UKAWA queries President`s stand on IPTL saga . The Coalition of People’s Constitution (UKAWA) has appealed to the National Assembly to ask the government to implement resolutions on the Tegeta escrow account as made by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC). They jointly called for the National Assembly to debate the matter in the forth coming meeting slated for January next year. Addressing the media in Dar es Salaam yesterday, UKAWA leaders, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba (CUF National Chairman), James Mbatia (NCCR-Mageuzi National Chairman) and Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) Secretary General, Dr Wilbroad Slaa said what the President Jakaya Kikwete has done is ‘double standards’. The Coalition Chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba queried why Kikwete fired the Minister of Land, Housing and Settlement, Prof Ana Tibaijuka leaving aside Energy and Minerals’ Minister Prof Sospeter Muhongo because they are both involved in the controversial IPTL scam. He said the government has not been serious in implementing the PAC resolutions because the public is not satisfied. He said since the two ministers are presidential appointees there is no reason why President Kikwete can hesitate removing Prof Muhongo. “In its resolutions, the parliament recommended removal from their respective positions the two ministers…why is he not taking action against Minister Muhongo? questioned Prof Lipumba. He went on saying that President Kikwete’s speech was biased. He said the President favoured IPTL despite PAC recommendations. For his part, UKAWA Co–Chairman, James Mbatia cautioned that if the matter is not properly solved, there is a possibility of plunging the nation into a political crisis which can turn out into national crisis. The NCCR- Mageuzi Chairman further noted that it would better if the government separated politics from leadership to avoid conflicts in future. According to Mbatia, the country’s three pillars have for the first time intervened the works of others. He said such a situation does not augur well in a country like Tanzania that practices good governance. “The High Court at one time during the saga ruled out that the parliament should stop debating on the escrow saga but the order was ignored as discussions continued and resolutions made,” said Mbatia. Meanwhile, Chadema Secretary General, Dr Wilbrod Slaa said the President has showed weakness in handling the matter. Dr Slaa said that according to the resolutions, the owner of Pan African Power Solutions (PAP) was to be arraigned in court for forgery but he has been left scot-free. He said that Kikwete didn’t even talk on the measures the government is going to take against PAP. On December 16 this year, Attorney General Judge Frederick Werema resigned due after being implicated on the Tegeta Escrow account scandal. He was quoted as saying his advice “was misunderstood and had in turn polluted the country’s socio-economic and political atmosphere.” On Tuesday Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue suspended the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Eliakim Maswi, pending investigation on his involvement in the Tegeta escrow account scandal. This came a day after President Jakaya Kikwete fired Prof Anna Tibaijuka, the Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development minister as part of implementing parliament’s resolution on the Tegeta Escrow account scam. The President said the fate of the remaining two government officials - minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo and his Permanent Secretary Eliakim Maswi - who according to the parliament’s resolutions should also be ousted, would be determined afterwards. President Kikwete assured that the fate of the two officials awaited investigation report to be submitted to him later this week. Prof Tibaijuka’s was fired on account that she had received 1.6bn/- of the misappropriated money from James Rugemarila, a business man involved in the scam. Late last week, Prof Tibaijuka rejected the MPs’ calls for her resignation, saying the money was a donation for a school where she serves as the main fundraiser. In regard to the minister’s claim the president said: “There were ethical shortfalls in her conduct ... that is why we agreed to ask the minister to give us the opportunity to appoint someone else in her position.” “One of the biggest questions raised is why this money was not paid directly to the school and was instead deposited in a personal bank account in her name,” he noted.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 17:34:44 +0000
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