Are we attacking Meghji because she is a woman?

[BAK]

No mum we are not attacking you because you're a woman, but we are attacking you because you lied to Tanzanians and you are trying your level best to make sure the BOT report is not released to all Tanzanians in order to benefit mafisadi.

By The Citizen Reporter
THE CITIZEN

Finance minister Zakia Meghji yesterday lashed out to critics calling for her resignation following the theft of over Sh133bn from the Bank of Tanzania.

She made the remarks in the wake of growing pressure from the Opposition and a cross-section of the public who have been urging her to step down for allegedly defending illegal payments at BoT.

Speaking to The Citizen in a telephone interview, Mrs Meghji said those pressuring her to resign were "misinformed and lack concrete grounds" for their stance.

"I am confident that I have done my work properly...I promised that the allegations would be investigated and that has been done."

She gave five reasons why she would not resign as Finance minister, adding that those calling for her resignation were harboured a vendetta against her.

Firstly, she was the one who ensured that massive theft of public funds within BoT was thoroughly investigated by both the Controller and Auditor General and an external auditor.

Secondly, Mrs Meghji stated the looting of public coffers under BoT's watch took place when she had not yet been appointed Finance minister, and wondered why the Opposition was baying for her blood.

"I have no any reason to quit my position...those pressuring for my resignation have a hidden agenda," she added.

The third reason why Mrs Meghji won't resign was that she was misled by the immediate former BoT governor on illegal payments made by the central bank.

"This is a man who was trusted by the state, but he decided to lie to me before I discovered that his claims lacked ground," Mrs Meghji said.

The fourth reason is that nobody can accuse her of any wrongdoing as far as the loss of billions of shilling of taxpayers' money is concerned.

"I am innocent. It seems that people are attacking me because I am a woman or have other motives best known to them," said Mrs Meghji, who is the first woman to hold the finance docket.

"These things happened when I was still new in this ministry and some people might have capitalised on this to mislead me. However, I managed to establish the truth and act accordingly," she said.

On Monday, Mrs Meghji revealed how former BoT governor Dr Daudi Ballali "lied" to her about the illegal payments amounting to Sh39 billion ($30.8 million) made by the bank to Kagoda Agricultural Co.

She said Dr Ballali told her that $30 million payment was meant to take care of "sensitive national security issues".

She said she wrote a letter on September 15, 2006 to Deloitte and Touche of South Africa, which was then auditing BoT accounts, explaining in writing that the funds were used for security matters.

However, four days later, she discovered that Dr Ballali's claims lacked ground. She therefore wrote another letter retracting the previous one.

Asked on whether she took any disciplinary measures against the former governor, Mrs Meghji replied: "I summoned the governor and told him that he has lied to me."

Speaking about the just concluded EPA investigations, the minister said she was very happy that the truth has finally come out and all culprits would soon be taken to the court of law."

However, Chadema secretary-general Dr Willibroad Slaa maintained that the opposition camp would push for the resignation of Mrs Meghji and Industry, Trade and Marketing minister Basil Mramba who was then Finance minister.

"How do you sign something that has been written by third party? Is this the way they run the Government?" Dr Slaa asked

Dr Slaa further went on: "We shall continue to mount pressure until we make sure that the two cabinet ministers have resigned for failing to protect the public funds."

 

[Mkandara]

"I am innocent. It seems that people are attacking me because I am a woman or have other motives best known to them," said Mrs Meghji, who is the first woman to hold the finance docket.

Mama Meghji should be very careful of what she says...Vendetta (kisasi) always has a history, and I bet she doesn't have any recollection of her wrong doing to deserve someone targetting her...Kisasi. Being a woman doesn't make anyone weak and inferior for someone (men) to capitalize on her either....

 

[Pundit]

She is just playing the gender card.Mbilinyi alivyosakamwa alisakamwa kwa sababu alikuwa mwanamke? Malima naye?

Ukweli ni kuwa Wizara ya Fedha pana mambo pale.

 

[Kuntakinte]

Mpk Sasa Wanafanya Nini Kwenye Nyadhifa Zao? Wamepewa Nafasi Wamechemsha? Wajiuzulu Na Tunataka Report Iwe Bayana Hadharani Ili Tuwajue Wachawi Wetu Wanaofanya Kunakuwa Na Shida Kwa Namba Moja Jk Kufanya Kazi Na Naomba Iwe Ndio Kifungua Njia Kwa Mengine. JK nae aache kuwaonea watu aibu, kama walimpa hela wakati wa kampeni walijipendekeza wenyewe. Sio ukipewa lazima ulipe maaana haukukopa. Najua Salamu atazipata tuuu kupitia humu humu kwenye JF a.k.a Mtambo wa kurekebisha Maisha Bora kwa Kila Mtanzania.

 

[Lunyungu]

This woman bust a senior confused officer. Kila mara bungeni alikomaa anmishipa kumsimama kusema Hazina na BOT wako clean na hata Bajeti yake ni supa lakini aliishia kupita mikoani kuitetea wakiwa na ajenda yao .Leo BOT kumewaka moto and she must be in a huge % connected anaanza kulialia no . Anapenda madaraka na matokeo ya madaraka ayakubali pia .

Anaweza kwenda kulima si lazima awe waziri ama anaweza kula Ubunge wa bure pia kwani kuna ubaya ?

 

[Kitia]

What a question

 

[Rufiji]

Huyu mama jinsi anavyozidi kujitetea ndio jinsi anavyozidi kuonyesha uwezo wake mdogo wa kuchanganua mambo . Nadhani anajaribu kutumia " pathos" ili watu waweze kumwonea huruma . Hakuna mtu hata mmoja aliyemkosoa yeye kwa vigezo vya Gender sasa kwa nini anataka kutumia Gender card? Ukishaona mtu anaanza kutumia gender kama kigezo basi jua ameshindwa hoja .

What next , Je atalia ili watu wamwonee huruma ?

 

[Dua]

Hakuna defence hapo, cheo ukipewa hutegemei mwingine akufanyie na wewe ule pesa na kuweka mkono tu, unatakiwa uwe na uhakika kile ambacho unaweka mkono ndio maana ya kiapo. Je, aliapa nini wakati anaweka sahihi kwenye wizi?

 

[Ogah]

yale yale ya akina Hillary kulialia ili kupata huruma ya gender yake

 

[Majita]

Kwa hiyo Balali alivyokomaliwa ili ajiuzuru ugavana alikuwa MWANAMKE.Hivi huyu mama nae kumbe kilaza. mimi alinishangaza alivyong'ang'ania eti BoT ni pasafi.Shame on her

 

[William J. Malecela]

Najua Salamu atazipata tuuu kupitia humu humu kwenye JF a.k.a Mtambo wa kurekebisha Maisha Bora kwa Kila Mtanzania.

Mkuu Mwenzangu MMJ,

Nilikwambia kuwa huyu mama hateteeki yataishia kukushinda, fisadi akikamatwa hutapa tapa sana, sasa nataka tumuonee huruma kwa ufisadi wake kwa kuwa ni mwanamke, hatkumuonea huruma Mama Mongella, sasa iwe yeye atoke tu kwanza halafu maneno ya gender yake tutaongea baadaye kwenye kongamano, ila for now ni afadhali atoke tu anamharibia rais na cabinet nzima,

Huko BOT, na Hazina kunahitajika mfagia mkali sana, waakuu baada ya hili sakati ninaaamini kuwa huko BOT tunafichwa mengi sana haya ya huyu Mama ni madogo, jana nilimtumia mtoto wake topic nzima na kesho nitamforwadia tena, nothing personal it is about taifa letu!

Ni wakati muafaka sasa kwa huyu mama kutoka!

 

[Kasana]

"These things happened when I was still new in this ministry and some people might have capitalised on this to mislead me. However, I managed to establish the truth and act accordingly," she said.

Ni bora akae kimya, mawazili wengi ktk awamu hii ni wapya kwa maana kuwa ni mara yao kwanza kuwa mawaziri.
Hapa anataka kusema nini? mbona anaexperience ya uwaziri kwa maana ya utendaji wa kazi kama waziri? na ile semina ya nguru doto haikumsaidia kumkumbusha?

Mimi nashauku nyingine ya kujua trend ya upotevu wa pesa hapo BOT, kuanzia 1999/2000 hadi hiyo 2005/2006. Kujua kama hii billion 133 ni kubwa kuliko au ni cha mtoto!

 

[BAK]

Haoni hata aibu ya kutushikia bango la ubeijing! hana jipya huyu anataka kulinda kitumbua chake ambacho tayari kimeshaingia mchanga.

 

[August]

Mimi naona huyu Mama ajitetea kwa kuonyesha audit report za wizara zote alizo pita kama zilikuwa safi, afya , utaliii etc. pili aeleze hizo nyumba alizo nunulia watoto wake fedha ilitoka wapi??? isije ikawa ndio part ya commission yake ya hizo fedha za kadoga agriculture??
Tatu alipo withdrew hiyo barua yake kwa Delloite, je Report yake iliishioa wapi, maana tunasikia walitimuliwa? na yeye alichukua hatua gani? maana kesha muona Dalali Muongo, na huyo huyo Dalali anawatimua hao Auditor, Yeye waziri wa Fedha what action did she take.
Pili lazima akubali hiyo wizara haiwezi kwa kutokuwa sijue niseme Broad Minded au kukosa utaalamu wa Fedha hivyo hata akienda kwenye mikutano na donors kuhusu fedha hajui kitu.
Ukisikia utetezi wake unakuwa taken a back hivi huyu anayeongea ni waziri au?/ tena wa Fedha?

 

[Mtoto wa Mkulima]

Haoni hata aibu ya kutushikia bao la ubeijing! hana jipya huyu anataka kulinda kitumbua chake ambacho tayari kimeshaingia mchanga.

mimi nilisema the best option kwa huyu mama ni kukaa kimya kwani anavyongea anazidi kuharibu na kuonyesha uwezo wake mdogo kuwa kwenye technical ministry kama ile.

Mzee mwenzangu mwanakijiji amejaribu kumtetea lakini poa basi hata kama asijiuzulu wa ufisadi basi ajiuzulu kwa uzembe na kwakusema uongo. Mwanakijiji nimesikializa mahojiano yako na utetezi wako lakini basi mama naomba asijiuzulu kwa ufisadi bali ajiuzulu kwa uzembe na kwa kusema uongo bungeni kuwadanganya wananchi kuwa BOT ni safi na bado anaendelea kusema EPA ni sehemu ndogo sana ya BOT kwa hiyo bado ni safi!

Mama ulipewa ubunge kwa sababu ya jinsia yako kwa kipindi chote lakini hukupewa uwaziri kwa sababu wewe ni mwanamke na kama ni kujiuzulu sio kwamba ni kwa sababu ya jinsia yako. Waombe TNGP wakutetee kwa sababu mfumo dume unakuonea huu ni upuuzi mama bora ukae kimya hapa hamna issue ya gender wala nini ni kwa manufaa ya watanzania na taifa kwa jumla.

 

[Ogah]

mimi nilisema the best option kwa huyu mama ni kukaa kimya kwani anavyongea anazidi kuharibu na kuonyesha uwezo wake mdogo kuwa kwenye technical ministry kama ile.

........Mama ulipewa ubunge kwa sababu ya jinsia yako kwa kipindi chote lakini hukupewa uwaziri kwa sababu wewe ni mwanamke na kama ni kujiuzulu sio kwamba ni kwa sababu ya jinsia yako. .................................mama bora ukae kimya hapa hamna issue ya gender wala nini ni kwa manufaa ya watanzania na taifa kwa jumla.

nafikri hii inajibu vizuri kichwa cha mada hii...well said Mtoto wa mkulima

 

[Gaijin]

anaweza kuwa yeye si fisadi wa moja kwa moja kwenye hili la BOT......lakini kama waziri ambayo wizara yake imefuja lazima ajiuzulu. akishajiuzulu yeye ajiuzulu na aliyekuwa waziri wa fedha mwaka 2005.

JK huwezi kumuondoa balali lakini ukamuacha waziri wake wa wakat huo! please we are not that stupid!!

 

[Chakaza]

Kwenye suala la upotevu wa Bil.133 za masikini wa Tanzania halafu mtu analeta blabla za kujitetea kijinga inauma sana.
Huyu mama akae kimya na kusubiri hatua za kisheria dhidi yake,hayo mambo ya jinsia anajua yeye.Mbona alipoteuliwa hakukataa kwa vile yeye ni mwanamke?

 

[Nyambala]

Hivi TZ itajaendelea kwa viongozi wa namna hii???? huyu mama ametoa ushahidi wa maandishi juu ya namna alivyobariki malipo ya kagoda na pia jinsi alivyoyakana baada ya siku nne (congratulations). Lakini hii ya Balali kummislead haina maandishi kwa maana kwamba ilikuwa verbal (jamani hata memo au kaemail ka mistari miwili alishindwa kuomba apewe na balali?). Tutaaminije? Na hii inadhihirisha ni namna gani kodi zetu tunazozisotea zinavyokuwa handled loosely. Hakuna cha mwanamke hapa wala nini mama wajibika, huo ndio upande mwingine wa madaraka.

 

[Mr EWA]

Heshima kwa wote!
Nina maswali kidogo kutokana na hili skata la BOT:

1.Je nini kimetufikisha hatua ya kukataa kuwajibika pindi tunapoharibu kazi na tukikataa wenyewe kuwajibika ni nani anayetakiwa kutuwajibisha na anayetakiwa kutuwajibisha kwanini hafanyi hivyo na nini kifanyike ili anayepaswa kutuwajibisha atuwajibishe kwani watanzania hatukuwa na tabia hii ya kijeuri na mbaya isiyokuwa tabia ya viongozi wanahudumia watu.