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House wakes up to its responsibilities
2008-02-08 09:04:13
By Judica Tarimo
Courteous norms and sugar-coated language were set aside yesterday as fiery MPs spoke with bitterness as they contributed to the debate on findings of the select committee on the Richmond power generation contract.
The heated discussions, in which legislators from opposition and the ruling CCM spoke in one voice, criticised the dubious contract imposed by top government officials on Tanesco, which signed the agreement with a brief-case company, Richmond.
It was a `born-again` Parliament, with MPs clearly stating that times for tolerating vice and the signing of bad contracts by ministers and other public officials as Parliament looked on heplessly were gone for good.
The MPs kept aside their political and ideological differences, and pressed for detailed and analytical investigations on other major contracts the government had signed with foreign investors.
``It`s time we (legislators) joined hands. It is time we worked together regardless of our political differences,
in matters of public interest we have to protect the welfare of millions of Tanzanians who are dying simply because of problems caused by these dubious contracts,`` Anna Komu (CUF) said.
``About 200bn/- were squandered in the Richmond scandal…this money is equivalent to the annual budgets of two ministries—Ministry of Education and Community Development, Gender, and Children Affairs This is not a joke; we should be more serious with these issues,`` she added.
Christopher Ole Sendeka (Simanjiro) proposed the immediate exclusion PCCB director general and the Attorney General from the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) probe committee, following their implication in the Richmond scandal.
``PCCB cleared the Richmond deal as free from corruption while the Attorney General was directly involved in the Richmond contract-awarding exercise. The wananchi will not understand us if we leave these people in the same positions,`` he said.
He proposed the extensive review of other dubious contracts and freezing of accounts of those involved in the Richmond scam.``We should go further to the extent of sweeping these corrupt people out of our party (CCM),`` said Sendeka.
Opposition legislator Wilbrod Slaa said the cabinet must be dissolved because in the spirit of collective responsibility following Prime Edward Lowassa`s resignation.
``There are other government officials who, according to the committee, refused to cooperate with the probe team. A senior government official, Mary Kejo, was a key person in these transactions and should also be held accountable,`` he said Slaa.
Kibakwe MP, George Simbachewene, said the scandal belittled the integrity and dignity of the PCCB and its entire management, and warned that time for hiding truth was up.
``We cannot afford hiding things of public importance while millions of Tanzanians are dying and crying because of leaders and politicians-triggered poverty,`` said the legislator.
Philemon Ndesamburo (Chadema MP), asked the President to drop PCCB head and Attorney from the BOT investigation committee, and those behind Richmond controversial contract be taken to court and have their property confiscated by the state.
``In other countries, such people are hanged in public…electricity tariffs and cement prices are going-up because of these people. I am saying this exercise should not end here, but we should go further, investigating and acting against people who entered the government and country into loss-making contracts,`` said opposition MP.
Same-West legislator (CCM), Anne Kilango, described the involvement of Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers in the Richmond scandal as shameful before the eyes of the public, who entrusted the government with the task of taking care of national affairs.
``How could ministers violate and disregard even the directives of the cabinet? I once questioned Richmond contract, but was threatened by letter by a government official. From now onwards, this tendency should be repeated. We are representatives of the wananchi. We have to speak out on isssues of public concern,`` she said.
Killango said that time was up for those who were burdening the poor people with bad contracts, citing the case of hiked power tarriffs which she said were unfairly imposed on consumers by greedy bureaucrats who should be done away with.
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