Why President Samia settled for Dr Mpango as Vice President

 President Samia Suluhu Hassan yes terday announced a Cabinet reshuffle as she gets Tanzania’s sixth phase government moving. Speaking shortly at a function where Dr Phillip Mpango was sworn-in to become Tanzania’s new Vice President.

 Ms Hassan said she decided to make changes without dropping any minister because the team had worked together for only a short time since they last took their oaths of office under former President John Magufuli.

Speaking on why she settled on Dr Mpango for the Vice President’s position, President Hassan said she wanted a hardworking and God- fearing man who should also be well-versed with issues pertaining to the economy and management of public monies.

“I brainstormed here and there to find who should be my Vice Presi- dent. I got many views from inside and outside Parliament, but I finally got back inside Parliament. So, the right person, who I saw could move with me for now is our brother, Dr Phillip Isdory Mpango, whose name fascinated me,” said President Samia. 

She said Dr Mpango was cool individual with a clean record. “In other names, I found out that there was this and that, but for Philip I found out that he is cool and I said this is the right person to go with,” said the president.

On the issue of the Union, President Samia directed Dr Mpango to end the hitches of the financial relation between Zanzibar and Union governments. She said its solution has not been found and the person who administered that position was himself.

 Borrowing a Kiswahli adage that says ‘Mpe mchawi mtoto amlee,’ (Give your child to the witch for nursing), President Hassan said it was Dr Mpango and his team of technocrats who had not found a lasting solution to the issue of financial relations between Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.

“So, it is my expectations that Dr Mpango will find fellow wizards to seek a lasting solution to this,” said President Hassan.

 Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi said he had known Dr Mpango for a long time during the period that they worked together as cabinet ministers in former President Magufuli’s administration.

 By being Vice President, Dr Mpango will be chairman for a committee that works on union matters and Dr Mwinyi promised that the government of Zanzibar will give Dr Mpango all the needed support for him to work on all union challenges as they may arise.

 The other dignitaries who attended the swearing-in ceremony were Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, Chief Justice Prof Khamis Juma, Speaker Job Ndugai, Deputy Speaker Dr Tulia Ackson, some ministers, retired leaders and leaders of defence and security forces.