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Embezzlement worries church
2006-04-17 09:33:14
By Gerald Kitabu
The strong national unity which was guided by the principles of love, peace and harmony, will soon be lost if government leaders will continue to amass wealth from public coffers.
Delivering a homily at during Easter Sunday Mass yesterday, Bishop Valentino Mokiwa of the Anglican Church, Dar es Salaam Diocese, said when corrupt and greed government officials pocketed public funds, the result was poor economic performance, as the majority of people were left in abject poverty.
Bishop Mokiwa was addressing a congregation of more than 1,500 worshippers at the University of Dar es Salaam Chaplaincy, where Easter was marked at the national level.
The service was organised by the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) Bishop Dr Valentine Mokiwa also warned that some elements of discrimination and deliberate embezzlement of public funds were creeping in, saying this might frustrate the good socio-economic plans of the fourth government.
’’The Father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere laid down good principles. However, some people would like to see others suffer,’’ he said.
Amid cheers from the faithful, Bishop Mokiwa cautioned President Jakaya Kikwete of hypocrites in the government.
’’There are some government officials who are studying the President’s philosophy of new pace, zeal and vigour, before starting to squander public money,’’ he said.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam Prof Mathew Luhanga said religions had a key role to play in maintaining national unity, peace and harmony.
Prof Luhanga, who was speaking on behalf of Minister for Home Affairs John Chiligati, said though there was freedom of worship, it should not used to incite violence.
He said the fourth phase government established the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, far from that of Home Affairs because acts of immorality had reached alarming proportions.
’’Armed robbery, drug abuse and theft had caused huge losses to the government, ’’ he said.
The Church Service, which lasted for about three hours, was also attended by Director of Interfaith, CCT Dodoma, Priest Canon Thomas Goda and UDSM’s Chaplain reverend Ezekiel Ngao.
Meanwhile, Pope Benedict, in his first Easter message, called for an ’’honourable solution’’ to the nuclear standoff with Iran, a truly independent Palestinian state, and global co-operation to combat terrorism.
The German-born Pope, speaking on his 79th birthday, made his appeal for world peace in his Easter ’’Urbi et Orbi’’ (to the city and the world) message to some 100,000 people as he concluded the first Easter season of his pontificate yesterday.
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