13th September 2013
Ethics Secretariat Commissioner Judge (rtd) Salome
Kaganda has told ministers and other public leaders to watch their
tongues, saying the conflicting accounts they give in the open, on
certain issues violate the Public Leadership Code of Ethics Act.
The secretariat also wants to be vested with powers to summon public leaders who violate this crucial code of conduct so as to promote and enforce standards of ethical behaviour as provided under the Act.
Speaking at a workshop for editors held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Justice Kaganda said public leaders should conform to the rule of collective responsibility as stipulated in Article 17 of the said legislation.
“We have been hearing conflicting statements by some ministers as far as revealing names of politicians and government officials involved in drug trafficking business …. They should come out in the open and name those involved rather than irritating the entire public,” she advised.
Kaganda explained that if none of them was sure of the suspects, then they should have kept silent or taken the matter to the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) for legal procedures to be taken.
“It is of paramount importance that we remind the government officials that they ought to safeguard public trust on the integrity of public servants as well as other government officials at large,” she clarified.
She added: “… losing public trust, for sure is equivalent to endangering the country’s peace and stability. Therefore, I think it is high time our leaders were reminded of this fact.”
“You will agree with me that these incidents whereby our leaders openly criticise and oppose each other are not healthy to our country,” she said.
Opening the workshop, the Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Good Governance George Mkuchika said for three decades now, the government has taken various steps in forming different institutions to monitor, regulate and promote ethical behaviour and conduct of public leaders.
These include Department of Ethical Public Conduct in the President's Office, Public Service Management (PO-PSM), various committees responsible for ethical conduct in every ministry, department and institution as well as in district councils.
He therefore said: “The government recognizes contribution of the media in the country’s economic, political and social spheres. As Mark Twain once said; ‘There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe…the sun in the heavens and the associated press down here’. The media can disseminate information that can build or destroy the society.”
The minister appealed to the media to work closely with the secretariat in advocating, promoting and enforcing the standard of ethical behaviour and conduct saying by so doing, the country will realise its development vision 2025.
The Ethics Secretariat is an independent department in the government under the President’s Office, established under Article 132 of the 1977 Union Constitution.
Its main functions are to implement the Public Leadership Code of Ethics Act, No. 13 of 1995 (Chapter 398), specifically to monitor the ethical behaviour and conduct of public leaders.
It receives and verifies declarations of assets and liabilities required to be made by public leaders as well as receiving allegations and notifications on breach of the code of ethics from members of public.
The secretariat also wants to be vested with powers to summon public leaders who violate this crucial code of conduct so as to promote and enforce standards of ethical behaviour as provided under the Act.
Speaking at a workshop for editors held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Justice Kaganda said public leaders should conform to the rule of collective responsibility as stipulated in Article 17 of the said legislation.
“We have been hearing conflicting statements by some ministers as far as revealing names of politicians and government officials involved in drug trafficking business …. They should come out in the open and name those involved rather than irritating the entire public,” she advised.
Kaganda explained that if none of them was sure of the suspects, then they should have kept silent or taken the matter to the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) for legal procedures to be taken.
“It is of paramount importance that we remind the government officials that they ought to safeguard public trust on the integrity of public servants as well as other government officials at large,” she clarified.
She added: “… losing public trust, for sure is equivalent to endangering the country’s peace and stability. Therefore, I think it is high time our leaders were reminded of this fact.”
“You will agree with me that these incidents whereby our leaders openly criticise and oppose each other are not healthy to our country,” she said.
Opening the workshop, the Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Good Governance George Mkuchika said for three decades now, the government has taken various steps in forming different institutions to monitor, regulate and promote ethical behaviour and conduct of public leaders.
These include Department of Ethical Public Conduct in the President's Office, Public Service Management (PO-PSM), various committees responsible for ethical conduct in every ministry, department and institution as well as in district councils.
He therefore said: “The government recognizes contribution of the media in the country’s economic, political and social spheres. As Mark Twain once said; ‘There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe…the sun in the heavens and the associated press down here’. The media can disseminate information that can build or destroy the society.”
The minister appealed to the media to work closely with the secretariat in advocating, promoting and enforcing the standard of ethical behaviour and conduct saying by so doing, the country will realise its development vision 2025.
The Ethics Secretariat is an independent department in the government under the President’s Office, established under Article 132 of the 1977 Union Constitution.
Its main functions are to implement the Public Leadership Code of Ethics Act, No. 13 of 1995 (Chapter 398), specifically to monitor the ethical behaviour and conduct of public leaders.
It receives and verifies declarations of assets and liabilities required to be made by public leaders as well as receiving allegations and notifications on breach of the code of ethics from members of public.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
