Tanzania in Ghana for Africa Public Service Day Celebrations

By Mawutodzi Abissath

About 20 African countries currently participating in the 2013 African Public Service Day in the Ghanaian capital Accra deserve felicitation for their sense of service to their people. But if there is one particular country that can be described as “champion” at the exhibition segment of the event’ it cannot be other than Tanzania.

At the foyer of the Accra International Conference Centre where participating countries mount their stands to exhibit not only their public service activities but the cultural and tourism heritage of their homelands, Tanzania alone occupies about one-third (1/3) of available space where over 100 exhibitors smartly dressed in their national colours are  attending to  visitors with broad smiles.

Hon. Celina O.Kombani (MP) Tanzanian Minister for Public/Civil Service who is leading his country’s delegation was among those who addressed the conference during the opening ceremony held on Monday, June 17 here in Accra.

Speaking on the theme “Citizen’s participation should be broadened beyond access to information and third party monitoring,’ Hon. Kombani who is also the Minister of State, President’s Office Public Service Management of the United Republic of Tanzania, said it’s essential for African  leaders to strengthen the accountability of natural resource revenues. “It is important to use the social media to improve the public ability to track implementation of election promises and building public trust in terms of governance and managing vital activities,” she underlined.

According to Hon. Kombani, the media must also be involved in self-help projects and public private partnership in medium and large scale projects; adding that “development goals cannot be achieved without participatory and citizen-centric public governance. She explained that “surveys on governance are conducted to echo the general consensus that accountability, transparency and integrity are fundamental to achieving good governance, development goals, quality and access to public services by the citizens,” she opined.

The Tanzanian Minister pointed out that Management Development Institutes (MDIs) in Africa are facing a number of challenges including inadequate funding; capacity to undertake applied research, consultancies, and policy studies relevant to address critical issues facing the public services. “Some of these challenges are arising from competition from other Institutions at national, continental and international levels that are better funded.”

Hon. Kombani reminded participants, especially public servants that there is a need to have a vision that will inspire, motivate and align people and systems towards a shared common good that will enable Africa to overcome some of these various challenges, in order “to build the future Africa we want, guided by the spirit of Pan Africanism  and African renaissance,” she stressed.

According to the Minister, a capable developmental state is one that is committed to ensuring a better life for all its citizens, promotes popular participation and the indigenous ownership of its entire development agenda whose public service is people-oriented, based on meritocracy and driven by service to its citizenry.

She advised African leaders to communicate to the public so as to enhance genuine trust between leaders and citizens; always acting as role models by doing honestly what is right in the eyes of citizens and empower them and pay attention to their development needs.

 Hon. Kombina paid tribute to Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkurumah, whom she described as  Great Son of Africa . The Accra event is the 4^thEdition of the biennial APSD which is being held during the fiftieth anniversary of AU under the theme of “Pan Africanism and African Renaissance”

 The United Republic of Tanzania has already hosted the event twice since 2000 and over 42 government institutions are participating in the Ghana version which is being organised by the Tanzanian President Office, Public Service Management.

On the face of the attendance sheet, with over 100 delegates, Tanzania can be said to have landed in Ghana with the largest number of participants. This shows how serious they are.  And they are obviously   living by their first President and Founding father of the United Republic of

Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, who once stated: “It can be done, play your part.”

Story by Mawutodzi Abissath with extra files and photographs from Florence Lawrence of United Republic of Tanzania

Contact: abissath@gmail.com.