More demand for severe punishment against Escow saga

The union of eight political parties which have no representatives in Parliament, have jointly asked the government to clarify its recent decisions to the international donor community over the dubious transactions entered  by some people who managed to withdraw Sh. 202.9 billion money illegally from the Tegeta Escrow Account. The eight political parties made the declaration in a joint communiqué report they issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam with a view to request the government to restore faith that the donors had lost from the government a result of which made them to suspend the disbursements of funds intended for the development projects in the country due to the scandal. Either the said political parties namely AFP, CCK, SAU, JAHAZI, UMD, CHAUSTA, NRA and UPDP have hailed President Jakaya Kikwete’s decision and steps taken by his government when responding to the eight Parliamentary resolutions which it had issued to the government to implement together with taking stern measures against the people who directly involved in the scandal. Reading the statement on behalf of fellow parties, the Secretary General of the Sauti ya Umma party (SAU) Ali Kaniki told a press conference that, donors are anxiously waiting to receive an official report from the government that would show steps taken so far by the government over the matter. “Many citizens have come to understand the Escrow issue after hearing the President’s speech and that its important the government should issue a statement to donors to clarify their decisions which would make them and external investors to restore faith to the government which was lost when the scandal erupted in Parliament”, he said. Kaniki added that, the decision by the President to reject one resolution which required the government to confiscate the IPOTL’s generating machines was good and that if the president could have accepted the ideas, it would lure other investors’’ mind not to come to Tanzania for investments.“The President need to be respected although others think that, when the President ids overwhelmed with such scandals, makes them come up with new political agenda to make them become famous politically”, he said. 

President Jakaya Kikwete is addressing Dar es Salaam elders who turned up to listen to him when responding to the eight resolutions recently passed by the National Assembly on Escrow saga.

However, he noted that these are the preliminary decisions taken by the government, other legal measures are due to follow later as the President is not forced and instead is being advised on how to make a firm decision over the matter as other organs are still making a follow up on the issue. On his part, the Secretary General of the Chama Cha Kijamii (CCK) Renatus Muabhi said that the issue of donors to suspend funds for development is a painful issue to the nation following some national leaders who are in power do not take necessary steps to safeguard the national wealth as well as being not serious enough over the fight against corruption. He said if the national leaders were serious enough to safeguard the natural resources properly, the donors would have not have become strong enough to intervene and cause a threat to the government by way of forcing them to react over the matter, an aspect that they might have decided to suspend their assistances. “If the donor countries could have not threatened the government to react on their wishes and as a result they decided to suspend the fund for development in a country that is full of natural resources which could enable the nation become rich if properly organized”, he said He said Tanzanians should not be ready to see their President is being bulldozed by the donors by inciting his to do whatever they want, as by doing so it reflects the bad image to the nation. However, he noted that, , President Kikwete should be serious with statements issued b y political figures in the country with the aim of building their confidence over the Escrow account saga so as to plug the nation into a political chaos. “Countries which are in political crisis have their causes erupted by politicians who are looking after building their own political influence, and therefore Tanzanians should avoid the trend in order to continue building peace and harmony which has been existing for long in the country”, he said. On his part, the Secretary General of AFP party, Rashid Rai cautioned politicians to recognize that not all that they recommend to the government and have its commitments by President should be done according to their wishes, bearing in mind the fact that, Tanzania is guided by its constitution. “Let us not advise the president on matters which are not thoroughly checked, and good luck enough our President is wise enough whenever he is given an advise which he works on it before deciding on it”, he said.