I penned the article below in Thisday Newspaper way back in October 2007 when the Richmond scandal was a trending story, a few months later in early 2008 PM Lowassa resigned. I opined that come 2015, the Richmond saga could still be a pending business. Read on.
I dont know how many people in this country who dont belong to Generation X (kizazi kipya) can remember a song popularly known as It wasnt me! This song by a Maestro rapper Shaggy a.k.a Mr. Lover topped the song charts in the early 2000s.
Prime Minister (PM) Edward Lowassa isnt a man of yesteryear as far as music is concerned. He is very up to date, so to speak. I found myself between tears and laughter when I read the headline in ThisDay Newspaper of Monday 15[SUP]th[/SUP] October 2007. The front page headline read as follows; I wasnt involved, says PM Lowassa. With the controversial Richmond deal back on the front pages in the mainstream print media, Mr. Lowassa has once again broken silence over the issue. This time round the PM is coming out with a it wasnt me rap mantra! Who would like bet that Mr. Lowassa doesnt know one or two things about rap music?
The above story makes a depressing reading when the whole prime minister issues a press release through his Press Secretary saying The prime minister was never involved in the Richmond negotiations. All he did was to assume a general, overseeing role in governments efforts to ensure the power shortage problems afflicting the country at the time were URGENTLY (emphasis is mine) addressed. Ooh, lala! Really?
For Gods sake this is exactly what the prime ministers job description is all about! The role of overseeing government matters. In particular, issues which are critical and urgent in nature require direct overseeing, direction and if need be, prudent intervention by the prime minister. Is the prime minister, for example, telling us that its the first time is learning that TANESCO was pushed aside and short changed during the emergency power supply tendering process? Is the Right Honorable PM telling the world that he learnt about this through the office corridors or the press as a commoner just like me?
Had the Richmond deal come through positively Mr. Lowassa would have been the first one to go to parliament, chest thumping and with great bravado declaring that this was possible because of his wise leadership and foresightedness. Meanwhile, his speech would be interrupted by CCM Oyee, Lowassa Juu from over excited CCM law makers! But with the Richmond contract gone sour, the PM is pitifully trying to keep a very long distance. Talk of double posturing!
What is so amusing about the prime ministers response is that the Richmond repudiation has now become a song and dance for him but the saga has stuck like super glue. The appalling scandal has simply refused to go away just like a bad armpit odor (kikwapa)! Even the best beauticians in town have failed to suppress the stench which has been lingering since 2006. Mr. Lowassa shouldnt grill ThisDay for reviving the issue of corruption related to the Richmond transaction. I assume the PM is well informed about the lecture on corruption by a distinguished former civil servant, Mzee Joseph Butiku. Mr. Butiku intimated to the public on Sunday 14[SUP]th[/SUP] October 2007 that corruption cannot simply go away because it is unfinished business. However, the PM seems to think otherwise. But how can the Richmond saga die a natural death when up to now the country has never received even an iota of thermo power from a project generally overseen by Mr. Lowassa?
To add insult to injury the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) (a proficient beautician?) was brought into the picture to soothe public anger over the Richmond circus. Quite frankly I dont envy Edward Hosea in his current plumy job. The PCCB Czar didnt know that he was being used as a doormat when he promptly and without any sense of shame cleared the Government of wrongdoing by giving a clean bill of health stating that the Richmond deal was corruption-free! Eti, (according to PCCB) although the tendering procedures were not followed to the letter, the deal was therefore devoid of graft because the Government didnt part with a single coin! How can you envy a man who is being asked to defend the indefensible and cover the un-coverable? In doing so, the PCCB chief didnt only undermine the credibility of the anti-graft watchdog but also turned himself into a comic.
In theatrical parlance Bwana Hosea was playing the most dubious and awkward part of announcing to the gallery that all those who didnt see the emperors new and majestic attire were sinners! Where will Mr. Hosea hide is face now that a young mischievous child in the name of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has embarrassingly come out and pronounced that after all the emperor is naked! This act has now sent the whole prime minister scampering for cover, declaring it wasnt me! Then who was it, sir? I ask him. Mr. Lowossa should do himself a favour by spilling the beans now to save his public standing or else this indignity will haunt him for long while. This will be good fodder for Mr. Lowassas foes come 2015.
I m not a lawyer but the little I know about law is that even an intention to commit a crime is illegal under Tanzania laws. Why did a supposedly up-market lawyer like Edward turn himself into a butt of jokes by turning a blind eye on the most glaring anomalies in the deal that have subsequently been unearthed by PPRA?
Had the Richmond fiasco happened in the mature democracies, Mr. Lowassa would have hanged his prime ministers gloves long time ago. He would be tending his cows in Monduli and possibly writing the last chapter of his memoirs. By publicly and implicitly acknowledging that he somehow kept his eye off the ball during the emergency power procurement process, Hon. Lowassa doesnt merit good grades on the leadership scoreboard. The prime minister has also dismally and abysmally failed to shake off the notion that he wasnt above board when dealing with the emergency power project. But Tanzania is still a kindergarten democracy so Mr. Lowassa is going to stick around for a while.
Mr. Lowassa doesnt have many options to maneuver on the Richmond deal. As the leader of government he should come to terms with the fact that the emergency power project was bungled under his watch. He should take political responsibility, put to task his subordinates who might have misled him, swallow his pride and offer public apology so that we can put this scandal behind us.
If the above prescription proves a bitter pill to swallow, Mr. Lowassa can opt for all night long prayers in the hope that come 2015 the likes of ThisDay Newspaper will not be around to invoke the Richmond ghosts. These ghosts will jog the publics memory to ensure that the Richmond tale is still pending- unfinished business, to put it in Butiku speak. 2015 will not be the time for the it wasnt me antics.
Byase Luteke
Contact: byasel@hotmail.com
GUESS WHAT? MR. LOWASSA HAS A TASTE FOR RAP MUSIC!
I dont know how many people in this country who dont belong to Generation X (kizazi kipya) can remember a song popularly known as It wasnt me! This song by a Maestro rapper Shaggy a.k.a Mr. Lover topped the song charts in the early 2000s.
Prime Minister (PM) Edward Lowassa isnt a man of yesteryear as far as music is concerned. He is very up to date, so to speak. I found myself between tears and laughter when I read the headline in ThisDay Newspaper of Monday 15[SUP]th[/SUP] October 2007. The front page headline read as follows; I wasnt involved, says PM Lowassa. With the controversial Richmond deal back on the front pages in the mainstream print media, Mr. Lowassa has once again broken silence over the issue. This time round the PM is coming out with a it wasnt me rap mantra! Who would like bet that Mr. Lowassa doesnt know one or two things about rap music?
The above story makes a depressing reading when the whole prime minister issues a press release through his Press Secretary saying The prime minister was never involved in the Richmond negotiations. All he did was to assume a general, overseeing role in governments efforts to ensure the power shortage problems afflicting the country at the time were URGENTLY (emphasis is mine) addressed. Ooh, lala! Really?
For Gods sake this is exactly what the prime ministers job description is all about! The role of overseeing government matters. In particular, issues which are critical and urgent in nature require direct overseeing, direction and if need be, prudent intervention by the prime minister. Is the prime minister, for example, telling us that its the first time is learning that TANESCO was pushed aside and short changed during the emergency power supply tendering process? Is the Right Honorable PM telling the world that he learnt about this through the office corridors or the press as a commoner just like me?
Had the Richmond deal come through positively Mr. Lowassa would have been the first one to go to parliament, chest thumping and with great bravado declaring that this was possible because of his wise leadership and foresightedness. Meanwhile, his speech would be interrupted by CCM Oyee, Lowassa Juu from over excited CCM law makers! But with the Richmond contract gone sour, the PM is pitifully trying to keep a very long distance. Talk of double posturing!
What is so amusing about the prime ministers response is that the Richmond repudiation has now become a song and dance for him but the saga has stuck like super glue. The appalling scandal has simply refused to go away just like a bad armpit odor (kikwapa)! Even the best beauticians in town have failed to suppress the stench which has been lingering since 2006. Mr. Lowassa shouldnt grill ThisDay for reviving the issue of corruption related to the Richmond transaction. I assume the PM is well informed about the lecture on corruption by a distinguished former civil servant, Mzee Joseph Butiku. Mr. Butiku intimated to the public on Sunday 14[SUP]th[/SUP] October 2007 that corruption cannot simply go away because it is unfinished business. However, the PM seems to think otherwise. But how can the Richmond saga die a natural death when up to now the country has never received even an iota of thermo power from a project generally overseen by Mr. Lowassa?
To add insult to injury the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) (a proficient beautician?) was brought into the picture to soothe public anger over the Richmond circus. Quite frankly I dont envy Edward Hosea in his current plumy job. The PCCB Czar didnt know that he was being used as a doormat when he promptly and without any sense of shame cleared the Government of wrongdoing by giving a clean bill of health stating that the Richmond deal was corruption-free! Eti, (according to PCCB) although the tendering procedures were not followed to the letter, the deal was therefore devoid of graft because the Government didnt part with a single coin! How can you envy a man who is being asked to defend the indefensible and cover the un-coverable? In doing so, the PCCB chief didnt only undermine the credibility of the anti-graft watchdog but also turned himself into a comic.
In theatrical parlance Bwana Hosea was playing the most dubious and awkward part of announcing to the gallery that all those who didnt see the emperors new and majestic attire were sinners! Where will Mr. Hosea hide is face now that a young mischievous child in the name of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has embarrassingly come out and pronounced that after all the emperor is naked! This act has now sent the whole prime minister scampering for cover, declaring it wasnt me! Then who was it, sir? I ask him. Mr. Lowossa should do himself a favour by spilling the beans now to save his public standing or else this indignity will haunt him for long while. This will be good fodder for Mr. Lowassas foes come 2015.
I m not a lawyer but the little I know about law is that even an intention to commit a crime is illegal under Tanzania laws. Why did a supposedly up-market lawyer like Edward turn himself into a butt of jokes by turning a blind eye on the most glaring anomalies in the deal that have subsequently been unearthed by PPRA?
Had the Richmond fiasco happened in the mature democracies, Mr. Lowassa would have hanged his prime ministers gloves long time ago. He would be tending his cows in Monduli and possibly writing the last chapter of his memoirs. By publicly and implicitly acknowledging that he somehow kept his eye off the ball during the emergency power procurement process, Hon. Lowassa doesnt merit good grades on the leadership scoreboard. The prime minister has also dismally and abysmally failed to shake off the notion that he wasnt above board when dealing with the emergency power project. But Tanzania is still a kindergarten democracy so Mr. Lowassa is going to stick around for a while.
Mr. Lowassa doesnt have many options to maneuver on the Richmond deal. As the leader of government he should come to terms with the fact that the emergency power project was bungled under his watch. He should take political responsibility, put to task his subordinates who might have misled him, swallow his pride and offer public apology so that we can put this scandal behind us.
If the above prescription proves a bitter pill to swallow, Mr. Lowassa can opt for all night long prayers in the hope that come 2015 the likes of ThisDay Newspaper will not be around to invoke the Richmond ghosts. These ghosts will jog the publics memory to ensure that the Richmond tale is still pending- unfinished business, to put it in Butiku speak. 2015 will not be the time for the it wasnt me antics.
Byase Luteke
Contact: byasel@hotmail.com
