When I look at President John Pombe Magufuli, I try, in inch-meals and details, as much as I can, to see through him, so that I can see what many seem to have failed to see. I see a man with big heart, ideas, dreams; mission-cum-vision, and insurmountable patriotism; the man who wants to sweep clear the country of corruption and ineptness.
Under Magufuli’s mantra Hapa Kazi Tu, I see a man struggling with big and unstoppable dreams, mission and vision of freeing his country from dependency while it sits on immense resources of value; the man who isn’t ready to give in or give up; a determined one struggling to radically make his mission and vision clearly understandable to his people, whom, though not all, it has begun to dawn on them. Sincerely, I see the man, who doesn’t preach water and drink wine; that talks the talk and walks the walk; who conscientiously understands what he’s into; its dangers, intricacies and snags; the man who determinedly seeks to snatch the victory from the jaws of defeat.
Undeniably, I verily see the man many have failed to understand; whom I–at this age of mega corruption is rare to get–equate to a needle in the haystack. I see a poor prophet who, like Mwl. Julius K. Nyerere, once asserted he was–is not accepted in his town. Refer to how other countries emulate Dr. Magufuli while some of our people lampoon him.
Actually, in this book, I see a no nonsense man who refuses to be politically correct; who honestly and openly speaks his mind regardless of what; who’s not after fame or jollification, but, pulling the country out of systemic and manmade miseries; the man whose love, oomph and tenacity for his country, apart from being second to none, are sans doute unparalleled or unquestionable.
Verily, I see an intrepid man who’s ready to die for what he believes in; the one who makes corrupt and lazy elements in the country feel a shiver down to their spines; the man many have given many names, bad and good, depending on where one stands. I see the man who, now and then, time and again, unperturbed and truthfully, leads his people despite the hardship of fighting and stumping out corruption, graft, ineptness, laxity and lack of discipline in public business; a selfless man who has been in the upper echelons of power for over two decades; the man who knows the corridors of power like the back of his hand; and who refused to sell his soul for material things. Let’s reason together. For such a long time, if Magufuli wanted to become rich would he fail? He once said that some crooks tried to deposit some money in offshore accounts for him, but, totally refused to sell his people including himself.
Indeed, when I see Magufuli, I see a formidable and forthright leader aspiring to detach from the past so that he can make the better present for the best future of his people; the man whose mind is pinned on development of his people with the determination to bring about change by daringly plod where many fear to. I might be wrong, but, not totally wrong. I might be right, likely but not otherwise. Looking at what Magufuli has already achieved within a short time, I can comfortably say that the man has heavily invested in the bright future. Again, do his people understand his mission-cum-vision?
Jokes aside, this book portrays the man who resolutely believes that education is not only key but also a key to the perky future of the nation; the man who, under whose watch Tanzania has seen school enrollment triple as the government support doubles, thanks to free education and the affordability of loans for higher education, not to mention the hospitals that are now offering services instead of offering nothing but claiming fees; the man who under whose watch Tanzania has actually witnessed the return of efficacy in public services and, above all, code of ethics that’s now evident in public services.
More so, the book portrays the man to whom connectivity, mobility; centrality of infrastructures, advance ones, airports, bridges, ferries, flyovers, ferries, planes, railways (SGR), roads, ships–not to mention turning Tanzania into a modern workshop for modernisation; or call it the Magufulication–are non-negotiable. For instance, according to Radio Vatican (Dec., 18, 2017), under Magufuli, Tanzania saw 2,571 kms of road being repaired, the increase of tourists from 1,137,182 in 2015 to 1,284,279 in 2016. Further, in 2017, the government was able to connect 117 local government offices, 71 postal offices, 129 police stations, 90 hospital and 27 courts to the optic fiber networks, not to mention 425 schools that will get free internet.
Moreover, according to the Maverick (Feb., 14, 2016), when Magufuli came to power, country’s revenue collection was Tshs. 900 billion. Henceforth, Tanzania saw revenue collection swell to Tshs. 1.5 trillion. Additionally, over 10,000 ghost workers were purged saving the government over $2 billion monthly (BBC, May 16, 2016); not to mention the forgers and the likes. Is this a small feat really? When it comes to the equanimity and peaceability of the country, Tanzania still is peaceful, thanks to having such a unitive, but, polarising figure; a go-getter per se who never throws in the towel come shine come rain.
In sum, in this book, I see a person that Tanzania, for many years, yearned for after Nyerere retired; a martinet many future generations will mention with awe and howl shall he be supported to complete his programs for his country and shall he stay the course.
Source: Citizen today.
No comments:
Post a Comment