AfricaPress-Tanzania: PARLIAMENT has voted in full support of two resolutions tabled by some of its members congratulating the National Assembly Speaker, Job Ndugai, for relocating the country’s administrative capital to Dodoma.
One of the resolutions seeks to call upon the government, institutions, agencies or any individual not to denounce people’s choice of relocating to the city.
In a motion raised by Nyamagana Member of Parliament (MP-CCM), Stanislaus Mabula, legislators voted in support of prohibiting the government and its institutions from shifting to any other location within the country, save Dodoma.
“We urge the government to continue allocating sufficient funds and support infrastructure development and as well as social service delivery,” he said, adding that the plan must align with making the city rise to accommodate all.
The government enacted the Dodoma Capital City (Declaration), Act in 2018 following President John Magufuli’s decision to shift the government’s administration from Dar es Salaam in 2016.
His decision was reinforcing the late founding father of the nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who announced in 1973 that the plan to transfer the country’s headquarter from Dar es Salaam was to shift to Dodoma.
With parliamentarians debating in favour of the motion, the resolution pointed out that all top State leaders-the President, Vice-President and the Prime Minister had already moved permanently to Dodoma, adding that their Ministries and other departments have also done so.
“We believe the approach that included adopting a master plan for the capital city has been appreciated by different institutions, including international bodies building their offices in the area… this is a sufficient reason, why we think the region is sufficient to remain the capital city,” he said.
Equally, the members applauded Mr Ndugai for what they described as his industrious leadership in cutting unnecessary expenditures.
Moving the motion, Misungwi legislator, Charles Kitwanga said under the leadership of the speaker Bunge preceded well amid coronavirus pandemic.
“Under his leadership, the legislators increased in numbers, and his innovation and creativity helped to construct an Administration block that accommodates nine Conference Halls mostly used by the parliamentary committees,” he said.
The achievement has helped the parliament to save at least 120m/-it used to spend annually on renting Conference Halls outside the parliamentary grounds.
The MP went on to note that the e-parliament that transformed the running of the august house from analogy helped to save over 100bn/-that was initially lost in paper works.
Commenting, Tabora-Urban Member of Parliament, Emannuel Mwakasaka, (MP-CCM), said that there was a need for the National Assembly to also to endorse the extension of tenure for the siting president to ensure that there are no other individuals, who could change the location of the government administration capital.
“Besides, there is ultimate peace in the house today. We had initially seen some MPs misbehaving, but he had managed and take control and put the house in order,” he said.
