President Magufuli’s Demise,  A Big Loss to Africa

Africa on Wednesday woke up to one of the shocking developments from the Eastern part of the continent.

The death of Tanzanian first gentleman,  President John Pombe Magufuli broke as an electric shock bringing the whole country to a spontaneous standstill.

President Magufuli died at age 61 after terminal heart failure.

Sworn-in on 5th November 2015 as the fifth president of Tanzania, President John Pombe Magufuli earned the nickname “the Bulldozer”. Indeed, Tanzania saw a drastic change from the onset of President Magufuli’s administration.

The public service in particular was the first to experience the new era of leadership. He paid unannounced visits to state institutions especially the finance ministry which caught workers off-guard. These visits instilled discipline and accountability, ensured high productivity, control over government expenditure, and value for money. 

Also, he uncovered over 30,000 phantom workers and those with fake academic credentials who were on the government payroll. This action saved the country $190m. He was an anti-corruption crusader and despised acts that constitute corruption and other forms of malfeasance. 

Before his sudden demise, President Magufuli among others had made Tanzania a “Middle Income Country”. The struggling economy before the reign of Magufuli was raised from tatters to a stable economy.  Other African leaders are advised to learn from the good traits of President Magufuli.

He believed Africa could stand the test of time without relying on the developed countries. In his nearly 5 years of reign, Magufuli turned the fortunes of Tanzania and that made him an outstanding leader. 

The late statesman was a true Pan-Africanist. The love for his country was unparalleled and in fact, one that every patriot will exhibit for his or her motherland. His style of leadership was devoid of the usual elements exhibited by many African leaders. He led without fear or favour and made sure that at least in his tenure, Tanzania must develop must see the light of the day hence making them standout among her peers. With the few highlighted achievements above, one would not be far from concluding that, Tanzania and for that matter Africa has lost a gem.

Africa has lost a great son who reminds me of some past African leaders such as Thomas Sankara(Burkina Faso), Julius Kambarage Nyerere (Tanzania), Haile Selassie (Ethiopia), and Ahmed Sekotoure(Guinea). They led prioritizing the interest of their respective nations at heart.

As the Executive Secretary of  Save Ghana Foundation, I would want to use this opportunity to commensurate with the bereaved family and our African brothers Tanzania. I admonish the newly sworn-in President, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan to stay resolute this trying time and do her outmost best to sustain the gains and do more to keep the country still on track.

Fare thee a well son of Mother Africa.
Fare thee well a True Pan-Africanist.
Your legacy lives on Sir, President John Pombe Magufuli.

By: Edward Adu-Bobi (Executive Secretary, Save Ghana Foundation