Stephen M.R. Covey in one his books writes, “There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy, and civilization throughout the world-one thing which, if removed will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love. Guess what is that one thing? That according to David Neeleman, founder of and C.E.O of United States of America’s JetBlue Airways, stroke at the heart of JetBlue success and growth.
On the other hand, that one thing, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet it is the list understood, most neglected, and ,most underestimated of our time. What is that one thing? Which according to Abdalla F.M. Abri the Director of a Dar es Salaam based Heavy Commercial Transport and Merchant Company F.M. Abri Limited has led his company to live for more than forty years now. Which Abdalla says it is important in marketing, in church and mosque and all companies that are built to last have earned it. What is it?
What is that one thing which according to Koh Boon Hwee, Chairman, Singapore’s DBS Bank Ltd. And former Chairman Singapore Airlines, lack of it within an organization saps its energy, fosters a climate of suspicion and second guessing, completely devastates teamwork and replaces it with internal politics of which the end results is low morale and the consequent low standards of performance. Which Covey in his book says, that one thing impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year. It undergirds and affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work, every project, every business venture, every effort in which we are engaged. It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment of lives – both personally and professionally.
Contrary to what many believe that one thing is not some soft, illusive quality that either you have or you don’t ; rather, that one thing is pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create much faster than you probably think possible. What is that one thing? That one thing if you didn’t know is called trust. Trust is one of the leadership critical competence, absence of trust creates divisiveness and disillusion, trust is like the air we breath without it there is no life. And yet many of us take the air we breath for granted. Trust is an empowering and inspirational tool in all walks of lives. What we heard last week from The Parliament in Dodoma, which has compelled the President to reshuffle the cabinet, throwing others outside, is what happens when trust is abused.
The ministers who ware told to go abused trust entrusted to them by Tanzanians.
Last month Members of Parliaments on behalf the wananchi they represent, asked eight ministers to resign or else they would impeach the Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda for laxity. In other words trust on the accused ministers has gone down and hence the consequence.
The Ministers are; William Geleja (Energy and Mineral), Jumanne Maghembe (Agriculture) he has survived the axe, Omary Nundu (Transport), Hadji Mponda(Health), Cyril Chami (Industries and Trade), George Mkuchika (Local Government) has survived the axel though reshuffled to another ministry, Mustafa Mkulo (Finance) and Ezekiel Maige (Tourism and Natural Resources). The minister ware accused of ineptitude and impropriety.
This kind of behavior has been going on for quite a long time and hence eroding the trust people have on their government. It is alleged that although opinion polls have not been taken recently, the popularity of the current government is waning due to citizens not being happy with the way how things are being managed in the government. “It is contrary to our expectations, we had huge expectation with the fourth phase government,” said Erik Shimwela from Mbozi District. In other words trust is going down.
According to Shimwela the trust on the government is waning due to embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds by the people entrusted by citizens, and yet no actions are taken by the bosses.
Shimwela says, the situation in the country has not be kind to the majority of Tanzanians, commodity prices has skyrocketed, the gap between the have and have not has widened a great deal. No books in schools while we are told that schools receive capitation grant $10.00 times the number of students per school, no medicines in hospitals, unemployment is growing and yet we are not hearing plans to mitigate these problems. Our neighbors in Kenya when they saw that inflation was badly affecting their country they formed a strong team of experts to cushion the problem.
“The problem in this country is that we are afraid to face the realities head on even in situations where these realities are presented to us black and white,” said Shimwela adding that, “take for instance mismanagement of subsidized farm inputs meant to support the Kilimo Kwanza philosophy, farmers have complained on how they are sabotaged but no action has been taken by leaders responsible to oversee that. Every year Ministry Departments and Local Governments are a accused of mismanagement of funds by the Controller and Audit General (CAG), but as usual no actions are taken. “One wonders why then does the CAG do the auditing? So what?
Poverty and Human Development Report 2009, a key output of the government of Tanzania’s poverty monitoring system which provides consolidated analysis of progress towards national development goals as well as discussion on important socio-economic issues affecting the country, puts it very well. “ Economic growth, reduction of poverty and improved quality of life all rely upon fair, effective, and transparent use of Tanzania’s resources. Therefore the success of Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty popularly known as MKUKUTA’s cluster one and two relies on accomplishing the goal of MKUKUTA’s Cluster three- good governance and increased accountability.” reads part of the report. Put it short that Without having an accountable government all the development we are dreaming will be illusions. Accountability increases trust.
The motion to impeach the PM was engineered by CHADEMA’s Zitto Kabwe (MP) and joined by other opposition MPs and few CCM, MPs. However during the discussions all MPs put their ideologies aside and united to speak for their people to make the government more accountable for its actions and omissions. In actual fact they were strengthening the government’s performance and make it put its self in poor people’s shoes. But what appalled me is when it came to signing the petition those many voices we heard vanished only the courageous ones remained.
Talking about what opposition MPs and those few from the ruling Party have done, calling for resigning of the accused Ministers and their motion being backed by their political parties, this is in conformity to what our founding father of the nation, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, once said regarding political parties be it in multiparty political system or single party political system , he said, the job of a strong political party is to act as a bridge linking the people to the government they elected, and the government to the people it wishes to serve. The party has to help the people to understand what the government is doing and why? But the party has also to ensure that the government need to stay in close touch with the feelings, the difficulties and the aspirations of the people. Nyerere said this in his greetings to Uganda Peoples Congress Conference (UPC) June 7, 1968 he added, it has to speak for people. And it has to educate the people and help them to see what the government’s action means in terms of their own security and their own future opportunities.
Nyerere said, only a party which is rooted in the hearts of the people, which has its devoted workers in the villages and the towns throughout the country –only such part can tell the government what are the people’s purposes, and whether they are being carried out effectively. Only that party can ensure that government and people work together for the people’s purposes.
According to Nyerere, Parliament is important-Members of Parliament are important are able to represent the people only if they are support by a strong Party consisting of thousands upon thousands of active, intelligent and selfless men and women. Presidents, Ministers, Members of Parliament and so on may get their names written on newspapers, they may appear on television. But if they are good they are good largely because they are backed up by a strong Party, which knows and understands the people’s needs and the people’s feelings. And if such leaders are abusing their positions, or getting out of touch with the people, then it is in large part because the Party is failing to speak up for the people and to act as the people’s watchdogs.
This is a giant lesson to our MPs, that when it comes to public interest they should remember their people back in their constituencies. “The Party Must Speak for People.”
Nyerere concluded that, “ If you doubt about the truth of these words, look around Africa –indeed, around the world-and see what has happened in those states where political parties failed to be, or ceased to be active representatives of, and the spokesmen for the people…”
The moment a Party stops speaking for people it can be sure that it will lose trust from the people and that soon or later it will find itself speeding towards the endangered species list. So it is high time people’s feelings, interests and sufferings override our decisions in the Parliament, and most important in our political parties. The Party Must Speak for People.
That is why I hail my beloved President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete for listening to his citizens and ejecting those accused. “Caesar's wife must be above suspicion”. The ancient Roman Julius Caesar is quoted to have said when asked why he divorced his wife, Pompeia. Because she was suspected of some wrongdoing, he could not associate with her anymore.
Public figures must not even be suspected of wrongdoing as Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. This is the power of trust .
ENDS.
