CCM’s Vice-Chairman (Mainland), Abdulrahman Kinana has told legislators and councillors to act boldly while supervising and advising the government on development projects.
Mr Kinana issued the call when addressing the ruling CCM party members in Geita region, over the weekend.
“I am one of those who want MPs to be somehow tough to make the government accountable. It is the party which goes out there to ask for votes, when things go wrong it is the party which will be punished, so party members, including MPs and councillors should be big and bold,” he stated.
He argued that every member has a role to play in supporting President Samia Suluhu Hassan to achieve her goals in serving Tanzanians and bringing development to the country.
“The president makes huge efforts but she should not be alone in this, we all must support her to achieve her goals. Parliament and its committees, ministers, councils, Regional and District Commissioners should render support,” Mr Kinana emphasised.
He admitted that during his visits to some regions he experienced delays in the implementation of projects despite allocation of funds for the same, while underlining the need to ensure fair allocation of development projects.
“I have been in Rukwa, Katavi and now here in Geita where the same issue emerges. I think we need to speak to ministers over allocation of funds. We should give priority to regions that do not have enough tarmacked roads,” he said, noting that some regions have more tarmacked roads than others.
The CCM leader also revealed that he held discussions with Geita Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila over persistent land disputes in the region, whereby the latter asked for the party’s help to resolve the conflicts.
“It is high time this issue ends once and for all. This country has many land conflicts, almost everywhere,” he stated, noting that Geita region experiences land conflicts mainly between residents and authorities over reserved forests.
In order to resolve such conflicts, he said, the party would direct the Parliamentary committee on Land, Natural Resources and Tourism to make swift intervention and come up with lasting solutions.
Mr Kinana on the other hand called for a joint strategy for tree planting to address drought that has affected the region and other parts of the country.
He recalled that during the first-phase government under the Late Julius Nyerere the Lake Zone regions had been implementing the tree-planting project called HASH as a drought solution.
“So, you must plant trees vigorously. But to make it effective you must have strategies and distribute tree seedlings to people to plant. I urge the regions facing drought to have a joint strategy to address the problem,” he said.
