Tanzania's newly elected President John
Magufuli has cancelled independence day
celebrations, and has ordered a clean-up
campaign instead.

Should Nigeria also scrap if too?

It would be "shameful" to spend huge sums of
money on the celebrations when "our people are
dying of cholera", he said, state television
reported.

Cholera has killed about 60 people in Tanzania in
the last three months.

This will be the first time in 54 years Tanzania
will not hold celebrations to mark independence
from the UK.

Mr Magufuli's party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi
(CCM), has governed since colonial rule ended on
9 December 1961, winning a new mandate in
elections last month.

Many people were caught by surprise by Mr
Magufuli's announcement but have welcomed the
move, the BBC's Sammy Awami reports from the
main city, Dar es Salaam.

They feel it shows his commitment to ending
lavish spending and tackling the cholera outbreak
which has caused widespread concern, he says.
But it remains to be seen whether people will
heed his call to spend independence day cleaning
up their residential areas and work-places, our
reporter adds.

Independence day celebrations are usually
marked with a presidential address, a military
parade and performances by music groups at the
National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

MPs party targeted

Mr Magufuli's spokesman Gerson Msigwa did not
say how much would be saved by cancelling the
event but said the money would be spent on
hospitals, and the fight against cholera - a major
problem in poor areas where there is a lack of
proper toilets.

Mr Magufuli has announced a range of cost-
cutting measures since he took office, including a
ban on unnecessary foreign travel by government
officials.

Last week, he ordered the cost of a party to
inaugurate the new parliament to be slashed from
$100,000 (£66,000) to $7,000.

He also sacked the head of the main state
hospital after finding patients sleeping on the
floor during a surprise visit to the facility.

Mr Magufuli beat opposition candidate Edward
Lowassa in last month's election to become
Tanzania's fifth president since independence.
Nicknamed "The Bulldozer", Mr Magufuli is
reputed to be a no-nonsense, results-driven
politician.

He was the works minister, before being elected
president.

Source: www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34909111


Should Nigeria also follow-suit and spend those monies in reasonable areas?