New Year with new presidential approach

Mwanza. Happy New Year to you all my beloved readers! Challenges notwithstanding, we are obliged to thank God for each and every achievement we registered last year and pray for a successful 2016.

Seasonal greetings apart, I congratulate President John Magufuli for accomplishing the task of assembling the main part of his administration’s line-up.

Guided by the all-work-and-no-play philosophy, the Magufuli’s administration so far comprises 36 key players; including Vice President, Attorney General, 19 ministers, 15 deputy ministers, and 27 permanent secretaries.

He nominated Members of Parliament Dr Philip Mpango, the former acting commissioner general of Tanzania Revenue Authority and World Bank economist, as well as Dr Joyce Ndalichako, the former executive secretary of the National Examination Council of Tanzania.

Dr Magufuli went on entrusting Dr Mpango with the Finance and Planning docket and Dr Ndalichako with the Education, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training portfolio.

Prof Jumanne Maghembe has bounced back to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, as Mr Garson Lwenge relieved Prof Makame Mbarawa of the Ministry of Water.

Prof Mbarawa has, in a miner reshuffle, been transferred to the Works and Transport Ministry, putting on the shoes of Dr Magufuli, who served the docket longer than any other.

Each of all those who have become part of the fifth phase government deserves praise, not for the appointment itself, but rather for the confidence the President has shown to have in them in walking his all-work-and-no-play philosophy.

They neither need job descriptions nor induction seminars, for the President himself, flanked by Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Primer Minister Kassim Majaliwa, Attorney General George Masaju, and Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue, assumed the mantle of the entire Magufuli Administration for over a month to show them the ropes.

The shelving of induction seminars alone has saved the national coffers about Sh2 billion, let alone about Sh1 trillion rescued from other unwarranted expenditure and tax evasion.

Dr Magufuli showed that he is sincere in his all-work-and-no-play philosophy he preached in his campaign rallies by warning the appointees over celebrating the posts after they were sworn in. As a result, there was no fanfare, as each of the appointees assumed his roles immediately after he was sworn in with some ministers making some surprise visits to areas whose services they thought were wanting.

Although it is too early to take stock of the maiden administration, the pace the President, Prime Minister, and some ministers have so far set offers hope that they will instill discipline in the government. Some civil servants had turned public offices into their private properties and fearlessly used them for striking it rich by entering into dubious deals.

The challenge the appointees face, however, is of leading by deeds. They are not expected to give directives to their subordinates while seated in their offices in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma without knowing the real situation on the ground. They should instead visit wananchi in urban and rural areas alike to acquaint themselves with hardships ordinary people are going through.

While closely working with members of different communities, they should listen to their quandaries and constructive ideas for them to make informed decisions. This will bring to an end the habit among leaders of making decisions on behalf of the people when they have not bothered to consult them. As a result, the decisions made and the leaders themselves end up becoming out of touch.

Both urban and rural dwellers are pretty aware of challenges inflicting on them and the means to resolve them. All what they need is a participatory leadership.

As pointed out in one of my previous articles, every Tanzanian, including the appointees, should at his capacity rally behind President Magufuli and Prime Minister Majaliwa in the anti-corruption crusade.

Proper management of abundant natural resources with which Tanzania is endowed will land the nation to the much-awaited land of milk and honey.

In a parade of crocodiles, it is not easy to spot lizards, a Kiswahili saying goes. Let the appointees, who cannot catch up with the Magufuli Administration’s pace, voluntarily step down to pave way for the nation to attain its goals. God bless Tanzania!

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