PRESIDENT John Magufuli has started a
three-day tour of Kilimanjaro Region that will see him being the guest of
honour during May Day celebrations, tomorrow.
The Head of State
arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) yesterday and was welcomed
by Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa who arrived earlier on the same day.
The Kilimanjaro Regional
Commissioner (RC), Mr Saidi Meki Sadiki, joined other dignitaries to receive
the President. This is the first official visit by Dr Magufuli since he was
elected to the highest office in 2015, while May Day celebrations, at national
level, will be held at Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU) in Moshi
Municipality.
On his way from KIA to
the State Lodge, President Magufuli got time to greet and speak to citizens at
Kwa Sadala Village in Hai District, where he thanked them for electing him to
office and reiterated that he was committed to accomplish his pledges.
Dr Magufuli was happy to
meet many people who had come out to greet him, including leaders and members
of opposition parties and said he was committed to serve all regardless of
their party affiliations.
“There is that road from
Kwa Sadala to Masama, it will be completed to tarmac level. I know the work is
going on; we are still at the area near the bridge.
I know, I make follow
ups because I promised you,” said the President amid
applause from the citizens. When asked about power connection to the village,
the President said he knows even other villages near it were not connected to
power and tasked the RC, Hai District Commissioner (DC), Mr Gelasius Byakanwa,
to initiate power connection process forthwith and ensure by the end of the
year houses will have started getting connected.
On citizens’ request for a secondary
school and grant for Kwa Sadala Market, President Magufuli said it is all down
to Hai District Council to manage such things and unfortunately the council was
not under his party.
Addressing complaints of
small traders being taxed at the market, President Magufuli ordered that to
stop with immediate effect, referring to those who operate under small scale,
such as those who sell vegetables, one or two bunches of bananas, etc.
“It is quite possible
that the councillor and chairman of the council you elected are there when tax
is imposed on small traders. You grow the banana on your own, you grow
vegetables and when you bring a bunch or two and little spinach you are slapped
with tax.
I have ordered for this
to stop many days. I do not know why it is that way here,” said the President.
He tasked the Hai
District Executive Director’s office to ensure such
taxes are no longer charged; instead they should go for large-scale
businesspersons or those who bring a lot of commodities to the market. He said
that he does not like people, be they from CCM, Chadema or CUF to suffer, but
warned that they should work hard.
He also promised to make
a follow-up of how funds set for road construction in Bomang’ombe town, Hai District
were used, as he smelled a rat in the project. Speaking at Bomang’ombe, the headquarters
of Hai District, President Magufuli said he will send the Minister of State in
the President’s Office (Regional
Administration and Local Government), Mr George Simbachawene, to dig out where
the more than 1.3bn/- went. “We did set aside funds
for construction of a five-kilometre tarmac road, I wonder where the money is.
I will send the minister
…and then I will give my
directives on what follows,” said the President. He
was speaking with citizens at Sanya Junction, Hai District on his way from KIA
to Moshi Municipality after citizens asked him to listen to their grievances.
Earlier on, Hai District
Council Chairperson, Ms Helga Mchomvu, asked about the implementation of
President Magufuli’s pledge on road
construction that measures 12.5 kilometres, saying there were uncompleted
areas, such as bridges.
Ms Mchomvu said some
1.3bn/- were said to be set aside in the financial year 2016/17, but until
yesterday it was only 350m/- that had been disbursed to the district for the
work. President Magufuli said he knows that Hai District is faced with some
challenges, including disputes on plantations as well as land and that he will
send cabinet ministers for respective issues so that they are sorted out.
“I want to promise you
that I am for all Tanzanians. Let us stick to our unity, safeguard peace of the
country and work, because even the holy scriptures say he who does not work has
no right to food … it is raining let us
grow crops.
There is no single
Tanzanian who could eat a political party; Tanzanians need development, roads,
hospitals packed with drugs, electricity, industries so that people get work.
We are together to build our country,”
he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment