Cheyo: Don't fete suspects

[BAK]

Cheyo: Don't fete suspects

By Mkinga Mkinga
THE CITIZEN

An Opposition legislator, who chairs the Parliamentary Local Authorities Accounting Committee, Mr John Cheyo, yesterday criticised leaders who organised elaborate functions for politicians implicated in corruption scandals.

Mr Cheyo also urged members of the public to desist from involvement in what he termed the emerging trend to cheer former public officials implicated in unethical practices.

Mr Cheyo, who is the chairman of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Bariadi East MP, cited recent grand receptions accorded to former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and former Cabinet minister Andrew Chenge. Mr Cheyo was addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam.

He challenged the ruling party to come out and condemn Mr Lowassa and Mr Chenge for organising reception rallies ostensibly to make them appear as heroes.He said the two public officials resigned from their Cabinet posts owing to serious corruption claims levelled against them.

But the two separately organised their constituents to cheer them up and to treat them as heroes when they went back to their districts, Mr Cheyo asserted, adding that this was bound to create the impression that they condoned corruption.

President Jakaya Kikwete should also issue a strong warning to Government leaders implicated in graft scams against the habit which does not help in sensitising the public to fight the vice, added Mr Cheyo.

The Bariadi East MP said Mr Chenge who is the MP for the neighbouring constituency, allegedly used public vehicles during his recent home coming after resigning from the Cabinet over links to the radar kickback.

Mr Chenge enjoyed a very warm welcome from CCM leaders and some Government officials as if he was a hero when he is alleged to have benefited from a kickback of about $1 million from the radar deal, he noted.He hired transport to ferry people all the way from Shinyanga to Mwanza and Kwimba and feasted them with ten bulls, he said, adding that money used for the event may have come from dubious sources.

Mr Chenge visited his Bariadi West constituency last Wednesday for the first time since he resigned from the Government last month following allegations that he had deposited $1 million in an offshore account.
He became the second former Government official to have been accorded a heroic reception in his home area shortly after falling from grace.

Earlier this year, Mr Lowassa resigned as PM and was accorded a rousing welcomed in his Monduli constituency by thousands of people who expressed solidarity with him. He resigned after being implicated in the Richmond power scandal in which a bogus firm was awarded a $172.5 million contract for emergency power supply.

 

[BAK]

Ya Chenge yathibitisha CCM chama genge
Mwanahalisi

NI lazima uwe na shahada ya falsafa ili ukielewe vema Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). Kadri siku zinavyokwenda ndivyo mambo yanavyozidi kudhihirisha kwamba chama tawala ni dude lisiloweza kueleweka.

Katika hali inayoshangaza wengi, viongozi wa CCM katika mikoa ya Mwanza na Shinyanga, wiki iliyopita walijimwaga mitaani kumlaki mmoja wa mtuhumiwa wa ufisadi kwa mbwembwe, Andrew Chenge.

Shirika la SFO la Uingereza linamchunguza Chenge, kutokana na tuhuma kwamba amelimbikiza mamilioni ya dola katika benki moja kisiwani Jersey, Uingereza.

Fedha hizo zinahofiwa zinatokana na malipo ya mlungula uliotolewa katika ununuzi wa rada iliyogharimu taifa hili pauni milioni 28 (Sh bilioni 70).

Rada hiyo iliuzwa na kampuni ya Kiingereza ya BaE System inayotengeneza zana za kijeshi mwaka 2002. Chenge amekanusha kupokea mlungula huo na uchunguzi wa suala hili unaendelea.

Mbali na fedha hizo kuna mamilioni mengine kadhaa ambayo Chenge ameyahifadhi katika benki za ndani na nje ya nchi.

Baada ya habari hizi kufichuliwa na vyombo vya habari vya ndani na nje, Chenge pamoja na kujisafisha dhidi ya tuhuma za ufisadi na kujaribu kueleza fedha zenyewe zinazopigiwa kelele ni "vijisenti" tu, hatimaye aliamua kuachia ngazi.

Watu walifarijika kwa hatua ya uungwana ya Chenge ya kuachia ngazi ijapokuwa ilikuwa imechelewa!

Hata hivyo, hatua ya Chenge ya kwenda katika jimbo lake la uchaguzi Bariadi Magharibi, Sinyanga akipitia Mwanza kujisafisha kwa wapiga kura ndiyo hasa imezua mkanganyiko mkubwa wa fikra juu ya usafi wa CCM ambacho kinaongozwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete.

Ni Kikwete aliyekubali kujiuzulu kwa Chenge akisema kwamba "kwa mazingira ya sasa kulikuwa hakuna njia nyingine" (kwa Chenge) isipokuwa kujiuzulu juu ya kutokana na tuhuma zilizokuwa zikimkabili.

Kwa hiyo, Kiwete aliona na kuamini moyoni kwamba Chenge hana budi kukaa kando ya serikali yake walau kwa sasa wakati uchunguzi juu ya tuhuma dhidi yake ukiendelea.

Kwa maneno mengine Kikwete ameridhia hatua za kumtenga Chenga na serikali yake kwa sasa. Kisa? Yu mchafu hadi ajisafishe au asafishwe!

Katika hali hii, inakuwa ni vigumu kujua viongozi wa CCM Mwanza na Shinyanga wana akili gani hasa? Je, kwa nini walimuandalia Chenge sherehe ya kukata na shoka aliporejea kwao Usukumani kujieleza yaliyompata?

Tumeelezwa CCM wamechinja ng'ombe kadhaa kumpongeza Chenge! Hatujui wanampongeza kwa kufanikiwa kuwa na vijisenti au kwa kujiuzulu!

Haieleweki kwa sababu katika hali ya kawaida, Chenge si shujaa, ni mtuhumiwa wa ufisadi mkubwa ambao umemfanya aachie ngazi ya uwaziri. Je, katika hali hiyo wanaCCM wanashangilia nini?

Wanashangilia chama chao kujaa watu wenye tuhuma chafu zinaoangamiza uchumi wa nchi? Au wanashangilia kwamba kujiuzulu kwa kashfa ni sifa njema?

Kama si hivyo wanafanya nini basi? Au tusema wanashangilia kumkebehi mwenyekiti wao na rais wa nchi kwa hatua yake ya kukubali Chenge kuachia ngazi wakati wao wanamuona mtu safi?

Inawezekana haya yanafanyika kutokana na chama hicho kuendelea kumbeba Chenge. Mpaka sasa, bado Chenge ni mjumbe wa Kamati Kuu (CC) ndani ya chama hicho.

Kilichotokea Mwanza, Sinyanga sawa na kile kilichotokea Monduli, Arusha wakati aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu, Edward Lowassa, aliporejea jimboni kwake baada ya kujiuzulu wadhifa wake kutokana na sakata la Richmond.

Hakika hiki kinaweza kutafsiriwa kwamba ni kielelezo cha mfarakano kati ya Kikwete na viongozi wenzake ndani ya chama.

Ni wazi kwamba rais Kikwete anachukua hatua hizi dhidi ya watuhumiwa wa ufisadi kutokana na kuwapo ushahidi wa kutosha kwamba wahusika walishiriki kupaka matope ofisi za umma.

Kama kulikuwa hakuna uhusiano wa kuchafuliwa kwa ofisi za umma na watu hao, hakika rais alikuwa hana sababu yoyote ya msingi kukubali watu hawa waachie ngazi.

Tunakumbuka, Rais Kikwete alikataa kukubali kuachia ngazi kwa Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Tanesco, Dk. Idris Rashid, alipopambana na bodi yake juu ya kukatiwa umeme kwa kiwanda cha semeti cha Tanga.

Rais Kikwete hakuona sababu ya Dk. Rashid kuachia ngazi kwa sababu katika hali ya kawaida aliyetakiwa kuachia ngazi ni bodi ya Tenesco chini ya Uenyekiti wa Balozi Flugence Kazaura.

Katika sura kama hiyo hapo juu, Chenge alionekana ni tatizo kwa serikali ya awamu ya nne, ndiyo maana kuondoka kwake kama ilivyokuwa kwa Lowassa kukapata baraka za Rais.

Sasa swali linakuwa inakuwaje kwa serikali watu hawa waonekane hawafai, lakini kwenye chama wanaonekana mashujaa?

Kwa nini ndani ya CCM watu hawa waonekane ni wapiganaji waliorejea kutoka vitani na ushindi kwenye majimbo yao kiasi cha kufanyika kwa sherehe kubwa namna hii na bila aibu uongozi wa chama tawala ngazi ya mkoa hadi wilaya kushiriki kula nyama na kunywa pombe?

Je, hivi ndivyo kinavyofanya chama kilichopo madarakani? Ndivyo kinavyofanya chama ambacho Mwenyekikti wake ni Rais aliyekubali kuachia ngazi kwa mawaziri hao wenye tuhuma au ni kuna CCM ya Kikwete na ya viongozi wa mikoa wa Mwanza na Shinyanga?

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere wakati wa uhai wake alipata kutamani CCM igawanyike ili Tanzania ipate vyama makini.

Mwalimu pia alipata kukiita chama hiki dodoki au kokoro, akimaanisha ni chama ambacho hakiongozwi na itikadi, maadili au dira yoyote ya msingi.

Alisema hiki ni chama kilichokumbatia kila aina ya uchafu, kila aina ya mwanachama na viongozi pasi na usafi na maadili.

Ni chama ambacho leo kimejigeuza kutoka kuwa chama cha wafanyakazi na wakulima kuwa ‘genge la wanunuzi wa kura'. Kimekusanya watu wanaojinufaisha kwa kukalia ofisi ama za chama au za serikali.

Ndiyo maana wenyeviti wa CCM mikoa ya Mwanza na Shinyanga na viongozi wote wa wilaya alikopita Chenge akitokea Mwanza walithubutu kujitokeza kumlaki kama shujaa kwa sababu kwako ni mwenzao, ni mwanachama wa genge!

Vituko hivi vya watu kama Chenge na viongozi wa CCM waliompokea kama shujaa aliyerejea kutoka vitani ni mambo yanayowafanya watu wajiulize kama kweli wanamsaidia rais Kikwete katika vita dhidi ya ufisadi.

Watu wanazidi kujiuliza kama serikali ya awamu ya nne inatekeleza ilani ya uchaguzi ya CCM au ni ya Kikwete binafsi kiasi cha viongozi ndani ya chama kushindwa kumuunga mkono kwenye vita hii, na badala yake wanaunga mkono mafisadi.

Kweli CCM ni chama kigumu kukielewa. Chama kinachokumbatia madudu, chenye viongozi wanaombeza Mwenyekiti wao.

Ni chama chenye viongozi wanaokula na mafisadi, viongozi wanaokumbatia maovu, viongozi waliomuasi Mwenyekiti wao.

Kwa hili la Chenge na wenzake, kweli CCM kiboko. Ni sawa na kusema "serikali imesusa sisi tunakula tena bila kunawa."

 

[BAK]

For the love of money
Adam Lusekelo
Daily News; Tuesday,May 13, 2008 @17:01

I just don't get it. I can't really understand it. There is something very weird going on in our country. Some guys have been caught stealing serious money. They can't even explain where they got the very serious dosh. The rest of us have been scratching our heads asking how those geniuses got billions. It just doesn't add up. These are heinous crimes committed by the thugs in suits.

Okay, we have established that they stole the money. They can explain until they are pink on their wicked faces. I will never buy their story, even if they grease my palms to try to convince me. Okay, I think there is a national agreement that the guys are just plain thieves. They have been stealing our money or using our name and one thing - they are proud about it!

The parties are on as some looters have organised celebrations in their 'vijiji' to congratulate each other for their ill - gotten loot. And nobody seems to care. Yet there is deafening silence from the authorities. Now what does that betoken?

Maybe then the rest of us who have been left open mouthed by this charade will join in. And the only beings who will regret it are the cows, who will be slaughtered by the hundreds nationwide to celebrate the big rip-offs.

It seems that we, the people of Bongo, are beyond outrage and have reached astonishing levels of hypocrisy. We celebrate and extol big time criminals and we torch small time 'vibakas'. In Bongo, most people go into politics simply because they want to become ministers of make big money. Or more accurately, they go into politics so that they can steal from he rest of us.

From the aforesaid, why shouldn't we tell the coming generations that they should be thieves. For, crime does pay - and pay big and good. And you are feted if you are a big-time thief!
Mbwene2@yahoo.com