Tanzania Leaders urged to respect ethics

HEADS of public institutions have been challenged to be exemplary in adhering to ethics while executing their daily duties to maintain the trust between members of the public and the government.

The Chief Secretary, Engineer John Kijazi, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the government would not hesitate to take disciplinary action against any head of public institution who abuses his or her office.

“Public servants should emulate you (heads of public institutions) for sticking to ethics. This will also curb complaints against the public institutions,” said the Chief Secretary while opening training on ethics organised by the Ethics Secretariat for heads of public institutions.

Mr Kijazi pointed out that the Fifth Phase Government was determined to restore ethics to public servants and he directed the Ethics Secretariat to take action against public servants who are immoral.

On her part, the Ethics Commissioner, Judge (rtd) Salome Kaganda, called upon the government to introduce national policy on ethics which will outline guidelines without considering leadership post or political ideologies.

She further said the ethics law does not give legal mandate the Ethics Secretariat to execute its responsibilities efficiently, adding that the ethics body had already submitted proposal for amendment of the law to the Attorney General.

“We’re optimistic that the proposal will soon be tabled in the National Assembly for the amendment,” said the Ethics Commissioner.

The Administration and Local Government Committee recently called upon the government to give a legal mandate to the Ethics Secretariat so that it prosecutes public servants who violate the Code of Ethics.

A member of the Parliamentary Committee, Mr Saed Kubenea, said in Dar es Salaam that there were public servants who have been summoned to the Secretariat Ethics Tribunal for violation of the Code of Ethics but no legal action has been taken as the secretariat is ‘toothless’.

“The secretariat should be given a legal mandate as PCCB (Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau) to take those who violate the Code of Ethics to court,” said Mr Kubenea, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Ubungo Constituency.