Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, instructed, on Monday, the new Minister of the Interior, Manuel Homem, during the inauguration ceremony, in the Noble Hall of the Presidential Palace, to carry out his duties without any kind of complex or fear, because he is recognized as having the capacity to do his job well.
João Lourenço highlighted the fact that a tradition had been broken by appointing a civilian minister for the Interior sector, but stressed that this was not a reason for the new holder of the position to be apprehensive or afraid.
“We understand that we are breaking with tradition by appointing a civilian Minister of the Interior, but I would like to ask you not to be afraid of the uniform. The uniform does no harm to anyone. Strength does not lie in the uniform. Strength lies in the intelligence and determination of men,” stressed the President of the Republic.
“Therefore, carry out your duties without any kind of complex, without any fear, because we trust in your abilities and we know that you will become a good Minister of the Interior”, assured the Head of State, moments after inaugurating the new Minister of the Interior, governors of Luanda and Benguela, Luís Nunes and Manuel Nunes Júnior, respectively, and the Secretaries of State for Administration, Finance and Heritage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and for Human Rights and Citizenship of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, namely Osvaldo dos Santos Varela and Antónia Osvaldina Simão da Cruz Yaba.
New governors
João Lourenço reminded the new “tenant” of the Government of Luanda of the importance of the province, stressing that it is well known, due to the fact that it is the capital of the country and the most populous, “with all the problems it has with water supply”.
The Head of State said that, in terms of electricity, “fortunately we are doing well”, having instructed Luís Nunes to pay particular attention to the issues of water, sanitation and other problems, which had already begun to be resolved by his predecessor.
“I hope he continues the work that he (Manuel Homem), with great courage, has been doing during the short period of time that he was in charge of this province of Luanda”, he recommended.
When addressing Manuel Nunes Júnior, the new governor of Benguela, President João Lourenço said that the province is equally important, pointing out, among other reasons, “because it is the province from which the much talked about Lobito Corridor begins today, talked about internally, but also internationally, due to its importance”.
Some of the infrastructures that make up the Lobito Corridor, continued the Head of State, are in the province of Benguela, highlighting, as an example, the Port of Lobito and the headquarters of the Benguela Railway (CFB).
“The province is experiencing good development in the fishing sector, salt production and fishing industry, so I would appreciate it if you would pay attention to this”, the Head of the Executive Branch pointed out to the new governor of Benguela.
João Lourenço also recalled that Benguela is also an agricultural province, like the vast majority of provinces in the country, asserting the need to continue developing agriculture locally.
Foreign Relations
Regarding the new Secretary of State for Administration, Finance and Heritage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Republic was telegraphic, having stated that “Angola is a country with a vast heritage, spread throughout the world”, having highlighted the “movable heritage” and the need to “fight against the degradation of these infrastructures”.
Human Rights
João Lourenço also addressed the new Secretary of State for Human Rights and Citizenship of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Antónia Osvaldina Simão da Cruz Yaba, to underline that the defence of Human Rights is something that has always been a concern of the Angolan Executive, especially “for a country that had a very prolonged and devastating war”.
Luís Nunes and Manuel Júnior promise to exercise participatory governance
The new provincial governor of Luanda, Luís Nunes, and of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior, promised, on Monday, to invest in a participatory, inclusive governance model that is sensitive to the needs and suggestions of the citizens, in order to achieve success in their respective missions.
Speaking to journalists, the 25th provincial governor of Luanda defended the creation of dialogue and cooperation strategies, focused on the needs of the people of Luanda.
“First, I will take a look at Luanda’s problems and improve on what the governor I am succeeding did. I think I will need, above all, the people of Luanda, all together, because no one does anything or achieves success alone. I want to create a participatory government, in which everyone, without exception, sees themselves reflected in it”, said Luís Nunes, during the handover ceremony, held with the former governor and current Minister of the Interior.
Participation of citizens
For the governor of Benguela, Manuel Nunes Júnior, the participation of citizens in the governance process is important, having taken on the challenge of mobilizing and engaging all the vital forces in the province, so that the objectives are achieved.
“Our mission is not only of local importance, but also of national importance, taking into account the implications that Benguela has. As we all know, the province has very important projects underway,” he said.
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