Arusha. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged public institutions to exercise restraint in naming government programmes and projects after her, saying excessive use of her name risks becoming repetitive and diminishing its significance.
The President noted the growing trend of attaching the name "Mama Samia" to various initiatives across different sectors.
She noted that the legal sector already has the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign, while the education sector runs the Mama Samia Scholarship programme.
Samia said proposals to establish a legal Centre of Excellence and a training programme bearing her name would create unnecessary duplication. She advised the institution to identify a distinguished legal scholar or jurist and name it after that person.
Samia recalled attending a comedy show in Dar es Salaam, where one of the organisers and performers joked about adding her name to an event to guarantee its success.
"He said once you attach 'Mama Samia' to anything, it will succeed...If the intention is simply to ensure things move forward, I can assure you that government programmes will continue to progress. However, when 'Mama Samia' appears everywhere, it becomes excessive and loses its appeal," Samia said.
