VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Phillip Mpango has tasked ministers to carry out their duties while observing higher degrees of integrity, humanity, efficiency and sticking to their leadership oath of allegiance.
He also called on the need for the ministers to work collectively and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings that delay implementation of development plans being executed by the government.
Dr Mpango (pictured) made the remarks Thursday in Dodoma during a minister’s retreat that was chaired by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“Ministers should always keep secrets of the government in line with their leadership oath of allegiance, you have to also work as a team since we are all serving one government,” noted Dr Mpango.
The Vice President also insisted on the importance of ministers to issue current information to the public on what has been done in their dockets and always avoid being involved in corruption scandals.
“It is shameful for a minister to be involved in sextortion, this is also among the taboos of the party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM),” said the Vice President, insisting that there should be no favoritism in government activities.
The Vice President said ministers should always maintain a good reputation since they are serving the interest of the country, by maintaining principles of power. He recalled the emphasis that President Samia issued earlier concerning the importance of self-evaluation of civil service and working on the Open Performance Review & Appraisal System (OPRAS).
Adding; “There must be an effective follow-up on the OPRAS forms that are being filled by members of the civil service, we are responsible for the development of our country.
Let’s work diligently for the benefit of our nation”. Also, he said the ministers should make time for evaluation of challenges they encounter while discharging their duties for effective delivery of the set targets.
In another development, Dr Mpango reminded the ministers not to forget their constituencies, asking them to keep explaining to their voters what the government has been doing in all sectorsin a move to improve public awareness in implementation of the development agenda.
This was the first retreat since the cabinet reshuffle that was done by President Samia on Saturday last week, where she also twisted the list of Permanent and Deputy Permanent Secretaries of various ministries. In the changes that were announced on Saturday by the Chief Secretary Ambassador Hussein Kattanga, President Samia also changed the structure of three ministries.
She merged the Investment Ministry which was under the Prime Minister’s Office with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to become the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade.
The Head of State formed the new Ministry of Community Development, Women and Special Groups and Ministry of Health. In the new lineup, President Samia promoted three deputy ministers who now become full ministers.
They are Dr Angelina Mabula, Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Hussein Bashe, Agriculture and Hammad Masauni who has become the Minister for Home Affairs, up from his former immediate post of the deputy minister for Finance and Planning.
She also recalled Mr Nape Nnauye and Dr Pindi Channa in the Prime Minister’s Office-Policy, Parliament Coordination, and Anthony Mavunde who has become the deputy minister for Agriculture.
Similarly, Samia appointed Jumanne Sagini (Deputy Minister for Home Affairs), Dr Lemomo Ole Kiruswa (Deputy Minister for Minerals) and Ridhiwani Kikwete (Deputy Minister for Land, Housing and Human Settlements Development) and Mr Atupele Mwakibete (Deputy Minister Works and Transport -Transport Sector (docket).