When we are blissfully ignorant

Last week, Tanzania was abuzz with pride as President Samia Suluhu Hassan addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UN-GA) as President and Head of State of the United Republic of Tanzania.

This was last done by President (Retired) Jakaya Kikwete in 2014.

On the occasion of International Day for Universal Access to Information today, let us just say that the people who effusively praised the President, and those who tried to dampen the spirit, were both being economical with the truth.

Make no mistake: President Hassan addressing the UN-GA was an important milestone in ways more than one – including restoring Tanzania in the world’s good books, if you will.

Njombe Town MP Deodatus Mwanyika tweeted that his main take-away from the President’s UN-GA speech was: “Tanzania is back on the international scene.”

Indeed, President Hassan made history for women as the first-ever female executive President in our part of Africa – and also by addressing the world from the UN podium along with dozens of male leaders of international repute.

This fact alone is motivation enough for the ordinary girl-child to dream of a successful future leadership almost anywhere. And, for this, I sincerely congratulate our President for representing millions of African women extremely well.

But, we also should not fault people who do not think so highly of President Hassan and her government. As sages down the ages have said: “You have made your bed – and you now must lie on it!”

They cite the terrorism charges in court against the national chairman of the (arguably) most powerful political opposition party, Chadema, Mr Freeman Mbowe, as an example of the government’s self-inflicted wound that tests its stand on democracy and good governance.

Admittedly, one has the right to protest – and choose the manner and place of protest. But, one may not have any or all the facts. For example, it is an undisputed fact that President Hassan made history by her UN-GA address as the first and only female Head of State of the United Republic to have ever done so… And I say “Amen” to that!

At the same time, those on the other side of the divide have no reason to embellish the President’s speech with their own words. Words which do not exactly represent the reality in Tanzania today – unless we wake up and proverbially smell the coffee!

President Hassan called for increased multilateralism across the world. In doing this, she was aware that Tanzania has been a pariah state – for lack of a better term.

And we got here because we did not seriously take the idea of multilateralism – and also because of umbumbumbu – ignorance. Lack of knowledge or information has been the bane of our nation, generally encouraged by political party apparatchiks.

President Kikwete in his days tried to streamline access to information and adopted the Open Government Partnership (OGP) – on whose international board Aidan Eyakuze is a member.

But, those of us who wallow in the miasma of #TanzaniaTunaweza should know that it is only a politician’s meal ticket.

Tanzania needs the world in multilateralism terms – and must work with the world on this, including international organisations and other development partners.

That’s what multilateralism is all about – and, as we celebrate International Day for Universal Access to Information, we must accept that lack of information is a lot more dangerous than too much information.

Information at the village level gives villagers power. And, as a nation, being aware of what President Kikwete called “give and take” will save us the pain of having mindless quarrels with our neighbours on non-tariff barriers year in year out… Not that they are blameless; they are not!

Our younger generation ought to know that none of what we call Tanzanian mineral resources are strictly speaking ours. We are merely hosting them for a needy world that will pay us for them.

Only then shall the minerals be useful to us – but if only they pay us fair and square.

We wish Dr Jakaya Kikwete Happy Access to Information in Msoga or wherever he is today.