PRESIDENT JOHN MAGUFULI - MIND YOUR TOUNGES

President John Magufuli addresses an audience at a ceremony to award certificates of appreciation to 28 members of two committees tasked to probe illegal mineral sand exports at the State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Individuals who distort government statistics risk court action to justify their explanations after President John Magufuli yesterday ordered the security organs to charge them.

As he appealed to the public to ignore people who deliberately distort national statistics, President Magufuli reminded the wrongdoers over the Statistics Act of 2015 – which states that any person convicted over giving misleading government statistics faces up to two years in jail.

“You will find someone telling others that revenue collection dropping … knowing it isn’t true … such people should be sent to court to justify their claims,” Dr Magufuli ordered yesterday, wondering aloud how anyone would dare speaking over reduced revenue at a time when the government was implementing a number of development projects using the funds from domestic sources.

He cited a few ‘success stories’ such as the recent purchase of six airplanes for Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), the opening bids for construction of Stiegler’s Gorge Project and road construction projects, among others. “… we should ignore them because they want to derail us from our resolve to build the economy … we shouldn’t (waste time) discussing their issues,” he told the Tanzanians shortly after awarding certificates to 28 members of three committees tasked to probe the mineral sands and negotiate gold business in the country.

The committees whose reports opened a new chapter in the mining sector were tasked to look into the extent and type of minerals contained in mineral sand in containers in various locations in the country and amount of minerals present in the sand, exported abroad and its value.

Speaker Job Ndugai was specifically awarded as a leader of the National Assembly who engineered the amendment of law on minerals which resulted into fair share of the country in the mineral resources.

Those awarded certificates were Prof Palamagamba Kabudi (who led the committee that negotiated new mining terms with the Acacia); Prof Nehemia Eliachim Osoro; Prof Longinus Rutasitara; Dr Oswald Mashindano; and Gabriel Malata, Casmir Kyuki, Ms Butamo Philip, Usaje Usubisye and Andrew Massawe.

The list also includes, Prof Abdulrahman Mruma, Prof Justianian Ikingula, Prof Joseph Bushweshaiga, Dr Yusuf Ugenya, Dr Joseph Philip, Dr Ambrose Itika, Mohamed Makongoro and Mr Hery Gombela.

Others are Mr James Mgosha, Dr Yamungu Kayendabila, Mr Geoffrey Mwambe, Mr Adolf Ndunguru, Prof Florens Luoga, Mr Adejeni Mwaipopo, Mr Moses Moses, Andrew Mwangakala and Michael Kambi. After the short ceremony, President Magufuli thanked them on behalf of all Tanzanians for their contribution to the fight for equal shares in mineral resources.

“Those who ridiculed these efforts were speaking for ‘their stomachs’ but the majority of Tanzanians support us. These members of the committees are true Tanzanians, they sacrificed their lives … they showed true patriotism,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of other recipients, Prof Kabudi said it was a “mark of great respect” that they received the awards, commending the president for supervising the whole process to protect the country’s natural resources. “… we’re grateful for what has been achieved…this is not a small thing when you look at where we came from,” he said.

He assured President Magufuli that his committee will immediately engage in negotiation with mining companies in Tanzanite and Diamond in order to come up with fair deals as it was the case in gold mining. Leaders of opposition parties who attended the ceremony also praised President Magufuli and the members of the committees.

CUF national chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba said the opposition parties had ‘cried foul’ over the years over theft of the country’s natural resources, saying it was good that now the government had “opened its eyes.”

“It would be surprising if opposition parties mock these efforts,” he commented, advising that the new company to be formed after talks between the Barrick Gold Corporation and the Government should employ patriotic and honest Tanzanians in order to avoid further thievery.

The country’s Mufti, Sheikh Abubakari Zuberi encouraged President Magufuli to ignore those blaming him over actions he was taking on protecting the natural resources.

Daily News