Public servants urged to adhere to codes of conduct

MWANZA: PUBLIC Servants have been urged to adhere to code of conduct, so as to achieve the intended goals, including bringing development to the community.

Nyamagana District Commissioner (DC) Ms Amina Makilagi made the call during a recent workshop on ethics, organized by the Public Leaders’ Ethics Secretariat which brought together public servants from various authorities in Mwanza Region.

The DC stressed that good public officers are those who avoid   conflict of interest and work hard to bring about development.

“Conflict of interest is one of ethical problems that affect the work performance…government keeps on offering orientation seminars to build moral and integrity among its servant at all levels.

“Heads of departments, administrative secretaries and other officers make good use of this seminar to bring about changes at your work places and to the community at large,” she insisted.

She said conflict of interest is a situation of conflict between the personal interests of a public leader and his duties or responsibilities to the public.

Public Leaders Ethics Secretariat Assistant Secretary in the Lake Zone Mr Godson Kweka said that the seminar aims to remind leaders to comply with laws, regulations and procedures.

He asked the leaders to live by oaths of integrity because there has been a very big problem of misunderstanding among leaders. Mr Kweka said the Secretariat will continue to conduct regular training to remind leaders of morals.

He praised the Mwanza region leaders for adhering to the ethics. Mr Kweka said Mwanza Region has 580 leaders in various sectors.

He said Ethics Secretariat is an independent department of the Government under the President’s Office which is established under Article 132 of the 1977 Constitution of the Tanzania.

He added its main function is to implement the Public Leadership Code of Ethics Act, No. 13 of 1995 specifically to monitor the ethical conduct of public leaders.

He added Ethics Secretariat is promoting and enforcing ethical principles which are obligatory requirements among all public leaders in the course of implementing their official responsibilities as per the Public Leadership Code.