President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged the newly sworn-in leaders, particularly Regional Commissioners, to carry out their duties with confidence and to regard the responsibility entrusted to them as a duty to oversee all government activities in their respective areas.

President Samia made the remarks today at the Tunguu State House in Zanzibar shortly after swearing in the newly appointed leaders.

She said their appointments are a sign of the great trust placed in them by the government, and therefore they should use their positions to ensure that challenges facing citizens in their areas are addressed.

“Constitutionally, the President has delegated her powers to an area called a region. As a Regional Commissioner, consider yourself the President of that area, meaning that everything that comes to the President concerning that area is your responsibility,” President Samia said.

She also reminded the leaders that the responsibility entrusted to them does not make them kings of the areas they lead, but rather servants of the people.

“We did not send you there to be kings of those areas, but to serve the people,” she said.

President Samia said Regional Commissioners should regard the regions they lead and their people as part of their major responsibility, stressing that challenges facing citizens should be treated as challenges of the leaders themselves.