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Ng`wandu in trouble over `shallow` answers
2005-07-08 09:39:30
By Pastory Nguvu, Dodoma
The Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Dr Pius Ng’wandu, found himself in a tight corner on Wednesday when some Members of Parliament demanded an explanation on why his ministry had set aside 140m/- to buy two cars.
The minister was taken to task over why his ministry was spending a lot of money on luxury cars instead of allocating it to Mwalimu Nyerere Academy which they said was in dire need of rehabilitation.
The school was allocated 100m/-, which MPs said was peanuts.
Eliachim Simpasa (Mbozi West, CCM), who chaired Wednesday’s House Committee saved the minister from further criticism when he ruled in his favour, saying, amid protests, that his answers were satisfactory.
Simpasa’s verdict paved the way for the approval of a total of 111, 113,449, 700/- for ministry’s budget for the 2005/06 financial year.
Benedicto Mutungirehi (Kyerwa, TLP) criticised Dr Ngwandu for approving the money to buy the two luxury cars instead allocating it to Mwalimu Nyerere Academy.
Henry Shekifu (Lushoto, CCM) demanded to know how much money had been set aside for the expansion of the Open University to enable it buy its own buildings.
Responding to the questions, Dr Ng’wandu told the committee that he would answer the questions with regard to the policy that governs the ministry.
’’Issues regarding money can only be answered by the minister of Finance,’’said Ng’wandu.
Responding to Shekifu’s question, the minister said the Open University is an autonomous institution, hence it is supposed to prepare its on development plan.
He said that, when the plan is complete, it would be forwarded to the government for consideration and approved depending on the government’s financial position.
The minister told Mutungirehi that Mwalimu Nyerere Academy’s request for more money could not be met because of the ministry’s shoestring budget.
The minister’s replies elicited angry reaction from a number of MPs who shot up on points of order and dismissed the minister’s answers as shallow and unsatisfactory.
When he was asked to respond to the questions, the Minister for Finance Basil Mramba told the House that it was not proper for him to respond to questions that do not affect his ministry directly.
’’My task is to allocate funds to ministries. After that, the responsibility of budgeting for ministries is left to the ministers in charge. That is why it is not proper for me to respond to the two questions,’’ said Mramba.
It was at this juncture that Simpasa intervened and said: ’’I am certain that the answers Dr Ng’wandu gave to Shekifu are satisfactory and he himself is satisfied. Likewise, the reply to Mutungirehi question is satisfactory.’’
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