDENT John Magufuli poses for a souvenir photo with the newly appointed Regional Commissioners (RCs) shortly after swearing them in at the State House, in Dar es Salaam, yesterday. He is also joined by (from right - front row) the Chief Secretary Dr John Kijazi; Chief Justice (CJ), Prof Ibrahim Juma; Vice-President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan and Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai. (Photo by Maelezo)

. . . JPM wants university students to get loans on time

THE newly sworn in regional commissioners, permanent secretaries and their deputies have promised to deliver, with President John Magufuli warning that performancebased leadership is the yardstick that will always be used to gauge civil servants’ competence to lead.

Ability to deliver is the message that featured prominently yesterday in the President’s remarks as he sworn in newly appointed six regional commissioners, four permanent secretaries and seven deputy permanent secretaries at the State House.

Speaking with a light touch but sending a strong message to the newly appointed leaders President Magufuli said every leader must craft strategies that would help transform the lives of people in their areas.

“Regional commissioners must find available economic opportunities that can transform the lives of people in their regions. The same applies to permanent and deputy permanent secretaries,” President Magufuli insisted.

Stressing on the importance of accountability and the need for leaders to deliver the President said he does not expect to hear students of higher learning institutions complaining about failure to receive loans.

President Magufuli said the government has allocated 147bn/-, for students’ loans, which was transferred to the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training end of last month“Higher learning institutions are about to open for the new academic year.

I will be surprised to hear that students who qualified to receive loans have not received the money by the time the colleges open,” the President said. He added that if such a case emerges, he will conclude that the money earmarked for students’ loans was deposited in a fixed account.

President Magufuli has all along disqualified an arrangement of depositing public money in fixed accounts simply because the government has always been a loser, benefiting banks and individual government officials.

A message of alert was also sent to diplomatic missions abroad after President Magufuli ordered them to deliver. “We must work very hard because this is the only way to bring reforms to the country,” President Magufuli stressed.

He ordered the new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Affairs, Prof Adolf Mkenda, to bring reforms at the ministry by ensuring each diplomatic mission takes stock of its achievements.

“I have noted a slight weakness in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation that I want you (Prof Mkenda) to work on. Given the fact that you have been transferred from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, I believe you will bring about reforms to the ministry,” President Magufuli insisted.

Diplomatic offices abroad are required to judiciously practice economic diplomacy by marketing investment opportunities that are available in Tanzania, including searching for potential investors to invest in the country.

The President implored the newly appointed leaders to serve the poor with dignity by helping them resolve problems afflicting their lives. He asked them to be the voice of the voiceless. Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered ministries to take stock of achievements recorded in the past two years since President Magufuli assumed presidency for airing on public television station.

“The Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) has prepared a special programme in which each government institution is given an opportunity to tell the public about its achievements, but some of you have been reluctant to do it,” VP Samia said.

The Vice-President asked the newly appointed leaders to live by their oaths of office. “Taking an oath of office and signing an oath of integrity is one thing but putting such oaths into practice is another thing. Live by the oaths,” she implored.

Speaker of the National Assembly Job Ndugai asked the leaders to never fail the President as he had confidence in them. “The confidence and trust that the President has in you is so high. Don’t fail him and the entire public,” he said.

According to Mr Ndugai, the public also had confidence in the newly sworn in leaders, adding that it was their duty to prove that they indeed deserved such appointments by delivering to the required expectations.

Adam Malima, the new Mara Regional Commissioner, thanked President Magufuli for showing confidence in him, promising to work hard. “I always believe in competition and Mara will pose stiff competition among regions in the country when it comes to development,” he said.

Suzan Mlawi, the new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports said she would uphold competence. “Everything that we do must be done with competence, if we disseminate information to the public we must do it with competence as well,” she said.

Ms Mlawi expressed concern over misuse of social platforms, saying instead of using them to bring development some were misusing them, including inciting unrest.