Sakata la Spika na CAG: Barua yangu kwa Katibu Mkuu Mabunge ya Jumuiya ya Madola na Maspika na ma CAG Afrika

[Zitto]

Hii ni Barua nimeandika kwa Katibu Mkuu wa Mabunge ya Jumuiya ya Madola kumtaka kuingilia mzozo hatari kati ya Spika wa Bunge la Tanzania na Mdhibiti na Mkaguzi Mkuu wa Hesabu za Serikali. Barua hii nimeinukuu kwa maspika wa mabunge yote ya Afrika kwa nchi wanachama wa Jumuiya ya Madola. Pia nimetuma kwa ma CAG wote wa Afrika Katika nchi za Jumuiya ya Madola. Barua hii pia nimetuma kwa maspika wote wa nchi za SADC.

Nimewaomba waongee na Spika mwenzao ili aachane na kitendo hatari kabisa cha kudidimiza misingi ya uwajibikaji nchini.

Zitto


Mr Akbar Khan,
Secretary General,
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA),
Richmond House, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 0AA, United Kingdom.
T: +44 (0)20 7799 1460.
F: +44 (0)20 7222 6073.
Email hq.sec@cpahq.org.

9th January, 2019

Re: Unwelcome, unprecedented and dangerous wrangle between the Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania and the Comptroller and Auditor General.

I am a Member of Parliament in Tanzania and active member of our CPA Branch having served in the Executive Committee for the Africa Region for more than 6 years (2009-2015). I have also served as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and of the Public Organisations Accounts Committee for a total of 8 years and as Secretary General of the African Public Accounts Committees Organisation (AFROPAC) and that for SADC region (SADCOPAC) as the Vice Chairman.

I kindly bring to your attention a worrying dispute involving our Speaker, Rt. Hon Job Ndugai, and the head of our Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Prof. Mussa Assad. The current tensions surfaced when the Speaker summoned the CAG to appear before the Parliamentary Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee.

This summons was a response to comments Prof. Assad made in an interview, in which he stated, “If we [The National Audit Office] are producing reports, yet no actions is being taken, to me, that’s the weakness of Parliament […]. I believe it is a challenge that will be worked on […]. The Parliament is failing to exercise its responsibilities effectively.” Hon. Ndugai claimed these comments were in contempt of Parliament, and summoned Prof. Assad on those grounds.

(See more here: Ndugai orders CAG to appear before ethics committee).

Hon. Ndugai’s actions have prompted a heated debate in Tanzania, the focus being the Speaker’s apparent violation of the constitutionally enshrined immunity of the CAG. Hon. Ndugai’s subsequent order that all oversight committees, including PAC, cease working with the National Audit Office has only added to the gravity of the situation. The Speaker’s intervention, moreover, comes just as a highly sensitive report from the National Audit Office is due to be discussed by PAC and tabled in Parliament. The report contains the results of a special investigation of roughly $650m of unaccounted for expenditure by the government in FY 2016/17.

(See here for a detailed analysis: Why grilling the CAG over remarks is unacceptable).

I am particularly concerned about this matter and seek intervention from the CPA not only because Hon. Ndugai’s order constitutes a serious constitutional breach in Tanzania but also because of the dangerous precedent it will set for the Commonwealth as a whole. If Tanzanian CAG is grilled by a parliamentary committee for exercising his freedom to air misgivings regarding the work of parliament on his reports, that is a clear violation of a Supreme Audit Institution’s (SAI) independence.

May I kindly refer you to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), held in Sri Lanka in November 2013, where the Heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to the independence of SAIs, stating in the final communique that:

“Heads recognised the contribution that strong, properly resourced and independent supreme audit institutions play in improving transparency, accountability and value for money to ensure that public funds are appropriately spent.”

For SAIs to exercise their independence, they must be free to publicise the results of their work and then undertake follow-up investigations as required. It is, therefore, worrying that the Speaker of a Commonwealth member country should hold the CAG in contempt for doing his job, namely for communicating to the public the results of his audits and for raising concerns about the failure of partner institutions to consider and address key recommendations from his reports.

At the Commonwealth Auditors General Conference held in Malta in March 2014, the participants took a collective decision to launch a campaign across the Commonwealth to realise the commitments articulated in the above-mentioned CHOGM communique. The recent comments by Tanzania’s CAG regarding our Parliament’s failure to hold the government to account is fully in keeping with the spirit of the Malta decision.

Since the Tanzanian Parliament is a CPA Member, I kindly urge that your office make a diplomatic intervention by communicating with the Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, alerting him to the dangers of his decision. I believe that the matter can be amicably resolved and improve the relationship between the two key institutions, Parliament and the National Audit Office, which depend on each other.

Yours

( Signed )
Zitto Kabwe, MP
Kigoma Urban Constituency
United Republic of Tanzania

Cc
- All CPA Speakers in Africa
- All AGs in CPA Africa
- General Public

 

[Jane Msowoya]

Kazi ndo kwanza inaanza

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[Madikizela]

This is a very good move
Congrats Mr. Zitto


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[Cole Williams]

Watakwambia unatumika na mabeberu Mkuu zitto

 

[August]

Naona wazee wa matukio wameisha ingia kazini.
Lakini sijaona mahali ambapo spika amemzuia au kuonyesha dalili za kumzuia CAG kufanya Kazi Yake kwa uhuru unaotakikana Na kutoa hizo report bila kuingiliwa Na Bunge.

Kinacho gomba hapa ni kauli ya CAG baada ya kutoa report zake . Hapa tu nacho takiwa ni kujua majukumuu ya CAG baada ya kutoa report ni yapi ??? Ni kwenda kuongelea aliyoyaona au kusubiri ukaguzi utakao kuja Na kuona kile alicho kitoa au kukiandikia Ktk ripoti iliyo pita kimefanyiwa kazi au la!!

Mwisho ningependa kuona report Za cag wa uingereza kuhusiana Na vita vya Iraq wakati wa saadam Hussein Na kauli zake mtaani baada ya kutoa hizo report zake.

 

[jabulani]

Yumkini hatakamatwa, ila lengo la ndungai ni kumtishia CAG polisi ili ripoti zake za mwaka huu zisionyeshe ubadhirifu wa jiwe na udhaifu wa bunge.

 

[Interest]

So, you lied to us the other day about a mission to finish-off SAI claiming it was you? How forgetful!

SAI is the CAG and yet you came out of the woods crying that you are being targeted. Why Zitto, Why?

I know some people will come here and shit on my bad English. But again; Why Zitto, Why?

 

[Barbarosa]

Kama tu ingekuwa ni rahisi kihivyo, yaani Jumuiya ya Madola waache kazi zao wasome barua ya Zito Kabwe? Mbona mnapenda sana kulisha watu matango pori? Jumuiya ya Madola iharibu uhusiano na JMTZ kisa Asad kaitwa kuhojiwa na Bunge? I mean hata kama sisi ni wajinga lkn siyo kwa kiwango hiki.

 

[shungurui]

Hii ni ishara tu ya picha kamili, lazima tuongeze miaka,.tukifanikiwa hilo kwanza , you know what's next.

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[Nyakageni]

Safi sana kaka Zitto! Nice move

"Imana ikuhezagile"

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[Shark]

Naona wazee wa matukio wameisha ingia kazini.
Lakini sijaona mahali ambapo spika amemzuia au kuonyesha dalili za kumzuia CAG kufanya Kazi Yake kwa uhuru unaotakikana Na kutoa hizo report bila kuingiliwa Na Bunge . Kinacho gomba hapa ni kauli ya CAG baada ya kutoa report zake . Hapa tu nacho takiwa ni kujua majukumuu ya CAG baada ya kutoa report ni yapi ??? Ni kwenda kuongelea aliyoyaona au kusubiri ukaguzi utakao kuja Na kuona kile alicho kitoa au kukiandikia Ktk ripoti iliyo pita kimefanyiwa kazi au la!!
Mwisho ningependa kuona report Za cag wa uingereza kuhusiana Na vita vya Iraq wakati wa saadam Hussein Na kauli zake mtaani baada ya kutoa hizo report zake.

Kaona hakifanyiwi kazi. Je kama hakifanyiwi kazi kwani haruhusiwi kusema tatzo lipo wapi

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[magnifico]

Naona wazee wa matukio wameisha ingia kazini.
Lakini sijaona mahali ambapo spika amemzuia au kuonyesha dalili za kumzuia CAG kufanya Kazi Yake kwa uhuru unaotakikana Na kutoa hizo report bila kuingiliwa Na Bunge . Kinacho gomba hapa ni kauli ya CAG baada ya kutoa report zake . Hapa tu nacho takiwa ni kujua majukumuu ya CAG baada ya kutoa report ni yapi ??? Ni kwenda kuongelea aliyoyaona au kusubiri ukaguzi utakao kuja Na kuona kile alicho kitoa au kukiandikia Ktk ripoti iliyo pita kimefanyiwa kazi au la!!
Mwisho ningependa kuona report Za cag wa uingereza kuhusiana Na vita vya Iraq wakati wa saadam Hussein Na kauli zake mtaani baada ya kutoa hizo report zake.

Poa tumekusikia. Turudi kwenye barua husika.

 

[PumziNdefu]

Vizuri mkuu kwa kusimamia utawala wa sheria. Huu ni mwaka wa mapambano.
Jiwe na vibaraka wake wanatuharibia nchi.

 

[Tusker Bariiiidi]

Kama tu ingekuwa ni rahisi kihivyo, yaani Jumuiya ya Madola waache kazi zao wasome barua ya Zito Kabwe? Mbona mnapenda sana kulisha watu matango pori? Jumuiya ya Madola iharibu uhusiano na JMTZ kisa Asad kaitwa kuhojiwa na Bunge? I mean hata kama sisi ni wajinga lkn siyo kwa kiwango hiki.

Welcome Buku 7... Tatizo Zitto kaandika Kiinglishiii

 

[PumziNdefu]

Uhuru wa kutoa maoni ni haki ya kila mtanzania.
Bunge ni dhaifu.
Tunazitaka 1.5T zetu.

 

[August]

Kaona hakifanyiwi kazi. Je kama hakifanyiwi kazi kwani haruhusiwi kusema tatzo lipo wapi

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Ni kukitolea kauli ktk ripoti zinazofuata Kama tatizo linajirejea Na sio kuliongelea kwa wasio husika.
Ikiwemo kuomba ushauri wa kisheria au kuachia ngazi ili kulinda heshima Yake

 

[Kimbunga]

Kama tu ingekuwa ni rahisi kihivyo, yaani Jumuiya ya Madola waache kazi zao wasome barua ya Zito Kabwe? Mbona mnapenda sana kulisha watu matango pori? Jumuiya ya Madola iharibu uhusiano na JMTZ kisa Asad kaitwa kuhojiwa na Bunge? I mean hata kama sisi ni wajinga lkn siyo kwa kiwango hiki.

Zitto si amesema yeye na wabunge wengine wakiwemo wa CCM wanaenda Mahakamani kutetea uhuru na kinga ya CAG, sasa naye anakimbilia kuandika barua nje. Wakiambiwa wanatumika na wale mbuzi dume ambao hawajahasiwa atakataaje sasa? Tumia mahakama ili tupate faida ya tafasri sahihi ya Katiba.

 

[tongelao]

Kama tu ingekuwa ni rahisi kihivyo, yaani Jumuiya ya Madola waache kazi zao wasome barua ya Zito Kabwe? Mbona mnapenda sana kulisha watu matango pori? Jumuiya ya Madola iharibu uhusiano na JMTZ kisa Asad kaitwa kuhojiwa na Bunge? I mean hata kama sisi ni wajinga lkn siyo kwa kiwango hiki.

Sasa hapa ndo umeonyesha ujinga wako wa kiwango cha jiwe

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[Ng'wanapagi]

Zitto usiku huu uko kwenye Keyboard!!!

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[Barbarosa]

Zitto si amesema yeye na wabunge wengine wakiwemo wa CCM wanaenda Mahakamani kutetea uhuru na kinga ya CAG, sasa naye anakimbilia kuandika barua nje. Wakiambiwa wanatumika na wale mbuzi dume ambao hawajahasiwa atakataaje sasa? Tumia mahakama ili tupate faida ya tafasri sahihi ya Katiba.

Kwanza kusema Zito Kabwe anatumika ni kumkweza sana, hakunae Muzungu anaweza kumsikiliza huyo, anachofanya ni kujaribu kwa nguvu kubakia relevant lkn Halina mtu anaweza kumtumia Zito Kabwe kwani hata uwezo wa kutumika hana.