Massive Immigration shake-up
HOME Affairs Minister Charles Kitwanga has ordered the transfer of all immigration officials at both Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) and Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) to other workstations in the country.
The reshuffle, according to Mr Kitwanga, is geared at increasing efficiency in the department and that it is part of the reshuffle that he intends to institute in the department that he said was important to the development of the country.
The decision by the minister came after he held a closed door meeting with the immigration department top brass yesterday. The meeting, held at the ministry’s headquarters, was also attended by officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, including heads of departments and units in the ministry.
Mr Kitwanga also ordered the transfer of officials of the passport, accountancy, residential permits and investigations units that are all stationed at the immigration headquarters.
All heads of investigation departments of districts in Dar es Salaam and those at Tunduma, Mtukula, Holili and Kasumulo stations have been slapped with the transfer order by the minister who further said officials who have been in those stations for more than three years should also be transferred to other duty stations.
“I want this reshuffle to be done in different departments to increase efficiency and strengthen discipline and integrity in those departments,’’ said the minister.
In effecting the transfer, Mr Kitwanga said utmost precaution would be taken to ensure that the exercise is carried out in a fair and just manner, adding that his ministry is keen to see the entire corruption network being tamed.
“The research conducted a few days ago indicated that the immigration department was leading in corruption by 30 per cent, whereas 20 per cent of the survey established that there was poor leadership in the department while there was abuse of office by another 20 per cent,’’ he said adding that 50 per cent of the survey established that there was poor system of administration, poor services by 10 per cent and favouritism and tribalism by 5 per cent.
Mr Kitwanga directed the immigration department staff to observe the country’s laws, rules and regulations and shun any acts of bribery that were likely to escalate the entry of illegal immigrants into the country while at the same time increasing drug trafficking in the country.
