Do we need strong people or strong institutions?

emalau

JF-Expert Member
Apr 25, 2009
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When Barack Obama visited Ghana last year among other things, he said that Africa does not need strong people rather need strong institutions. I contemplated that statement for quite some time to grasp the insight of it. I'm quite sure most of African leaders did not take their precious time to comprehend the intended message.

Based on that when I think what happened before election, during election and after election I have come to concur with Barack Obama. One of the incident that happened before election was when the weekly newspaper Mwanahalisi with the title – Mpango wa wizi wa kura huu hapa gave all details about the evil plans which had been put in place to facilitate vote rigging, when I saw the publication for the first time I thought the election would be postponed due to serious allegations made against Uslama wa Taifa, Son of the current "president" – Miraji and the like,

Beyond my comprehension no one among the accused refuted the allegations, not even the election commission took trouble to assure the public that what had been published were wrong. This demonstrate the fact that despite the election commission being led by strong people - lawyers – Makame and Kilavu, these guys were subdued to the extent of not being able to perform duties entrusted to them, in other words they did it because of the weakness of their institution - election commission.
During election all of us witnessed the how some of the people who happened to be winners were denied their right due to instructions from the ruling party, for example in Karagwe the the winner was declared at gunpoint, in other words bodies entrusted with instituting justice like police force is being used to deny justice instead, this is another evidence of weak institution – the police force.

After election as it is always the case, most of the people forgot about vote rigging and started talking about strong people who were supposed to be in the cabinet, you would hear folks talking about the magufulis, Sitta , Mwakyembe, Mrs Tibaijuka and so on. Most of us failed to realize the fact that despite their personal strength the institutional framework within which they are to operate are rotten; as a result it is quite obvious now that people like Magufuli and mama Tibaijuka have already faced the fact. They cannot perform and they will not be able to form in the near future unless we change the institutional framework.
My analysis above stresses on the need of having new constitution which among other things should aim at creating or strengthening institutions. Institution devoid of external interference, the ultimate objective being creating a progressive society in which justice is not only being observed but is seen to be observed as well.
 
Tunaweza kuwa na katiba mpya, sawa, ina jipya gani? My take, katiba mpya tunayoihitaji ni ile tutakayoandika wenyewe na wala si kikundi cha watu wachache, wananchi na umma wz tusiwaachie wanasiasa na wanasheria watuandikie katiba. Tunahitaji kuwa na taasisi imara na wala si mtu imara
 
@emalau u made my day with this post. Indeed we lack institutions. That's to say we lack a solid and strong CONSTITUTION upon which strong instituions are built
 
When Barack Obama visited Ghana last year among other things, he said that Africa does not need strong people rather need strong institutions. I contemplated that statement for quite some time to grasp the insight of it. I’m quite sure most of African leaders did not take their precious time to comprehend the intended message.

Based on that when I think what happened before election, during election and after election I have come to concur with Barack Obama. One of the incident that happened before election was when the weekly newspaper Mwanahalisi with the title – Mpango wa wizi wa kura huu hapa gave all details about the evil plans which had been put in place to facilitate vote rigging, when I saw the publication for the first time I thought the election would be postponed due to serious allegations made against Uslama wa Taifa, Son of the current “president” – Miraji and the like,

Beyond my comprehension no one among the accused refuted the allegations, not even the election commission took trouble to assure the public that what had been published were wrong. This demonstrate the fact that despite the election commission being led by strong people - lawyers – Makame and Kilavu, these guys were subdued to the extent of not being able to perform duties entrusted to them, in other words they did it because of the weakness of their institution - election commission.
During election all of us witnessed the how some of the people who happened to be winners were denied their right due to instructions from the ruling party, for example in Karagwe the the winner was declared at gunpoint, in other words bodies entrusted with instituting justice like police force is being used to deny justice instead, this is another evidence of weak institution – the police force.

After election as it is always the case, most of the people forgot about vote rigging and started talking about strong people who were supposed to be in the cabinet, you would hear folks talking about the magufulis, Sitta , Mwakyembe, Mrs Tibaijuka and so on. Most of us failed to realize the fact that despite their personal strength the institutional framework within which they are to operate are rotten; as a result it is quite obvious now that people like Magufuli and mama Tibaijuka have already faced the fact. They cannot perform and they will not be able to form in the near future unless we change the institutional framework.
My analysis above stresses on the need of having new constitution which among other things should aim at creating or strengthening institutions. Institution devoid of external interference, the ultimate objective being creating a progressive society in which justice is not only being observed but is seen to be observed as well.

We lack both strong institutions and strong people. We need to work on improving both.
 
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