ARUSHA: PRIME Minister, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has directed leaders of all Local Government Authorities (LGAs), including village chairpersons, to establish special dashboards in their offices to track citizens’ complaints and the status of their resolution.
“Each one of you should have a dashboard on your desk showing the challenges received from citizens and how they have been resolved,” Dr Nchemba said yesterday while addressing a public rally in Arumeru District, Arusha Region. He noted there is a growing tendency among some leaders to downplay citizens’ concerns.
“There is an increasing trend of some leaders being preoccupied with private matters such as gossip, forcing people with challenges to seek audience directly with District Commissioners, even though they have village chairpersons in their localities,” Dr Nchemba said.
In that regard, he urged village and ward leaders to cultivate a culture of listening to the people and only forward matters to District Commissioners when necessary.
“We did not decentralise power simply to create positions and titles. Each one of you must address the problems that come to your desk by taking appropriate measures,” Dr Nchemba stressed.
He also called on leaders to hold accountable individuals who violate the country’s laws under the guise of wealth, emphasising that all citizens are equal before the law.
Earlier, Dr Nchemba inspected the progress of the expansion of Oltumeti Hospital, which is fully funded by the government at a cost of 1.65bn/-.
He said he was satisfied with the implementation of the project, including the construction of buildings and installation of equipment, noting that it reflects value for money.
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The hospital expansion includes a radiology building constructed at a cost of 656m/- and a laboratory worth 152m/-.
To address road access challenges to the hospital, he directed Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) officials in the region to immediately announce a tender for the construction of a 1.5-kilometre road to guarantee smooth access for patients, including expectant mothers to the facility.
In addition, the Prime Minister listened to various complaints from residents, including a citizen who claimed that he and others had not been compensated for land acquired during the construction of the Mianzini–Ngaramtoni road.
In response, Dr Nchemba directed the Deputy Minister for Works, Mr Godfrey Kasekenya, to consult with the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) and find a solution to the matter.
Another resident, Mr Lota Jacob of Mbuyuni Village in Oljoro, said he has been embroiled in a land dispute since 2008 after his farm was allegedly invaded. He said he lost the case when it was taken to court.
Following the complaint, Dr Nchemba referred the matter to the Regional Legal Officer to explore the possibility of providing legal assistance to the resident.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Arumeru West Constituency, Dr Johannes Lukumay, asked the Prime Minister to facilitate water connections in wards that still lack access, drawing from a completed 520bn/- water project.
He also requested 3bn/- to complete the Oldonyo Sambu water project, which has a total cost of 6bn/-, noting that 3bn/- has already been disbursed. Dr Lukumay further appealed to the Prime Minister to help address road infrastructure challenges in his constituency.