mwanakijiji
12-26-2008, 05:33 PM
Makwaia wa KUHENGA
Daily News; Friday,December 26, 2008 @00:06
The other day, one of the mainstream local TV networks had promos running for several days urging its watchers to view a special programme on a speech by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda. I did not make much of this promo because I have become too much accustomed to watch our leaders on television and frankly some of them exasperate me!
For instance, can you imagine a political leader of a poor people like ours out in a remote village upcountry don in a western suit or top of the market jacket addressing a people whose clothes may have not have seen soap for months? And here is a political leader exhorting the people on ?maisha bora kwa wote? - good life for all ? does it really make sense?
Has this leader any political sense in him at all - does he know his people well enough and their lot? Why such a grandiose fashion? But I was curious to watch this show by the prime minister?s address to senior government executives ? permanent secretaries and regional commissioners (governors) of this country when it was finally broadcast.
First, I wanted to know why this mainstream TV station had decided to urge its watchers that ?that show was a must watch?. I was not disappointed when I caught up with the show. My first impression was that the prime minister had a clear agenda and focus. Secondly, he had his facts, plain facts that he wanted to share with his audience.
And the problems with his facts as I detected in the course of his address was that those facts were not ?palatable? ? they were not sugar coated. It was a hard talk! As evidence of this, the prime minister received little if no applause at all from the powerful people listening to him ? core government bureaucrats ? the PSs and governors.
Surprisingly it was only I who applauded him from my bed as I lay watching him on TV; sometimes chuckling to myself as he distributed the bitter pills! The prime minister had expressed surprise that a whole boarding school with around 2,000 students had no water because of a ?problem? to meet the electricity bill.
As a result of failure to meet the electricity bill, the pump into the school well had ceased to function as there was no power! "What is the problem with the bill?" The PM was reported as demanding from the authorities at the location of the school upcountry."Now what is the source of water for the students?"
he had fired another question to which he received this response: "Students use water found at a spring in the bush?" The prime minister told his audience that he was shocked at the response. He was also surprised that a simple electricity bill could be a source of a huge hassle on meeting it; beating whole government machinery! `
Another point I can recall from the prime minister?s address was his concern for grandiose vehicles being imported into the country for government officials. I do not remember the exact words of the prime minister other than recall him as saying he was imposing a stop on luxury and expensive vehicles for the government.
On this point, the premier was faced with grim and stony silence from his audience! I can understand why, I am sure you can also as reader of these lines, can?t you? Now, this is the level of the prime minister we now have in place. Those who were around during the tenure of office of the late Prime Minister, Edward Moringe Sokoine, in Mwalimu Nyerere?s administration would recall the man?s exceptional sense of duty and flair for detail.
Government bureaucrats those days both knew and dreaded to cross paths with him! Above all, Prime Minister Sokoine was a practical person ? he was keen and determined to solve problems of the people. The introduction of ?daladala? - the city commuter bus service - was his decision. He saw nothing wrong for private operators to come into the scene to supplement the public transport system.
This act alone endeared him to the people especially residents of this city to the end of his life. Now Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda appears set on course as reflected in his address the other day to those who execute policy. He has a sense for detail at the bottom of which is his primary focus: to solve problems of the people in a practical manner.
The people are also looking forward to see his concerns addressed because they are the concerns of everyone who knows what a lean and frugal government could mean in spreading the country?s resources to meet the basic needs of the people such as health and education.
Grandiose and expensive vehicles not to speak of unnecessarily huge government expenditure have meant a huge cost for the country?s resources at the expense of other critical areas such as living wages for teachers and education for the poor. Another area needing the prime minister?s urgent attention is a corrupt bureaucracy. It is an open secret that invariably all foreign tenders for legitimate investment are tied to a 10 per cent commission demanded by some government functionaries in a hidden cover.
Otherwise, how does one explain the manner the Tanzania Railways Corporation was privatised to pave way for a privately owned Tanzania Railways Limited, a company which cannot even meet salaries for its employees? In conclusion, as a reader of this column, please join me to wish Prime Minister Mizengo Kayanda Pinda a very Happy New Year and momentous decisions for the good of the people of this country for the coming years.
My Take:
Like my friend Nyani would say "Really?"
Daily News; Friday,December 26, 2008 @00:06
The other day, one of the mainstream local TV networks had promos running for several days urging its watchers to view a special programme on a speech by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda. I did not make much of this promo because I have become too much accustomed to watch our leaders on television and frankly some of them exasperate me!
For instance, can you imagine a political leader of a poor people like ours out in a remote village upcountry don in a western suit or top of the market jacket addressing a people whose clothes may have not have seen soap for months? And here is a political leader exhorting the people on ?maisha bora kwa wote? - good life for all ? does it really make sense?
Has this leader any political sense in him at all - does he know his people well enough and their lot? Why such a grandiose fashion? But I was curious to watch this show by the prime minister?s address to senior government executives ? permanent secretaries and regional commissioners (governors) of this country when it was finally broadcast.
First, I wanted to know why this mainstream TV station had decided to urge its watchers that ?that show was a must watch?. I was not disappointed when I caught up with the show. My first impression was that the prime minister had a clear agenda and focus. Secondly, he had his facts, plain facts that he wanted to share with his audience.
And the problems with his facts as I detected in the course of his address was that those facts were not ?palatable? ? they were not sugar coated. It was a hard talk! As evidence of this, the prime minister received little if no applause at all from the powerful people listening to him ? core government bureaucrats ? the PSs and governors.
Surprisingly it was only I who applauded him from my bed as I lay watching him on TV; sometimes chuckling to myself as he distributed the bitter pills! The prime minister had expressed surprise that a whole boarding school with around 2,000 students had no water because of a ?problem? to meet the electricity bill.
As a result of failure to meet the electricity bill, the pump into the school well had ceased to function as there was no power! "What is the problem with the bill?" The PM was reported as demanding from the authorities at the location of the school upcountry."Now what is the source of water for the students?"
he had fired another question to which he received this response: "Students use water found at a spring in the bush?" The prime minister told his audience that he was shocked at the response. He was also surprised that a simple electricity bill could be a source of a huge hassle on meeting it; beating whole government machinery! `
Another point I can recall from the prime minister?s address was his concern for grandiose vehicles being imported into the country for government officials. I do not remember the exact words of the prime minister other than recall him as saying he was imposing a stop on luxury and expensive vehicles for the government.
On this point, the premier was faced with grim and stony silence from his audience! I can understand why, I am sure you can also as reader of these lines, can?t you? Now, this is the level of the prime minister we now have in place. Those who were around during the tenure of office of the late Prime Minister, Edward Moringe Sokoine, in Mwalimu Nyerere?s administration would recall the man?s exceptional sense of duty and flair for detail.
Government bureaucrats those days both knew and dreaded to cross paths with him! Above all, Prime Minister Sokoine was a practical person ? he was keen and determined to solve problems of the people. The introduction of ?daladala? - the city commuter bus service - was his decision. He saw nothing wrong for private operators to come into the scene to supplement the public transport system.
This act alone endeared him to the people especially residents of this city to the end of his life. Now Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda appears set on course as reflected in his address the other day to those who execute policy. He has a sense for detail at the bottom of which is his primary focus: to solve problems of the people in a practical manner.
The people are also looking forward to see his concerns addressed because they are the concerns of everyone who knows what a lean and frugal government could mean in spreading the country?s resources to meet the basic needs of the people such as health and education.
Grandiose and expensive vehicles not to speak of unnecessarily huge government expenditure have meant a huge cost for the country?s resources at the expense of other critical areas such as living wages for teachers and education for the poor. Another area needing the prime minister?s urgent attention is a corrupt bureaucracy. It is an open secret that invariably all foreign tenders for legitimate investment are tied to a 10 per cent commission demanded by some government functionaries in a hidden cover.
Otherwise, how does one explain the manner the Tanzania Railways Corporation was privatised to pave way for a privately owned Tanzania Railways Limited, a company which cannot even meet salaries for its employees? In conclusion, as a reader of this column, please join me to wish Prime Minister Mizengo Kayanda Pinda a very Happy New Year and momentous decisions for the good of the people of this country for the coming years.
My Take:
Like my friend Nyani would say "Really?"