Author: DEUS NGOWI
AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS President John Magufuli seeks a second term in office, his record in restoring discipline unto civil servants and public officials as well as tackling corruption speaks for itself.
In his almost five-year stint, the incumbent Head of State, who has been aided by Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, has enforced compliance with code of ethics, discipline and avoiding the ‘business as usual’ approach that was the order of the day previously.
One of his first tours of duty was made on foot to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, where he noted the absence of some officials and called upon the senior officials to ensure discipline was restored.
The anomaly was promptly addressed, and the ministry has since been on the forefront in ensuring that government coffers are in good shape.
As he promised when launching the Parliament late 2015, President Magufuli worked to see that shoddy, careless public officials and those who failed to meet the required standards in professionalism, discipline, knowledge and integrity were removed.
Dr Magufuli, who was recently endorsed by the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) as its presidential flagbearer before he picked up the nomination forms at the National Electoral Committee (NEC) on Thursday this week, said when dissolving the Parliament recently that he had ensured that such officials were fired, demoted, their salaries decreased or were severely reprimanded.
Statistics show that some 32,555 servants were dealt with in respect of different disciplinary measures, including 15,508 whose appointments were terminated after being found without valid education certificates or being fake.
Further statistics show that 19,708 ghost workers were struck off the records and consequently their salaries that cost the government 19.8bn/- every month ceased to feature in government bills.
“This measure paved the way for the Government to employ 74,173 new and qualified civil servants.”
As the Fifth Phase Government is winding up its business to pave the way for the general election slated for October this year, the current government is proud of accomplishing a lot in order to ensure public servants are trusted, protected and perform their duties well.
This has been noted from within and outside the country, earning the country high esteem and accordingly increasing income to individuals and the government that has since attained middle income status.
President Magufuli also walked the talk by establishing a special court for dealing with economic and money laundering cases.
It was established in 2016 and has dealt with more than 407 cases, 385 of which are already in sessions.
The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCCB) has greatly been enhanced and its efficiency speaks for itself, as it has received 2,256 cases, with 1,926 having been dealt with and decided and the government has emerged triumphant in 1,013 of them.
Research also shows that over the past five years, the PCCB has recovered some 273.38bn/-, part of the money having been stolen from farmers.
The anti-graft watchdog has since nationalized 899m/-, US$ 1,191,651, Euro 4,301,399, eight houses worth 11.6bn/- and vehicles worth 126m/-.
The government has also brought back under its management some properties that were taken by private individuals or institutions against the law, including 98 buildings, 23 plantations, 298 plots, three companies, 69 warehouses while there are some funds and properties that are withheld awaiting legal remedies.
Those, by last month, stood at 52.7bn/-, US$55.8m/-, Euro 4.3m/-, 75 vehicles, 41 houses, 47 plots and 13 plantations.
Another feat has been under the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) that has over the past five years dismantled the drugs business chain in the country, hauling 775.173 kilogrammes of illicit drugs, with some 37,104 suspects being arrested and arraigned.
The accomplishments have been made possible by sticking to the rule of law, good governance and separation of powers as well as independent Judiciary and effectiveness of the PCCB, Police Force and other State security organs.
