Big-name corruption: Warioba has his say

THISDAY REPORTER

Dar es Salaam

FORMER prime minister Joseph Warioba yesterday mounted a public defence of retired president Benjamin Mkapa and some key figures in the current government alleged to have been involved in a string of questionable multi-billion shilling deals.

Warioba convened a news conference in Dar es Salaam to seek to dismiss widespread reports of high-level corruption against several big names in both the past and incumbent governments, rubbishing the now-famous ’List of Shame’ compiled by political opposition leaders and offering a blanket endorsement of Mkapa’s record as head of state from 1995 to 2005.

’’As a leader, Mr Mkapa has done tremendous things for this country. He should be appreciated and respected for all his efforts,’’ said Warioba, who is also a shareholder and chairman of the board of directors of Mwananchi Gold Company Limited.

A 2005/06 report by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) has raised key audit queries on dubious payments amounting to several billions of shillings made by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) to the privately-owned Mwananchi Gold company. The CAG report cites irregularities in the BoT’s involvement with Mwananchi Gold and queries dubious loans made to the company amounting to $5,512,398.55 (approx. 7bn/-) by last year.

However, when asked during yesterday’s news conference to first explain the controversies in Mwananchi Gold before starting to defend other personalities linked to other questionable deals, Warioba declined comment citing an ongoing civil suit before the courts.

Instead, he ventured to dismiss the corruption allegations and ’List of Shame’ compiled by opposition legislator Dr Wilbrod Slaa (Karatu - CHADEMA), saying there was nothing new or substantive in the allegations to merit ongoing national attention.

’’There have been a series of scandals - Buzwagi, List of Shame...I don’t know what’s next,’’ said the former premier, claiming that corruption allegations in Tanzania were now being used as a political tool.

’’People mention corruption not necessarily for the sake of fighting it, but rather to use it as a political weapon,’’ he said.

According to Warioba, national leaders have now unnecessarily begun giving too much attention to a mudslinging campaign prompted by accusations and counter-accusations, at the expense of national development priorities.

’’This is a time when the government should be addressing serious issues like modernising our agriculture sector and improving social services to the people. But our leaders are now quite occupied with these political issues,’’ he said.

The ex-PM, who chaired the famous Warioba Commission on Corruption in the 1990s, said corruption was today an even more serious problem than it was 10 years ago.

’’Today, when people talk of good governance and anti-corruption crusades, they seem to be advocating for regime change because they believe those in power have failed. Corruption is a huge problem and cannot be dealt with through mere regime changes,’’ he said.

’’When we reach the point of calling the president - the symbol of the nation - corrupt, then there is no national leadership,’’ he added.

When asked by another journalist whether he had been ’sent’ by anyone to clear the names of officials in the much-hyped ’List of Shame,’ Warioba said he had called the news conference out of his own volition.

’’I have a firm, independent position on issues - nobody can tell me what to say,’’ he retorted.

From: ThisDay (Tanzania)