AfricaPress-Tanzania: AHEAD of the upcoming general election, CCM presidential running mate Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged Tanzanians to maintain peace and tranquillity to ensure the country continues setting a good example on the continent.
She made the call on Thursday while addressing Katumba residents in Nsimbo District Council in Katavi Region.
“Tanzania is a peaceful country. It is the duty of all Tanzanians to maintain peace, follow laws, regulations and guidelines in our areas,” she said.
Ms Suluhu Hassan further warned residents who possessed illegal weapons to surrender them to law enforcers lest they were arrested and arraigned.
“Our laws in Tanzania allow the possession of firearms, but this should be in accordance with the law. Those who use firearms illegally will be dealt with.”
She further warned that those who aided illegal immigrants to come to Tanzania to do political work contrary to the law should stop it either.
On tobacco put aside as rejects and previously destroyed, she said it would now be purchased at 500/- per kilogramme.
Expounding further, she said the fifth phase government had negotiated with several tobacco companies to increase the purchasing of local tobacco from farmers, adding that even the grades produced would change.
On behalf of Katumba residents, Mr Joseph Isaya, assured Ms Suluhu Hassan that CCM would get all the votes in their area.
Mr Isaya further said that the residents in the area would monitor and expose all those who facilitated the entry and stay of suspected illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, at another campaign held in Mpanda Urban Ms Suluhu Hassan said in the next five years if they were re-elected, they would bank on irrigation and encourage farming schemes and infrastructure.
According to her, Katavi Region has 99,050 hectares suitable for irrigation, but only 23,113 hectares have been utilised which was equivalent to 23 per cent.
She pledged fertiliser prices would drop significantly and prosperity to tobacco and maize farmers in Katavi Region once her party was re-elected to lead the country.
On infrastructure, she said to solve infrastructure challenges in the next five years the government had planned to complete feasibility studies on Vikonge-Mishamu (50km), Sitalike-Kibaoni (71km) and Vikonge-Uvinza (159km).
“In the next phase, the CCM government in Lake Tanganyika will continue with a project to strengthen Kalema Port, the construction of Kavuu Port and the building of large ships to provide services in Lake Tanganyika and neighbouring countries,” she said.
In the next five years, if CCM is re-elected, she said they would empower Tanzania Rural and Urban Road Agency (Tarura) professionally and financially to maintain its roads and for Mpanda Town to get rid of waterways that had caused floods.
Ms Suluhu Hassan further said the government in the next five years would construct roads connecting the remaining district and regional headquarters nationwide.
In the health sector, the government plans to construct 10 referral hospitals, including Mpanda Hospital.
“We know there are still areas in this region that do not have access to health facilities, but let me assure you that we will work on it.”
