William Ferdinand Shija (28 April 1947 – 4 October 2014) was a Tanzanian politician and the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association between 2007 and 2014. He had also served as a member of the African Union's Pan-African Parliament.[1]
Dr William F. Shija | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association | |
| In office 1 January 2007 – 4 October 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Denis Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Karimulla Akbar Khan |
| Member of Parliament for Sengerema | |
| In office 1990–2005 | |
| Succeeded by | William Ngeleja |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 April 1947 Tanganyika |
| Died | 4 October 2014 (aged 67) London, United Kingdom |
| Resting place | Sengerema, Tanzania |
| Nationality | Tanzanian |
| Political party | CCM |
| Spouse | Getruda Peter Shija |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Howard University (PhD) |
Early life and career edit
Shilija was born in Nyampande village in Sengerema District of Mwanza Region. Before entering politics, Shilja worked as a civil servant and a teacher. After receiving higher education in India and the United States, he taught communications in Tanzania.
Politics edit
Shija was a member of the National Assembly of Tanzania from 1990 to 2005. During this time he held the positions of Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education; Minister for Information and Broadcasting; Minister for Energy and Minerals; and Minister for Industries and Trade. He was a member of the Pan-African Parliament in 2004 and 2005 and chaired the Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources.[2] He was appointed the first African Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association[3] on September 9, 2006 and took up the position on 1 January 2007. His term lasted until 2014.
Personal life edit
Shija was married with five children. When he assumed the post of Secretary-General of the CPA, he lived in London.[2] Dr. Shija was a patron for a Welsh based charity that works extensively in Tanzania.[4]
Death edit
He died on 4 October 2014 in London.[5][6] He was buried in his home village of Nyampande in Sengerema District, Mwanza Region.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Member of Parliament CV". Parliament of Tanzania. 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ^ a b "News Release:Tanzanian to head Commonwealth organization". Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
- ^ "Former Secretary-Generals". www.cpahq.org. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
- ^ Rich. "home". Tools For Self Reliance Cymru. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ "CPA Secretary-General Dr William F. Shija dies in London, UK" (PDF) (Press release). Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
- ^ Raphaely, Lawrence (5 October 2014). "Shija is no more". Daily News. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ^ Chacha, Emmanuel (14 October 2014). "Bilal leads hundreds in Shija farewell". The Citizen. Retrieved 15 October 2014.