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Kwanza nikiri kwamba ni Mheshimiwa Willibrod Slaa alinishauri nisome hii miropoko ya Lipumba na wana-CUF wenzake.
Pili, nawashukuru wana-JF walio-react positively kwa niliyoeleza. Nilimalizia kwa kusema kwamba Lipumba na wenzake waniombe radhi hadharani, laa sivyo nikilazimika kuchukua hatua za kisheria, juhudi zao za kuleta Mageuzi zitakuwa derailed. On further thought, I am now of the view that the professor and the likes of Maharagande are already no longer in the group of Wana-Mageuzi. Wanastahili kupumzishwa.
Tatu, I want to repeat that I ceased to be Governor of the Bank of Tanzania in April, 1974, more than 35 years ago and handed over to Charles Nyirabu ambaye ni marehemu sasa. Having regard to the time lapse, are those wana-JF implying that I might have stollen money from the BoT, serious great thinkers? There were external auditors at the end of every financial year of the BoT, during those days, and I believe they continued to give clean reports until recently, when President Kikwete was obliged to appoint Ernest & Young who unearthed the EPA scandal. Daudi Ballali, the Governor associated with the scum was the fifth governor.
Nne, I have never claimed that I studied Economics at the Makerere University College. I specialized in Political Science and History and won the Shell Company Prize for the best student of the Faculty for the year 1957. I should also add that I never applied for the financial and economic posts I have been privileged to occupy in this country or abroad. They were given to me on the basis my performance in junior or related functions.
Someone has stated that I failed in running the BoT. I do not know how he has rated that performance and what successor governor he has compared me with. The English have a saying: "The proof of taste of the pudding is in the eating". And I would add: "Not in the recipe or the cook"!
Incidentally, some JF member attributes the problems currently confronting coffee farmers to failure of TaCRI, which I led as Board Chairman from 2001 to 2008. Coffee problems are basically international in the sense that overproduction has made its market a buyers' market. Other local problems are associated with inadequate inputs, taxation and farmers' education. The TaCRI has developed disease resistant varieties of high cup quality and yields which even the President recently praised. I am proud that it was during my chairmanship of the policy board that these scientists made the break through.
I want to end this reply, which regrettably diverts JF members from more important and relevant issues, by pointing out that even during my governorship of the BoT. the Governor of the Bank of England, where economists abound, was Lord O'Brien who was not an economist, but had only been the Chief Cashier of that Bank. Lastly, I never underated economists in my work, but used them fully. I also attended so many courses and seminars on financial and economic management that I almost became a professional attender.
Edwin Mtei