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JK advised to come up with new faces
2008-02-09 09:04:53
By Guardian Correspondents
Interviewed Dar es Salaam residents yesterday said President Kikwete should come up with new faces in his cabinet and reduce its size so as to trim down the cost of running the government.
Prof. Issa Shivji, former lecturer of the University of Dar es Salaam cautioned the President not to appoint business people and corrupt elements in his cabinet.
President Kikwete dissolved his cabinet on Thursday evening after Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, who has been implicated in the Richmond scandal, resigned.
The dissolved cabinet had 30 members and 31 deputy ministers.
Prof. Shivji said the President should holistically take stock of say the last ten years with regard to whether the country was going in the right direction for the present and coming generations.
``What has triggered the present turmoil giving rise to the President to dissolve the cabinet might just be symptoms of what is amiss in the chosen direction the country is pursuing``, cautioned the former law professor.
A Dar es Salaam businessman, Samuel Mlafinono said the President should come up with the best cabinet ever that would help steer the country`s development towards economic prosperity and improved living standards of the people, rather than plunging the country into economic shambles.
Eveline Miango, another Dar es Salaam resident, asked the President not to recycle old faces, saying the country was rich in people of different qualities and renowned integrity from whom he could pick up his choices.
``Why for instance, should the government keep on having almost the same faces year in year out as if they were the only born politicians?`` asked Miango.
She singled out Vice President, Mohammed Ali Shein as an exemplary clean leader who was appointed from a group of new faces in the political arena but who had proved to be loyal and model worth emulating.
Dr Halima Mpendaheri said the issue at hand was to get leaders of high caliber and vision irrespective of whether they had been in the previous cabinet or not.
Prof. Mwesiga Baregu, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, said President Kikwete should use the opportunity to restore the reputation of his government as it had been tainted by some corrupt elements.
He commended Edward Lowassa`s decision to resign and called on the President to sack all people who were implicated in the Richmond scandal.
Others people who were interviewed urged President Kikwete to remove those who were implicated in the Richmond scam from membership of the task force that is investigating the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) scandal.
The investigation team comprises Inspector General of Police Said Mwema, Director General of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, Edward Hoseah and Attorney General, Johson Mwanyika.
While Mwanyika is accused of failing to advise the government on the dangers of entering into a contract with a briefcase firm, namely Richmond Development Company LLC, Hoseah is accused of clearing the controversial contract even after a prolonged public outcry that the deal was corruption free.
Prof. Mugyabuso Mulokozi from the University of Dar es Salaam said if Hoseah had the guts to hide the truth about the American company, he was likely to do the same on the BoT scam.
Prof. Mulokozi said he had lost confidence in both the PCCB and the Attorney General's office.
``PCCB has never proved its power to the public of catching the big fish involved in grand corruption undertakings,`` he said.
A lecturer with Mkwawa University and Collage of Education Moses Olotu praised the Richmond Report, saying it had confirmed the feelings of the people over their doubts on Lowassa's integrity.
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