TANGAZO
Set to announce presidential plans in Arusha this Saturday
“As an ardent Christian, I have pardoned my enemies seven times seventy times,” he said while quoting the Bible.
Lowassa was addressing members of the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) at his residence in Dodoma ahead of his official announcement of his quest to vie for presidency this Saturday in Arusha.
Asked to account about his resignation over the Richmond Development Company Limited scandal, the ex-premier said, in a nutshell, the scandal would not have occurred if some government officials had heeded his advice not to proceed with the project.
Tactically avoiding mentioning names, Lowassa, who political analysts say is in the limelight of becoming the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi presidential flag bearer, said when he was a minister, he was on record for shoving off bad international contracts.
He recounted that he had earlier advised the government under President Benjamin Mkapa not to take up French firm, the Dar es Salaam City water supply because he had discovered that it was incompetent to carry out the project.
“In fact I had to directly order that the foreign official overseeing the project should be flown out of the country in the next possible flight,” he said, adding: “He was actually flown back home by a KLM flight at 3 pm on the same day,” he said.
Lowassa was compelled to resign on February 7, 2008 following a parliamentary select committee report on an emergency power generation contract between the state power utility, Tanesco and Richmond Development Company, a US firm.
The five-member select committee considered the contract to have been fraudulently concluded, hence unconscionable and held Energy and Minerals ministry to blame and the Prime Minister's Office for the foul play.
Upon resignation, Lowassa informed the Tanzania National Assembly that he had tendered his resignation to the President to protect the image of the government and his party in the wake of the parliamentary select committee report, which directly blamed him and two cabinet ministers holding the Energy portfolio, Dr Ibrahim Msabaha and Dr Nazir Karamagi. The three were compelled to resign.
Lowassa however said that it was later proved by former US president Bill Clinton and latter by President Barack Obama when they visited the country separately that the contract was genuine.
He however said it was sad to learn that the government has incurred more that 120bn/- out of the Richmond saga.
Asked about his health, which his opponents say is failing, Lowassa said he is ‘alive and kicking.’
Actually challenging those who say his health is not fit, he said: “All those who want to vie for the Union presidency must undergo medical examination. I can assure you that I will beat them by far.
Asked if he would defect to other parties if CCM will not appoint him to contest for the presidency, the veteran politician cum administrator said he will not do so as “CCM has been in my blood since I joined it in 1977. It is those who don’t want CCM who should defect, not me.”
In the same vein, Lowassa also said that most of the time he is conducting fund raising activities to raise money for helping the poor.
“When you see me donating money to various local projects, it is the outcome of these fundraising activities I conduct,” he said.
Asked about his priorities, Lowassa said he considers education as the priority for the nation.
“When you ask me to mention three priorities in Tanzania, I will tell you that the first one is education, the second one is education and the third one is education,” he stressed.
The former prime minister also spoke of unemployment problem now creating havoc especially within youth population calling it a ‘time bomb.’
Asked why he has been quite for long time, Lowassa said he had decided to do so because he has found of late that politics in Tanzania has gained antagonistic proportions.
“Witch hunting has become the order of the day in our present politics. I feel that being quite is wisdom,” he said noting that some media outlets have also embraced purposeful distortions.”
He expressed that a certain media house had reported that he had hosted lunch for 300 University of Dodoma (UDOM) students at his residence in Dodoma recently calling it a mere fabrication.
“Look at the space here that the media house said I hosted a party for 300 people. Can that number of people stay in this tiny room?’ he asked, vividly looking disappointed.
Speaking on the political status of his ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi, he said he was impressed with the way President Kikwete has implemented the party goals. He advised however that it should not be contented with the achievements so far made.
“Opposition parties are now gaining momentum and as such CCM should try to strengthen itself even more.
He cautioned that Africa has witnessed many liberation parties not coming back to power for a long time after the opposition have taken over the reins of power.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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