Clerics call for tough action against CAG reports’culprits

FAITH leaders have urged the governments to hold accountable all executives and leaders mentioned in recent Controller and Auditor General (CAG) reports of Zanzibar and the Union government.

During Easter sermons on Saturday various faith leaders called for action to be taken against all those implicated in the audit reports. However, they also pointed to moral decay, calling on parents to play their role in raising their children for them to be good citizens.

They said, in efforts to have good and committed leaders in the future, parents should nurture their children so that they practice good leadership. “It is unfortunate that due to economic challenges, most parents have no time to stay with their children.

We need to spare some time for our children because they are our future leaders,” said Reverend Shukuru Maloda of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Tanzania (ELCT) Zanzibar diocese.

He pointed out that children develop better social skills and show improved behaviour and grow up being responsible citizens, when their parents are involved to educate them at home.

Roman Catholic Church Bishop Augustine Ndeliakyama Shao said that in addition to collective responsibility in developing children into good citizens, he urged both governments to hold accountable all executives and leaders mentioned in the recent CAG reports of Zanzibar and the Union governments.

“CAG in Zanzibar and Union have done their job. They have implicated some executives for swindling of public funds. “The anti-graft bureaus – PCCB (Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau) and ZAECA (Zanzibar Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Authority) can go deeper to clear the way for disciplinary measures.

The unethical executives continue to ruin the country as they think stealing government money is not a crime. They should not be spared,” said Bishop Shao.

He decried promoting same-sex relationships and increasing use of illicit drugs. He said illicit drugs business in the country was a national disaster which requires concerted efforts to tackle.

“We should not accept to promote homosexual and narcotic drugs business in our country,” Bishop Shao said as he asked security officers to remain vigilant in cracking down the vise.

The Easter mass prayer at St Joseph Cathedral in Stone Town was also an opportunity for the bishop to caution on the ongoing reforms in education sector, including having new curriculum.

“Do not politicise education and pick all what you see from abroad as good, we should be careful,” he said.