MBUNGE PROFESA JAY AMPINGA WAZI WAZI WAZIRI MWAKYEMBE

Mbunge wa Mikumi, Joseph Haule maarufu kama Profesa Jay, ametoa maoni yake kuhusu ushauri wa Waziri wa Habari, Sanaa, Utamaduni na Michezo, Dk. Harrison Mwakyembe aliyewataka wasanii wa Tanzania kuacha kuimba nyimbo zenye jumbe za kisiasa kwani hawatafanikiwa.

Profesa Jay ambaye ni rapa nguli wa kizazi kipya aliyewahi kuweka rekodi maalum ya albam yake ya ‘Mapinduzi Halisi’ iliyokuwa na jumbe zenye mlengo wa kisiasa na kijamii, amesema ameshangazwa na kauli ya Waziri.

“Kuwaambia wasanii kuwa waimbe nyimbo za maisha yao tu na washindwe kuimba vitu vingine, maana yake unataka kutoa ‘green light’ kwa wasanii sasa waanze kuimba mambo ya mapenzi… nakupenda, nakupenda..,” alisema Profesa Jay.

“Maana yake unaweza kuchochea kuhusu masuala ya mapenzi tu na kushindwa kufanya vitu vya kijamii ambavyo vingeweza kulipeleka taifa letu mbele. Mimi naamini msanii ana sauti kubwa na anaweza kupaza sauti positively na ikasaidia taifa letu ideologically (kiitikadi), socially (kijamii), culturally (kitamaduni), economically (kiuchumi), politically (kisiasa) pamoja na sustainable development (maendeleo endelevu),”aliongeza.

Mbunge huyo alidai kuwa wapo wasanii walioimba kuhusu siasa na masuala ya kijamii kama 2Pac, BIG, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube na wengine ambao walisaidia dunia kuhama katika ngazi moja kijamii hadi ngazi nyingine.

Hata hivyo, Profesa Jay alikubaliana na hoja ya Waziri Mwakyembe kuwa wasanii hawapaswi kuitukana Serikali, akieleza kuwa wanapaswa kuachwa watoe mawazo yao mbadala ikiwa ni pamoja na kuisifia Serikali.

Akizungumza Bungeni mjini Dodoma, Waziri Mwakyembe aliwashauri wasanii kuachana na nyimbo za siasa kwani hawatafanikiwa kwakuwa hakuna msanii ambaye alijikita katika kuimba siasa na akafanikiwa.

SERIKALI YAWAONEA HURUMA WENYE VYETI FEKI

Watumishi waliobainika na vyeti feki, watalazimika kusubiri mafao yao hadi utaratibu wa kuwalipa utakapofanyika.

Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Rais, Menejmenti ya Utumishi wa Umma na Utawala Bora, Angela Kairuki alitoa kauli hiyo jana bungeni wakati akijibu swali la nyongeza lililoulizwa na Mbunge wa Viti Maalum (CCM) Amina Mollel.

Amina alitaka kujua ni hatua gani zitachukuliwa ili kuwalipa mafao yao wafanyakazi waliobainika na vyeti feki.

Waziri Kairuki alisema, ofisi yake itaandaa utaratibu wa mafao ya wafanyakazi hao na pindi utakapokamilika, watajulishwa na kulipwa haki zao.

Aidha, Naibu Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu, Sera , Bunge, Kazi, Ajira, Vijana na Watu wenye ulemavu, Anthony Mavunde, alisema kwamba seeikali inaendelea na mchakato wa kuunganisha mifuko ya jamii.

Mavunde alisema hayo alipojibu swali la msingi la Mbunge wa Tabora Kaskazini (CCM), Almas Maige, aliyetaka kujua mchakato wa kuunganisha mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii, umefikia hatua gani.

Mavunde alisema, serikali kwa sasa inafanya tathmini ya mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii ambayo imetoa mapendekezo kuhusu namna bora na mambo ya kuzingatiwa katika mchakato wa kuunganisha mifuko hiyo.

Alisema, wadau vikiwemo vyama vya waajiri, vimeshirikishwa ili kutoa maoni na mapendekezo kwa serikali na kutoa maamuzi.

IRINGA FARMERS PERCEPTION ON EAC AGRI-TRADE AND BUSINESS REGIME

The Iringa Civil Society organization (ICISO) Project Officer Fadhili Sengele (right), briefing the journalists about recent studies on Iringa Small Scale Farmers (SSFs) perception regarding the inclusive and beneficial EAC Agri-trade and business region yesterday. (Photo by Friday Simbaya)

THE recent studies done by small scale farmers (SSFs) facilitation organizations among them, East and southern African small-scale farmers forum (ESAFF) and the national implementation partners MVWATA examined the implications of east Africa community (EAC) region and United Republic of Tanzania (URT)’s own policies and regulation on SSFs in the context of the east Africa cross-border agri-trade regime.

The studies revealed that private sector organizations (PSOs) are more concern with the interests of large scale famer and transnational agri-investments than the concern of small scale farmers (SSFs).

Iringa Civil Society organization (ICISO) Project Officer Fadhili Sengele, told the Guardian reporter yesterday that studies have also revealed that since civil society organizations (CSOs) seem to be receptive to the needs and wants of SSFs in the EAC.

He said that that is the reason why the ICISO supported by the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) under the EAC CSO integration project in collaboration with Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) Tanzania is working with SSF facilitation organizations and networks in Iringa to established what the SSF demands are in regard to effective engagement and benefit from the EAC agri-trade business administration.

Fadhili said the message formulation session was facilitated by Zaa Twalangeti of the East African Civil Society; Forum (EACSOF) Tanzania.

Iringa based small-scale farmers talking recently during a brainstorming session called by ICISO said the traditional and emerging concerns of SSFs in Iringa include concentration of agricultural markets, limited access to productive resources, limited access to extension services, limited government support, poor access to new innovations and technology.

And the issues of ‘politics of seeds’ and the cumbersome process of accessing agriculture as the traditional and emerging concerns of SSFs financing.

The deliberations was based on experiences of Iringa small scale farmers also pointed to challenges associated with systems which include lack of capacity on the part of small scale farmers to negotiate favourable terms.

Adding that the failure to abide with contract stipulations and asymmetrical information as the reason for low direct volume of SSFs in the EAC agri-trade business.

Further it was noted during the formulation of this policy brief that value addition on crop produce in Iringa is not well developed and this often results in export of raw or semi-processed products that attract much lower prices.

The deliberation also hinted that while progress has been made in processing of fruits and cereals; there are also a few food processing industries still small-scale farmers in Iringa do not access these technologies due high cost.

Therefore despite the fact that the value chain development is essential for the country’s economic growth and poverty reduction efforts, hence the need for increased budgetary allocation towards agricultural sector.

The demand are also drawn from the two Africa wide agricultural development blueprints the Agenda 2063 and the Malabo Declaration on Agriculture (2014-2025) which communicated through the banner slogan “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods through harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development.”