When he revealed a list of the ministers and their deputies who were 34 in total, virtually, everybody congratulated him from political analysts, activists and the general public.
Another 49 list of Permanent Secretaries and their deputies was also commended, with majority saying the president had considered professionalism and gender balance without leaving aside a group of people with disabilities.
Indeed, since then, the ministers and their deputies have so far been traversing an entire nation to oversee various development projects with oomph, speed and cousin cadence.
In a period of two weeks, many Tanzanians have confidence that they will deliver to their expectations. When Dr Magufuli unveiled a list of Permanent Secretaries and their deputies that is when only one person ? former deputy minister in the Fourth phase government, Dr Makongoro Mahanga, emerged, saying the number of the administrators was big contrary to the president’s promise to reduce the size of the government.
Whether his comment was politically motivated or not, it remains on record that he was the only person who went against a greater percentage of Tanzanians who commended the Head of State.
The former deputy minister who was the former ruling party ? CCM cadre only to decamp to the opposition after his name was axed during the intra-party nominations presented his criticism basing on the following arguments: One, he said that by appointing many permanent secretaries, President John Magufuli acted contrary to his promise of reducing the size of the government in his bid to reduce unnecessary cost.
Two, the former Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment in the previous administration argued that by appointing 27 Permanent Secretaries in a government that had only 19 ministries, it was obvious that the ministries were no longer 19 and that the cost of running the government was likely to balloon.
But according to Chief Secretary (CS), Ombeni Sefue, who trashed his arguments, the number of PSs in Dr Magufuli’s administration was fewer than that of the previous government.