AfricaPress-Tanzania: RUKWA Regional Commissioner (RC) Joachim Wangabo has directed council directors in the region to take legal measures against dishonest village and ward executive officers for allegedly swindled 911m/-, being the revenue they had collected.
Greedy revenue collectors from Sumbawanga, Kalambo and Nkasi District councils and Sumbawanga Municipal Council are alleged to have swindled the money instead of banking it.
Mr Wangabo issued such a directive yesterday before handing over 12 motorcycles given to division officers by President John Magufuli.
The Head of State met with division officers across the country at a meeting held at the State House in June 2019 and promised to provide them with motorcycles to facilitate their duties.
The RC directed the culprits to refund the money short of which they would face legal action.
“According to the Local Government Revenue Collection Information System (LGRCIS), 911,511,525/- collected as domestic revenue by revenue collectors from all four councils had yet to be banked by April 30, this year,” explained the RC.
According to the RC, 59 villages in the region have no primary school while 25 wards have no secondary school.
He further added that the region had 339 villages and 97 wards, but only 201 villages had public dispensaries and health centres were in only 24 wards.
“When I was launching a strategic plan for preventing and eliminating early marriage and pregnancy during a Year for Child event held in a small town of Namanyere, Nkasi District on February 18, this year I handed over a list of villages and wards which had no school and health facilities to district commissioners.
You have been given motorcycles, make sure you work closely with DCs to ensure residents from your respective precincts are encouraged to construct schools and health facilities,” he added.
Earlier, Rukwa Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Bernard Makali briefed the RC that the region had 32 divisions out of which 12 of them had been given motorcycles.
On behalf of other division officers Mr Andrew Ngindo appealed to the government to set aside a budget for running and managing their offices.
