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'MPs want a new National Service Modus Operandi

By Lusekelo Philemon
7th July 2009

Members of Parliament said yesterday the National Service could confidently face up to the current global challenges only if it used appropriately reviewed training manuals.

They made remarks to that effect soon after Defence and National Service minister Dr Hussein Mwinyi had tabled his ministry’s 2009/10 budget estimates in the august House.

They said it was of crucial importance for a modern-day National Service to approach issues differently, including ensuring that its courses are conducted in a conducive environment and the teaching methodology is in consonance with local conditions.

Long-serving politician Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru (CCM) cautioned the government against embarking on the reintroduction of mandatory NS training stints for Form Six leavers unless it was satisfied that adequate preparations were made.

Noting that it was difficult for the previous-era NS to work in the current situation, he said: “We need to be well-prepared in all aspects...from what we’ll be teaching and in the way we will be preparing teachers so that they can impart knowledge on issues relevant to the needs and aspirations of our youths.”

“I am saying this because things out there have changed a lot. A number of issues need to be carefully and seriously addressed before the recruitment youths into the programme envisaged, which is expected to involve both males and females,” added the ruling party stalwart.

Ngombale-Mwiru also cited some of the issues to be seriously considered before the resumption of the NS recruitment drive as the impact of HIV/Aids, moral decay, economic crisis and globalisation generally.

He recommended that the programme, halted a decade ago and expected to resume in the 2010/11 financial year, was previously framed in such a way that it used to make Tanzanian youths have self-imposed discipline and demonstrate exemplary patriotism.

“National Service makes youths value and practise patriotism and work for the nation’s interests...That spirit is currently conspicuously absent,” he said.

Another long-serving politician, Anna Abdallah (Special Seats - CCM), underscored the need for the NS to place a premium on vocational training.

“That will afford the youths an opportunity to acquire important skills that will help in making them lead more meaningful lives, including engaging in various forms of self-employment,” she said, adding that the move would also improve food production in the country.

But she noted that it was important for the government to put important facilities and resources to make the programme a success.

“If the government is really serious about helping the National Service to exploit its massive potential to the full, it must allocate it more resources,” she pointed out.

Raha Leo legislator Saleh Farrah (CCM) said it would make a lot of economic and political sense if the NS were used to achieve the government’s goal of improving agriculture through its newly coined ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ (Agriculture First) motto.

Meanwhile, Arumeru West MP Elisa Mollel (CCM) claimed in the House that dishonest or disgruntled retired soldiers were among the people behind the rising wave of crime in the country.

He said it all resulted from problems with the training and incentives available to soldiers “as most were not trained on how they can engage in productive ventures”. “I therefore call upon the government to empower soldiers with skills that can enable them to survive and even prosper in ordinary (civilian) life after they retire,” he added.

The opposition camp in the House appealed to the government to review the regulations guiding pensions and gratuities in the defence and security forces “so that retired soldiers can get their rights without problems”.

Defence and National Service shadow minister Masoud Salim underlined the need for the government to ensure soldiers have life insurance cover “given the nature of their day-to-day duties”.

Dr Mwinyi asked the House to the 443,340,832,000/- budget estimates, of which 395,179,305,000 will be for recurrent expenditure and about 48,161,518,000/- for development purposes. The estimates were endorsed yesterday evening.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN