Elli
Platinum Member
- Mar 17, 2008
- 55,484
- 86,000
Open Letter To President Kikwete
Mr. President, I will not pretend to lecture you on the daunting tasks ahead of you since you see the data and the intelligence; rather, I will simply remind you that our country is in the worst shape ever in its nearly half a century of existence - a comatose economy, non-existent infrastructures, more than epileptic power supply, run-away unemployment, obsolete educational system and infrastructure, record armed robbery incidents, never seen before kidnapping, roof-hitting corruption and lawlessness, record-inefficient public sector, crushed manufacturing sector, ethno-religious violence, etcetera.
Mr. President, Tanzanians are surely not looking for handouts neither do we expect the government to solve all our problems; rather, all we seek is someone with proper understanding, commonsense and honest solutions to most of our myriad of man-made problems. We are certainly not looking for a historical opportunist.
Bearing in mind that you were the likeliest candidate for this office at this time, this is your moment to get your fatherland back on track. As you have the rare privilege of leading our country into its golden age, this is your time to put our able-bodied and ready-to-work but jobless citizens back to work. And as you go to bed each night, and wake up each morning, take some time to think about the following pertinent questions and the appropriate answers to them.
Would you be the president that inspires us to set our sights high, to not accept the status quo, and to sometimes pursue those causes that are bigger than ourselves for the common good or would you be the president that encourages us to set our sights so low, and simply live with the highly unacceptable status quo? Would you be a change agent or would it still be business-as-usual? Would you have the courage to show us and the whole world that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people is still obtainable in Tanzania by making certain that people's vote count or would you make a mockery of it by pursuing selfish ambitions just like some of your living and dead predecessors?
Would you be the president of all Tanzanians or would you be president just for Few ? Would you be the president that gets holed up in Ikulu and sees it as the beginning and end of Tanzania, shaking only the hands of CCM godfathers And Ministers or would you be caring and empathetic enough to sometimes step out of Ikulu comfort and shake the hungry, jobless, sick, and poor hands of your fellow countrymen and women in the forgotten corners of our country? Would you be the president that motivates us to summon that much needed new spirit of hope, service, patriotism, responsibility, and care for one another that our country seriously desires or would you be the president that teaches us, especially the younger generation, that public service is the surest means to instant and stupendous wealth?
Would you be humble enough to listen and be president to those that disagree with you or would you make a jacket out of vindictiveness and arrogance and listen only to praise-singers and sweet-tongued sycophants? Would you be the president that hears the voices of only those Tanzanians that live in mansions, government houses, parliaments, and palaces or would you still be president for everyday Tanzanian mothers and fathers who lie awake each night thinking about how they will pay their children's school fees and hospital bills?
Would you be president just for the fuel importers and those that ensure our refineries never function or would you still be president for those everyday Tanzanians that spend hours sweating out their lives at the filling stations? Would you be the president that only looks after the big oil companies and their pockets or would you still be president for those fishermen, and dwellers of the delta whose environments and means of livelihoods have been decimated, and who bear the brunt of oil production and spillage with nothing much to show for it?
Would you be the president that protects and dines with folks that sabotage power generation and supply in our country via outright embezzlement of funds or non-execution of awarded power contracts or would you be president for that poor barber, hair-dresser, welder and other small business owners whose means of livelihoods have been crushed by non-existent power supply, and which our economy needs to function properly?
Would you be the president that believes that good education is a privilege by ensuring that only private schools flourish, and that only the children of the few rich get good education or would you be the president that ensures that public schools flourish alongside for the children of the many poor and the less-fortunate among us?
Would you be president for just those Tanzanians that can afford flight tickets or would you still be president for those everyday Tanzanians that risk and lose their lives daily on our death traps that are called roads? Would you be the president that encourages the proliferation of boreholes in every available space in the land or would you be the president that recognises the role of government in providing running water to Tanzanians and finally spare us this running water scarcity nightmare? Would you be president just for the rich and connected and their children or would you be the president that also provides ladders of opportunity for the children of the poor and less-connected?
Would you be the president that continually acts in such a way as to remind us that we are Tanzanians and not a collection of ethnic groups, that sees our diversity as strength and summons us to choose unity of purpose over dichotomy or would you use our ethnic differences as a wedge to divide us? Would you be the president that readily and positively taps into the unyielding and stubborn resilient spirit of the Tanzanian people or would you be tempted to view these virtues as a weakness and as qualities to be exploited?
Finally, Mr. President, assuming you would suppress your worst instinct and listen to your better angel, imagine for a second the kind of progress we would have made, and the kind of change our children will see if they could live to witness our centennial anniversary. At this defining moment, you can decide to either store your name in the vault of history or relegate it to the sewage of history, just like some of the men that have come before you. The choice is all yours.
Yona F Maro
Mr. President, I will not pretend to lecture you on the daunting tasks ahead of you since you see the data and the intelligence; rather, I will simply remind you that our country is in the worst shape ever in its nearly half a century of existence - a comatose economy, non-existent infrastructures, more than epileptic power supply, run-away unemployment, obsolete educational system and infrastructure, record armed robbery incidents, never seen before kidnapping, roof-hitting corruption and lawlessness, record-inefficient public sector, crushed manufacturing sector, ethno-religious violence, etcetera.
Mr. President, Tanzanians are surely not looking for handouts neither do we expect the government to solve all our problems; rather, all we seek is someone with proper understanding, commonsense and honest solutions to most of our myriad of man-made problems. We are certainly not looking for a historical opportunist.
Bearing in mind that you were the likeliest candidate for this office at this time, this is your moment to get your fatherland back on track. As you have the rare privilege of leading our country into its golden age, this is your time to put our able-bodied and ready-to-work but jobless citizens back to work. And as you go to bed each night, and wake up each morning, take some time to think about the following pertinent questions and the appropriate answers to them.
Would you be the president that inspires us to set our sights high, to not accept the status quo, and to sometimes pursue those causes that are bigger than ourselves for the common good or would you be the president that encourages us to set our sights so low, and simply live with the highly unacceptable status quo? Would you be a change agent or would it still be business-as-usual? Would you have the courage to show us and the whole world that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people is still obtainable in Tanzania by making certain that people's vote count or would you make a mockery of it by pursuing selfish ambitions just like some of your living and dead predecessors?
Would you be the president of all Tanzanians or would you be president just for Few ? Would you be the president that gets holed up in Ikulu and sees it as the beginning and end of Tanzania, shaking only the hands of CCM godfathers And Ministers or would you be caring and empathetic enough to sometimes step out of Ikulu comfort and shake the hungry, jobless, sick, and poor hands of your fellow countrymen and women in the forgotten corners of our country? Would you be the president that motivates us to summon that much needed new spirit of hope, service, patriotism, responsibility, and care for one another that our country seriously desires or would you be the president that teaches us, especially the younger generation, that public service is the surest means to instant and stupendous wealth?
Would you be humble enough to listen and be president to those that disagree with you or would you make a jacket out of vindictiveness and arrogance and listen only to praise-singers and sweet-tongued sycophants? Would you be the president that hears the voices of only those Tanzanians that live in mansions, government houses, parliaments, and palaces or would you still be president for everyday Tanzanian mothers and fathers who lie awake each night thinking about how they will pay their children's school fees and hospital bills?
Would you be president just for the fuel importers and those that ensure our refineries never function or would you still be president for those everyday Tanzanians that spend hours sweating out their lives at the filling stations? Would you be the president that only looks after the big oil companies and their pockets or would you still be president for those fishermen, and dwellers of the delta whose environments and means of livelihoods have been decimated, and who bear the brunt of oil production and spillage with nothing much to show for it?
Would you be the president that protects and dines with folks that sabotage power generation and supply in our country via outright embezzlement of funds or non-execution of awarded power contracts or would you be president for that poor barber, hair-dresser, welder and other small business owners whose means of livelihoods have been crushed by non-existent power supply, and which our economy needs to function properly?
Would you be the president that believes that good education is a privilege by ensuring that only private schools flourish, and that only the children of the few rich get good education or would you be the president that ensures that public schools flourish alongside for the children of the many poor and the less-fortunate among us?
Would you be president for just those Tanzanians that can afford flight tickets or would you still be president for those everyday Tanzanians that risk and lose their lives daily on our death traps that are called roads? Would you be the president that encourages the proliferation of boreholes in every available space in the land or would you be the president that recognises the role of government in providing running water to Tanzanians and finally spare us this running water scarcity nightmare? Would you be president just for the rich and connected and their children or would you be the president that also provides ladders of opportunity for the children of the poor and less-connected?
Would you be the president that continually acts in such a way as to remind us that we are Tanzanians and not a collection of ethnic groups, that sees our diversity as strength and summons us to choose unity of purpose over dichotomy or would you use our ethnic differences as a wedge to divide us? Would you be the president that readily and positively taps into the unyielding and stubborn resilient spirit of the Tanzanian people or would you be tempted to view these virtues as a weakness and as qualities to be exploited?
Finally, Mr. President, assuming you would suppress your worst instinct and listen to your better angel, imagine for a second the kind of progress we would have made, and the kind of change our children will see if they could live to witness our centennial anniversary. At this defining moment, you can decide to either store your name in the vault of history or relegate it to the sewage of history, just like some of the men that have come before you. The choice is all yours.
Yona F Maro
