The spontaneous visits, which drive in the President’s working style, are also likely to instill discipline, improve work ethics and lead to better service delivery, they observed.
However, others noted that for a real change to take place in the governance system, monitoring of day to day business in public offices must be permanent and challenges that lead to apathy must be taken into consideration.
The development follows President Magufuli’s spur-of-the-moment visits to Ministry of Finance and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) hardly three days after he was sworn in.
At MNH Magufuli was dissatisfied with the hospital’s hygiene and lack of essential equipment and drugs, a situation which compelled him to dissolve the Health Board and transfer the Hospital’s Executive Director.Interviewed yesterday Eric Mwakibete, a socio-political and economic commentator said the visits by the President to the ministry and MNH are an indication that he is aware of the problems facing the people.
“The President knows where to start and he was very right when he started visiting the Finance ministry and then MNH because there have been many complaints from these two areas,” Mwakibete said.
He said that his work style will make the public servant more serious with their work because records showed that he had exemplary performance in all ministries he had served before.
“The President is not taking these actions to please the public but it is his work style to make things move on appropriately,” Mwakibete said.
He however noted that in order to increase efficiency the President should also appoint responsible executives who will help him to oversee various government activities because the Head of State alone cannot supervise all sectors.
Stella Maris Mtwara University College lecturer Rev Dr Aidan Msafiri said President Magufuli is demonstrating the power of work and culture of accountability.
He however said that on the other side it is a challenge to him because the offices and institutions are many for the President to visit all of them.
He said it is high time the civil servants started changing their work style and abandon the ‘business as usual syndrome’ so as to support the President.
“The President cannot make follow ups in all offices, his executives are supposed to change and emulate his work style,” he said.
Sikika Executive Director Irene Kiria said that the President’s work style gives hope to the public because he has taken over the office while he is aware of the problems facing the people.
He however noted that people will need time to see how the President will watch over the implementation of his decisions.
Kiria said that impromptu visits alone will not be solutions to the problems facing MNH because it is not only about Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and CT- Scans there were a number of challenges facing the hospital such as shortage of water, medicines, power as well as unhygienic environment.
“The problems facing the health sector requires comprehensive approach … the president should meet with experts to see how such challenges can be addressed,” he said.
A Dar es Salaam resident, Jacob Joseph said President Magufuli should overhaul the executive system from the local government level to enhance accountability.
He said that the work the President is doing should be done by his executives because the country is vast and he cannot visit all the offices and institutions.
“This country is facing a number of problems and people cannot wait for the president to visit them for the problems to be solved … he should reorganise the executive system to make the people responsible,” he said.
Another Dar es Salaam resident, Mariam Kipingu challenged President Magufuli’s work style, saying it will not engender solutions to the problems facing the country.
She said the President performance should be measured at least after one year of the implementation of government budget since he assumed office.
Citing MNH, she said, the budget allocated for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is peanut compared to the sectors’ demands.
She blamed the National Assembly for approving meager budget for the ministry while knowing that the sector has to do with lives of the people.
“The only solution to the problems facing the health sector is money … the government should set aside enough budget for the ministry to help hospitals to offer all crucial services,” she said.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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