THE Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango has directed District Commissioners (DCs) from across the country to seal loopholes for embezzlement of public funds in crucial development projects being implemented in their areas of duty.
He came out strongly that stern actions will be taken against all culprits squandering public money.
The VP also warned DCs who were hiring private aides, bodyguards and media personnel insisting that proper procedures to have their assistants must be followed to avoid leaking of the state secrets.
He was speaking yesterday when gracing the official launching of a six-day consultative seminar and retreat for DCs drawn from across the country, barely a month after President Samia Suluhu Hassan appointed 37 new DCs, while transferring and retaining 139 others.
Dr Mpango, who took time to mentor the DCs, asked them to observe professionalism and sobriety in the course of discharging their duties as well as he also directing them to refrain from using rogue languages, when serving the people in their respective areas.
“You have to work beyond the call of duty as well as exceeding usual limit, quality and quantity,” insisted the VP adding that they should consider capitalising of laws, procedures and regulations before reaching at any decision in order to reduce unnecessary disputes in their districts.
“This seminar is very important in helping you assess and rectify your mistakes as well as planning afresh on how best you can deliver to the expectations of the appointing authority,” he added.
Dr Mpango further asked the DCs to work within their boundaries and ensure that they refrain from creating unhealthy disputes between them and the District, Town and City Directors just only for private interests instead of considering public interests.
He was also concerned with the intolerable habit by some of them who were divulging the government’s secrets insisting: “You need to understand that any secret is the heart of the country, therefore, watch yourselves especially when you are doing normal conversations with your drivers, members of the public and especially when you visit varied entertainment areas,” he insisted.
Regarding development projects, the VP expressed his dismay over some DCs who were failing to seal loopholes for revenue loss, something that was derailing people’s development in the country. He said that in some areas, there was laxity in supervising public funds allocated for different development projects.
“Let me be clear that we will not tolerate any acts of negligence, theft, trust and Integrity in development projects and make sure that you prefect them so that they are completed within the legal limit of time as well as considering quality and value for money,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Angella Kairuki said that 138 DCs were attending the seminar that will last for six days, save for one of them who was battling with health challenges. Tanzania mainland has 139 DCs according to her.
” I believe that this consultative seminar will help the newly appointed 37 DCs but I want to equally reminded the 102 others who were retained by President Samia Suluhu Hassan that they should consider themselves as new and concentrate in the topics that will be presented by mentors,” she said.
Some of the matters that will be presented in a six- day seminar, include, Defence and Security, the responsibilities in both Central and Local Government, the importance of protecting the government secrets and proper supervision of development projects, among others.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the ruling party CCM Secretary General, Daniel Chongolo, who asked the DCs to ensure that they implement fully the party’s manifesto to the expectations of the party chairperson.
Mr Chongolo, the former DC who at some point was the chair of all DCs further touted for the need to ensure that Other Charges (OCs) so that they could be able to fully implement their duties.
Others in attendance were the Minister of State in the President’s Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance, Jenister Mhagama and Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Deogratius Ndejembi and Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs, Jumanne Sagini, among others.
