Tanzania: Samia Slams Tribalism Peddlers

PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday clarified over her consideration when making appointments, saying she mainly look at someone’s ability not a tribe.

The President was emphatic on the matter, criticizing some individuals who might have associated her appointments to tribal factor.

The Head of State lectured that the late first President Julius Nyerere raised Tanzanians without considering religious disparity.

“We thank President Nyerere who raised us under a system of secularism. I don’t treat people in regard to their religion or tribes. I just wanted to clarify this,” the President said.

“If you mess in your work, I will punish you upon poor performance. I don’t look at your tribe but how you do your job,” she told her appointees at an event to swear in three leaders including Sihinyanga Regional Commissioner Sophia Mjema, former Zanzibar Chief Justice, Mr Omar Makungu, who becomes Tanzania’s Court of Appeal Justice and Mr Mustapher Siyani, who is the new Principal Judge of the High Court of Tanzania.

She insisted that since taking oath of the office in March this year, her priority was to find people who could assist her in pushing the country’s development agenda.

“I don’t appoint people because of their tribes but rather on merit,” she stated.

She said for instance at the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government, she coincidentally appointed Minister, Permanent Secretary and others from Tanga Religion.

“I realised that I had appointed people from one region after people had informed me, but I told them that let them work since they have capacity to serve the positions,” she explained.

On other hand, the President directed the regional commissioners to be servants of the people in their jurisdictions.

She told the RCs that the country has received 1.3tri/- funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to implement nine-month programme to relieve socio-economic sectors from effects of Covid-19, therefore, the RCs have a responsibility of supervising those funds in their areas.

She said for the IMF to bring the funds, it does not mean that councils should relax in collecting revenues, noting that the money was just a push and the councils have to increase their revenue collections.

Earlier, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Tulia Ackson said the nation has high hopes on President Samia, following tangible achievements attained during her six months in presidency, citing some of achievements as building several classrooms and, schools.

She said the IMF relief package was one of President Samia’s actions in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, apart from other measures against the disease such as wearing face masks and washing hands.

Commenting, Minister in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Ummy Mwalimu, said the President has empowered her docket in efforts to build classrooms to accommodate all students who would join Form I next year.

“We are going to issue a list indicating each region and number of classrooms to be built as per number of students.

“We will consider the needs of each region. From July to September about 5.2bn/- has already been disbursed to build 24 dispensaries, six health centres and five council hospitals. So regional commissioners have a work to supervise these funds to ensure they bring intended impacts,” she said.

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