Residents call for sacking of leaders over embezzlement

Morogoro. The Morogoro Municipal Council Executive Director, Mr John Mgalula has been asked to sack both the Mindu Ward Executive Officer (Weo) and chairperson of Mikoroshini Street (names withheld) for misappropriation of funds collected from the daily levy charged on sand mining.

Trucks carrying sand have been paying between Sh30, 000 to Sh35, 000 per day to the street and ward for mining the sand in the area, but it is claimed that the revenue is constantly misused.

Speaking to The Citizen on Wednesday, residents of Mikoroshini and Mindu had mixed views of the scandal haunting their leaders.

Some of the residents defended the leaders, but majority of them were seemingly angry after learning of the scandal.

The theft is believed to have denied the Mikoroshini Street earnings that could have been spent on various development projects.

A resident of Mindu Ward, Mr Issa Maulid said they have already tendered a letter to the Office of the Director, requesting him to fire the aforementioned individuals because of the accusations.

Mr Maulid clarified that they had drafted the letter since September 20, this year, and copies were sent to the Morogoro Regional Commissioner, the Morogoro Municipal Council Executive Director and other offices of the authorities so that they could investigate matter and come up with a decision.

However, the Mindu Weo, who did not want his name appear on the paper, said he was not the person responsible for collection of the levies, adding that the levy collectors had been handing over cash in accordance with the laid down procedure.

“As far as I know the levy has been taken by people from three offices including those from sand extraction, the owner of a farm from which sand is taken and the council’s officer and a truck driver is issued with a receipt,” he clarified following the accusations.

For his part, the Mikoroshini Street Chairman explained that the accusations against him had been framed by a group of a few people opposing development in the street with the aim of defaming leaders in the presence of top officials.

“Mikoroshini Street has its bank account and all the money that we receive through levies on the sand mineral is deposited into the bank account straight away, so these accusations against me are baseless,” said the chairman.