SUMMARY
The new employees, drawn from different professional disciplines, including forestry, apiculture, engineering and medicine, are expected to contribute their expertise towards strengthening conservation, improving service delivery and supporting the sustainable use of the country’s natural resources.
The Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) has cautioned its newly recruited staff against excessive use of social media and alcohol abuse, warning that such practices could jeopardise their careers and contribute to negligence and errors in the workplace.
The warning was issued by TFS Conservation Commissioner, Prof. Dos Santos Silayo, in Dodoma during an orientation session for newly recruited officers, where he urged them to uphold professionalism, integrity and patriotism in discharging their duties.
TFS is set to deploy 328 newly recruited staff, including conservation officers, to various parts of the country as part of efforts to strengthen the sustainable management and conservation of Tanzania’s forest and bee resources.
Prof. Silayo also cautioned the new employees against corruption and misuse of the trust entrusted to them, urging them to put the public interest at the centre of their work.
“Do not misuse the trust you have been given. Go and serve the people. Respect and cooperate with one another and avoid greed because it can lead you into corrupt practices,” Prof. Silayo said.
He further urged the officers to embrace innovation, saying innovative approaches could help TFS increase revenue while improving the management and conservation of forest and bee resources.
Prof. Silayo also called on the new employees to work hard, maintain their dignity and make proper use of the resources entrusted to them for the development of the conservation sector.
According to him, the forestry and bee sector plays an important role in supporting food security, environmental conservation and the national economy, making it essential for TFS employees to have the necessary skills and commitment to protect the country’s natural resources.
The Commissioner thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan for approving the recruitment of the new staff, saying the move would strengthen TFS’s capacity to effectively manage the country’s forest and bee resources.
He added that the agency expects to recruit more employees in the near future to further strengthen the sector, which is vital to Tanzania’s economy and conservation efforts.
Speaking during the orientation session, Deputy Conservation Commissioner Emmanuel Kiboko said the programme had been organised to enable the new officers to familiarise themselves with TFS management, receive guidance and understand how to effectively implement directives.
Kiboko urged the new employees to be prepared to serve wherever they would be posted across the country, stressing the importance of serving citizens with commitment, love and integrity.
Speaking during the training, Conservation Officer Grade III Omega Shamakala said the new employees had been brought together after completing their training to undergo an induction course aimed at helping them understand TFS and their responsibilities as new members of staff.
“Therefore, we thank God for bringing us here. Our contribution to the conservation sector, as conservation officers, is to ensure that we continue protecting forest and bee resources, which are among our key responsibilities,” she said.
Shamakala, who also serves as a public relations officer, said she would work to strengthen cooperation and unity between the agency, citizens and other stakeholders.
She noted that TFS could not achieve its conservation objectives alone without the active participation and cooperation of communities and other stakeholders.
Another newly recruited TFS staff member, Judith Pius, pledged to work diligently to ensure that Tanzania’s forest and bee resources were properly conserved and protected for present and future generations.
