President Magufuli merits utmost support

BY EDITOR

11th March 2016.

We are more that perplexed to hear that some people are disgruntled  in the manner President John Magufuli is purging government bigwigs in connection with mismanagement and corruption.

 

It might suffice to state these people would want the president to stop the exercise promptly.

 

Those who are against his efforts say that the dismissal of top public officials in the civil service  is causing anxiety within the civil service and among cabinet members.

 

According to trade union leaders and analysts, the on-going government in-house purge led by the president has created an environment of uncertainty among public office bearers and within the civil service stating that such an atmosphere may not be good for service delivery.

 

Opponents base their arguments on Magufuli’s recent abrupt removal of Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue who was removed barely two months after confirming him to the key portfolio in the government.Many of Magufuli’s victims have been linked to corrupt practices and mismanagement of the  organisations they had been bestowed to run.

Some top officials who have been victim’s include, among others, former commissioner general of the Tanzania Revenue  Authority (TRA), Rashed Bade, the former director general of the  Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Dr Edward Hoseah and the ex-Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) chief, Awath Massawe.

 

What perplexes us more is the fact that even the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) which stands for accountability of workers  at workplaces has joined the bandwagon of blaming President Magufuli’s austere measures.

 

The organisation’s argument is that the situation could cause fear in workers and therefore affect efficiency of the civil service. 

President Magufuli has recently threatened to sack cabinet ministers who do not declare their assets or fail to sign an integrity pledge as part of his anti-corruption drive. 

 

Magufuli’s critics must realise that corruption has shredded the country’s accountability credentials abroad and actually a major reason for hindrance to investment. 

 

They must know the fact that Tanzania is ranked 117th out of 168 countries in Transparency International's 2015 corruption perception index. 

 

How can we leave corruption to persist when in 2014, some prominent donors held back around $500 million (51.3 bn/-) in budget support to Tanzania over claims of rampant corruption.

 

The country was virtually haemorrhaging from corruption. 

We must also know that President Magufuli is free to appoint officials in high positions from his galaxy of well experienced people as well as purging them when he feels that they can not deliver.  

 

This nation is too good to be left in the hands of saboteurs who only think of enriching themselves at the expense of people’s lives.

 

Those who say the exercise would make some workers fear are actually right but this fear is positive. Do they want the many resources this country is endowed with to be eaten by a few individuals?  No way.

 

Therefore we say for the good things that President John Pombe Magufuli has done to this country since he was sworn in as president last year, he deserves a golden medal as big as a frying pan.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN