LAKE ZONE: Bilal leads hundreds in Shija farewell

Vice President, Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal and National Assembly Speaker Anne Makinda yesterday led hundreds of people in the burial of the former secretary of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Dr William Shija, who passed away in London, the United Kingdom, on October 4, this year.

                                

Other leaders who attended the burial ceremony held at his home village in Nyampande, Sengerema District in Mwanza Region are minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Co-ordination and Parliamentary Affairs) William Lukuvi, State minister in the President’s Office (Social Relations and Coordination) Stephen Wassira and several MPs including William Ngeleja, the current legislator for Sengerema.

                            

The burial mass was presided over by Bishop of the Catholic Church, Bunda Diocese, Renatus Nkwade.  Before his death the late Dr Shija who was once an MP for Sengerema had served for various ministerial posts until 2005, before he was appointed the CPA secretary general in September, 2006, by the executive committee of the Commonwealth.

                           

                           

                               

                               

                               

                                 

In his condolence message, the Commonwealth secretary general, Mr Kamalesh Sharma, said; “the Commonwealth’s worldwide community of parliaments has learned today of the sudden passing of the former secretary general of the CPA, Dr William Shija. The Commonwealth at large shares in a sense of enormous sadness and loss.”

He added; “Dr Shija served CPA with commitment and with an enduring enthusiasm for its potential always to do more for its members and for the citizens of the Commonwealth at the grassroots level whom parliamentarians represent.”

The late Dr Shija was born on April, 28, 1947 in Sengerema District.

The Citizen