By Friday Simbaya,
Mbinga
PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has
urged religious institutions in the country to provide more in vocational
training centers so that more youths can get vocational skills and become self-reliance,
hence increase self employment.
The president made the request
on Sunday during the Episcopal Ordination of new Bishop of Mbinga, Rev. John C.
Ndimbo of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mbinga in Ruvuma Region.
He noted that religious
institutions should invest more in the vocational training centers than
anything else whereby youths
especially dropouts can have the chance of getting vocational skills and help them become self reliant.
“We are asking for your favor to build many
vocational centers in the country so that help the government to make more people to become self esteemed and become self employed rather than them waiting for white collar
jobs which are very limited and not sufficient enough for everyone, hence prepare them for the competitive labour
market in the process,” he said.
He said that the government
cannot afford to give job opportunities to everyone because there fewer job
opportunities as compared to the number of people who are in need in the country, but with advent of more vocational training
centers, it will help them become self reliance
.
Kikwete emphasized that people
should develop the spirit self motivation and become hard workers and stop
sitting around idle bickering and backbiting people around , if they want to
attain the better life because better is not like manna dropping from heaven.
“People should utilize their
time effectively but not just sitting around and complaining about hard life and backbiting people
and playing gambling games but should instead get down to work, hence better life
and poverty reduction,” he added.
On the issue of drug
trafficking, the president said that the business of drug is rampant in the
country and war against it is becoming difficulty because it also involves people
financial powers including religious leaders as while. He said that recently
there was one bishop of the Catholic Church but he did not name him, who was
intercepted by police in connection with drug trafficking.
He asked religious leaders in
the country to help the government fighting the war against the illegal
business of drugs because it is retarding economic growth as it is killing youths are
the future workforce due to drug abuse. However, he asked the church
to help the government in reducing that kind of business by preaching to their followers
about the bad thing of drugs abuse.
“We shall not leave any stone unturned but
we shall reach for anyone involved in this kind of business” he pointed out.
On the issue of the road, the president has
promised the Mbinga residents that Mbinga Road will be completed before the end
next year, through the support from American people. The Mbinga Road is will be
constructed at a tarmac level and will reduce time spend on traveling because
it will smooth no more dust and fast running vehicles from Songea to Mbinga
will be brought.
He has also said after the
completion of Mbinga Road, the government will focus on the road to Mbamba Bay which
will be headquarters of Nyasa District. Adding if things go well with the donors
will start construction of the road as soon as possible. But, it is not
necessarily that we depend on donors to construct our roads we shall use own
source funds to do that, he said.
On the issue of electricity,
the president said Mbinga and the rest of Ruvuma Region, he said region will be
connected to the national grid every soon. Mbinga and the rest of Ruvuma Region
is currently using thermo-power stations for electricity.
In another development,
President of Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Rev. Yuda Tadeus Ruwaichi urged
the government to make sure that it improves the lives of people by making a
budget that going to meet people’s expectations and needs during the forthcoming Budget Session in
Dodoma, hence reduce the suffering of many people. Rev. Ruwaichi was
accompanied by more than 25 bishops who are members of TEC and wished the
country for prosperity, peace and tranquility during the celebration of 50th
anniversary of independence of Tanzania this year.
The Mass of Ordination of
the new bishop of Mbinga was driven by the Bishop of Dar es Salaam, Polycarp
Cardinal Pengo. Other distinguished guests who
attended the ceremony include the former President William Benjamin Mkapa and
his wife Anna Mkapa, various Member of Parliaments for Mbinga Constituency and also
regional and district leaders.
From left to right is the
former First Lady, Anna Mkapa, Former President William Benjamin Mkapa, Bishop
Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, new bishop of Mbinga, John Ndimbo, President Jakaya
kikwete and President of Tanzania Episcopal Conference, Bishop Yuda Ruwaichi in front of St. Kilian Church of Mbinga, Ruvuma Region,
at the ordination ceremony of new bishop of Mbinga on Sunday.
President Jakaya kikwete was delivering his speech on Sunday during
the ordination and dedication ceremony of new Bishop of Mbinga Diocese on
Sunday.