By Nangayi Guyson
Kampala, Uganda- About 10,000 workers in Tanzania are reported to have lost their jobs after President John Magufuli ordered for their dismissal over fake academic documents.
Tanzania discovered that over 19,700 workers were possessing fake certificates and other 1,538 also have questionable academic documents.
This discovery came after the Presidency launched a nationwide verification of academic credentials late last month.
The Tanzanian President Magufuli said on Friday after receiving a report on academic fraud in the civil service that “We have been working hard to create new jobs while there are people in government who hold fake degrees. It is a criminal offence to forge any document for whatever reason; these workers with fake certificates, should be fired immediately and be deleted from the payroll” Magufuli said .
According to President Magufuli, Tanzania spends Tsh700 billion ($309.78 million) on monthly salaries for these workers. The government is said to have lost Tsh257.94 billion ($114.15million) so far in the scam.
The workers have been given only 15 days to leave their job positions.
President, John Magufuli has been vibrant in the fight against corruption since he took office in October 2015. Last year he ordered the purge of more than 19,700 ‘ghost workers’ from the public sector payroll.
The possession of fake academic documents by workers is common in many East African countries most especially in Uganda where several investigations have been launched on the matter .
