Intimidation of experts will hurt the economy
What you need to know:
The social and economic development of Tanzania, like that of any other country, depends, among many factors, on how experts’ advice is sought and used.
On July 6, 2022, Mwananchi newspaper reported that the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Godwin Mollel, had fired the head of the construction department in his ministry, Engineer Paul Koroso, and ordered that he be put in jail.
Kosoro’s alleged crime was that he spoke to the deputy minister disrespectfully. I don’t know more than what was reported in the paper, but this appears to be an abuse of power, something that, if it spreads, can be dangerous to the economy of Tanzania. Leaders must not intimidate experts if they want honest and professional opinions.
Apparently, there was a disagreement between Mr Koroso and the regional engineer on the amount that would be saved by using a “force account” in constructing a district hospital in Ukerewe.
In a “force account” arrangement, the inheritors of a project (in this case, the Ukerewe District) use their own labour force to implement the project. Mr Kosoro addressed the deputy minister, saying, “Mheshimiwa Naibu Waziri, kiwango nilichotaja kimezingatia kanuni, vigezo na hesabu za kitaaluma; nitaendelea kusisitiza hilo hata kama ukinifukuza kazi sitajali,” (Honourable Deputy Minister, the estimates I presented are based on technical requirements and professional calculations; I will hold onto these facts and even if you fire me, I won’t care.)
There is nothing disrespectful about this statement. The statement reflects the respect the engineer has for his profession and the confidence he has in his expertise and calculations.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is accurate. But when there is a technical disagreement between two experts, you ask each one to explain the basis of their calculations and seek opinions from other experts.
Firing someone or putting him in jail just because he stands by his professional opinion is clearly an abuse of power. Where is the due process?
Tanzania is investing a lot in education. The number of experts in all fields continues to increase every day. This is something the country should be proud of.
The social and economic development of Tanzania, like that of any other country, depends, among many factors, on how experts’ advice is sought and used. There would be no point of leaders, be they in the private or public sector, surrounding themselves with experts, if they are not capable of listening to their advice.
Intimidating experts can make them simply say what will please their bosses, even when they know what they are saying is in conflict with their professional opinion. We saw how at the height of the pandemic some health officials embarrassed themselves by becoming “experts” in, and promoters of, unproven local medicines. They did this out of fear and to conform with the political climate at the time. Of course, it had a detrimental effect on many people’s lives, the residual impact of which is the hesitation that some people have to this day, to be vaccinated.
It is out of respect for expert opinions that some institutions are established to be autonomous, or at least semi-autonomous. A good example is the Bank of Tanzania. If the Minister of Finance were to abuse his power and make it impossible for the central bank to make informed decisions about money supply as an independent body, the economy of Tanzania would be in constant jeopardy.
It is dangerous when politics takes precedence over expert opinion. Giving an ultimatum, for example, on how quickly a damaged rail line or bridge should be repaired, or how quickly construction of a hospital must be completed, may be a needed wake-up call for contractors, but it can also be irresponsible if one does not have a real appreciation about the safety features that must be adhered to for the work to be done properly. I would rather have an engineer tell us how long it would take to repair a bridge properly than hear an overzealous politician dictate an overly ambitious deadline.
Leaders have the responsibility to hold their subordinates accountable. But they must also perform their duties as colleagues who motivate and encourage their co-workers. The outcome of intimidation is always predictable -- superficial signs of respect to them and poor performance that end up hurting the economy.
