Parliament team now split: It`s over corruption claims by Ndesamburo
THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam
ONCE powerful, the Parliamentary Committee for Privileges, Ethics and Powers is apparently split following the sudden resignation of Phillemon Ndesamburo, MP for Moshi Urban (Chadema).
The maverick opposition MP earlier charged that the Committee could no longer discharge its obligations fully on the Mengi-Malima case because of corruption allegations leveled against some of its members.
Our sources say there are now two camps, one demanding the Committee to come out clean on Ndesamburos allegations of corruption within its ranks, and the other insisting Ndesamburo should be ignored ? and let business run as usual.
THISDAY could not confirm reports that some of the members exchanged fists during their protracted and acrimonious discussions.
One of us has since demanded that the committee should clean its image and restore its lost integrity by coming public before going on with any business ? otherwise the public will lose confidence with the committee, a source said.
Sources say members now avoid its meetings ? with some pleading various excuses: One member is said to have taken his documents and left when the Committee was in session. All alibis apparently involve commitments out of Dar es Salaam
One of our members was bitter ? she complains that she wasnt bribed by one Yusuf Manji -- as by Ndesamburo claims ? personally, I can swear that I didnt take a bribe, said a committee member.
Apart from Ndesamburo, other members of the Parliamentary Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee include Chairperson Juma Suleiman Nhunga and his deputy, Wilson Mutagaywa Masilingi, Anna Abdallah, Tatu Musa Ntimizi, Anne Kilango Malecela, Haroub Said Masoud, Dr. James Alex Msekela, Dr. Lucy Sawere Nkya, Athumani Said Janguo, , Christopher Olonyokie Ole-Sendeka, William Mganga Ngeleja, Ramadhani Athumani Maneno, Juma Hassan Killimbah, and the only opposition MP Fatma Mussa Maghimbi (CUF).
Ndesamburo resigned from the committee accusing some Committee members for taking bribes from Manji, the man at the centre of the storm.
Ndesamburo informed the Speaker of the National Assembly, Samuel Sitta, that he wouldnt like to be part of the Committee -- which he alleged was corrupt.
Ndesamburo told newsmen in Dar es Salaam that the Committee cannot exercise fairness in two cases: IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi accusing the MP for Mkurunga, Adam Malima, for purgery; and Malima on his part accusing Mr Mengi for defamation.
Now Ndesamburo doubts if the Committee can ever exercise fairness following allegations that some of its members had taken bribes from Manji.
Ndesamburo also says there is enough circumstantial evidence that the Executive arm of government was interfering with the Legislature in open violation of the tenets of good governance.
Ndesamburos decision came after
the committee sat for more than 61 days without coming up with any report from either Mr Mengi or Hon. Malima. The Mengi/Malima case in the committee is the first in Tanzanias parliamentary history that a member of the public has received the blessings to file a complaint over remarks made against him by an MP during debate in the National Assembly.
The complaint by Mr Mengi arises from accusations by Mr Malima that ITV was devoting more than ten minutes airtime to Mr Mengi compared with more deserving national leaders like the president and other leaders who he alleged were given only ninety seconds (1.30mins).
In contributing to the debate of budget estimates for the Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports last year, Mr Malima accused ITV of disproportionate allocation of airtime, alleging that President Jakaya Kikwete was on one occasion given only a minute and half when he was addressing a public gathering on the looming famine in the country. He accused the TV station of giving the same amount of coverage to Prime Minister Edward Lowassa when he spoke on the same issue.
He contrasted this with the coverage of nearly 10 minutes during the same broadcast, of a visit by pupils from Zanzibar to the Coca Cola Kwanza Plant in Dar es Salaam, which Mr Mengi chairs.
Mr Malima also gave the example of the coverage given by ITV to a visit by Mr Mengi to a madrassa where he spoke about an imam with whom he had a personal dispute.
According to the MP, this trivial matter was also given nearly 10 minutes while speeches by the Minister for Public Safety, Bakari Mwapachu and the Inspector General of Police, Said Mwema, at a meeting of top policemen to discuss the rising number of armed robberies in the country, were given ?negligible airtime.?
Meanwhile a statement from Chadema said it was wholly behind their MP, adding that, it felt proud of his stand for it reflected his integrity adding that Ndesamburo stood for justice and truth.
The statement said, the MPs resignation would alert the state to pay greater attention on the whole issue, so that justice would eventually prevail.
Chadema promised to do everything possible to make sure that the matter is properly rested, in the hope of fulfilling good governance, democracy and justice, the statement said.
Source:
http://thisday.co.tz/News/1225.html