HUREEEE,MYAMA KAUA LEO

Picha kwa hisani ya Michuzi.

MNYAMA KAUA LEO!SUBIRIA TIFU LITAKALOIBUKA JANGWANI BAADA YA KIPIGO HICHO.

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THE IRONY OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA

Sometimes I am left wondering if democracy means anything to a common man on the street.Look at Tanzania.Our elected representatives in the National Assembly have,arguably,made democracy look like a joke.How on earth would they defend accepting (or rather demanding) extra allowances despite their hefty packages in terms of their sitting allowances and salaries?

It's more than ironic when a body entrusted with the task of making laws becomes a champion in breaking the law.Our MPs should understand that it's simply unacceptable for them to demand or receive hospitality allowances not only because it could impact their opinions but also they are already receiving more benefits an ordinary Tanzanian could only imagine about.

I am even more disgusted by the stance taken by the Speaker of the House Samuel Sitta who claims that 'hospitality allowance is offered in accordance with African tradition.Bribe is not an African tradition,and that is exactly what our MPs are doing.It is widely understood that hospitality accorded to MPs when they visit an organisation for a fact-finding mission could very well be an attempt to soften their stance towards it.In other words,our MPs could easily be bribed by lunch allowances simply because they can't have enough.

Of course, I have been one of the strongest critic of PCCB,especially after its Director General Edward Hosea was implicated by a Parliamentary Committee which was investigating the Richmond scam.However,despite "getting it right at a wrong time" PCCB has every right to investigate the said claims against our MPs.

And it is ridiculous for Speaker Sitta to give statements which imply that MPs are above the law,and therefore have a divine right to break the law.Although it could be true that the decision by PCCB ot investigate the hospitality allowances was prompted by the much anticipated House debate on the Richmond scam,it still does not make our MPs,Sitta included,immune to scrutiny on favours accorded to our representatives.

Back to my point about how ironic democracy could look when analysing African politics,it makes one wonder if the 300 plus MPs representing Tanzanians in Dodoma are actually useful.Arguably,the only thing that most of our MPs have been so effective is in demanding improvement in their benefits.They have so far failed to pressurise the Government to act responsibly in dealing with such important issues as the Richmond scandal,stupid mining contracts and the likes.How could they while they rely on the Government for 'improving' their welfare?

It looks as if the Government's trick to bring the hospitality allowance issue ahead of the debate on the Richmond scam has worked perfectly.Our MPs are so busy to justify that they deserve 'bribes' in a form of hospitality allowances that they have completely forgotten about pressing the Government to come clean on the Richmond saga.

As I have frequently written in my previous posts,I strongly believe that despite of what majority of Tanzanians would like to see or hear,the Government will never bring the Richmond farce to an end because most of the key players are still useful for its (the government's) survival.Unless you are dreaming,Lowassa and Co are too important to wanamtandao to have him on the dock to tell us how we ended up signing such a silly contract with Richmond.

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WHO SAID NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW IN TANZANIA?

By Damas Kanyabwoya, Dodoma The National Assembly Speaker, Mr Samuel Sitta, has poured could water on an attempt by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) to qualify 'lunch allowance' for MPs as corruption, terming it 'hospitality allowance' that is offered in accordance with African tradition. The PCCB is investigating some MPs accused of receiving lunch allowances on top of their usual per diems while attending committee meetings outside their base. Mr Sitta said there was nothing wrong for MPs to receive lunch allowances when attending seminars because even parliamentary rules and regulations permitted it. Some MPs, especially from the energy and minerals committee, have reportedly been subjected under harsh interrogations from the PCCB on double payments, against the Parliament's wish that all allegations facing them be probed by the relevant House committee. Mr Sitta said in Parliament in Dodoma yesterday that he was surprised that the simple issue of lunch allowancesattracted so much attention from, especially, from the mass media. He wondered why the same journalists accepted lunch allowances whenever they participated in seminars involving MPs, if they knew it was illegal. "Sauti Huru newspaper recently wrote that I, the Speaker of the House, defend dishonest MPs who have been accused of receiving double payments in allowances. But the papers fails to understand that the other allowance is just a lunch allowance given as hospitality to MPs in accordance with African cultures and values, he said. Mr Sitta weighed into the matter after the morning question-and-answer session when he announced that MPs were invited to attend a seminar on Children's Bill organised by the ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children. He said that lunch allowances would be provided during the seminar and encouraged the MPs to take it without any fear. "The protocol (allowances) will be observed, and this is not a sin because even parliamentary regulations recognize and permit such allowances," Mr Sitta said. Mr Sitta was also not happy over the way the government has been handling the issue, noting that instead of concentrating on MPs' allowances, it needs to focus on sensitive issues such as Kilimo Kwanza and improving education. The issue of double payments of allowances has been the subject of hard fought political battles between the Parliament and the Executive branch of Government. MPs usually receive official daily allowances when they are on duty whether attending parliamentary sessions or committee meetings on top of their monthly salaries and other fringe benefits. But it has also been the custom of the same MPs for a long time, to accept lunch allowances given by their hosts whenever they visit various government organs and parastatals or attend seminars or workshops organized various institutions. Reports indicate that the Speaker has objected to PCCB's interrogations of MPs arguing that if there are any allegations of corruption among MPs they should be dealt with through Parliamentary channels. Legislators also accuse the Government of political witch-hunting because it was only a handful of MPs, members of the Energy and Minerals committee subjected to interrogations, while the rest were left out. Speaking to reporters in Dodoma on Tuesday this week Kyela MP Dr Harrison Mwakyembe said he refused to be interrogated because, according to him, there was nothing wrong with accepting lunch or even lodging allowances given by various government agencies to MPs. The PCCB is the champion of providing such allowances to MPs whenever it conducts seminars for MPs. They recently provided lodging for me in Dar es Salaam during one of their seminars despite the fact that I am the resident of the city. They should start investigating themselves first, he said. But it is reported that the Government insists that the MPs alleged to have received double payments should be interrogated SOURCE: The Citizen

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MAZINGAOMBWE YA RICHMOND: THE LATEST EPISODE

SERIKALI imeshutumiwa kwa kuibua hoja ya 'posho mbili' kwa wabunge ili kuzima kashfa ya Kampuni ya kufua umeme wa dharura ya Richmond Development (LLC) iliyobuni mkataba wa kifisadi kati yake na Shirika la Umeme Tanzania (Tanesco).

Shutuma hizo zinakuja baada ya vyombo vya habari mbalimbali kutangaza jana msuguano uliojitokeza kati ya Spika wa Bunge, Samuel Sitta aliyetoa hoja kusitishwa kwa wabunge kuhojiwa na Waziri Mkuu Mizengo Pinda kusisitiza kuwa zoezi hilo litaendelea kwa sababu ni agizo kutoka katika Ofisi ya Rais, Ikulu.

Takukuru imekuwa ikiwahoji baadhi ya wabunge, wengi wao wakitajwa kuwa ni miongoni mwa wanaojipambanua katika kupiga vita ufisadi, kwa madai ya kupokea posho mara mbili, kufuatia malalamiko ya baadhi ya idara na taasisi kuwa kamati za Bunge zinadai posho mara mbili.

Sambamba na hoja ya 'posho mbili' za wabunge kwa kazi moja, kuendelea kujadiliwa katika nyanja mbalimbali za kijamii, pia mjadala mkali umekuwa ukiendelea katika mtandao maarufu wa 'wanajamii'.

Mchangiaji mmoja, Richard Mabala alisema anashangaa kuona serikali imeamua kuchagua kupambana na baadhi ya wabunge wakati suala la 'posho mbili' ni utamaduni wa miaka mingi bungeni.

"Mwaka juzi nilipotumwa kazi na wafadhili kuonana na kamati moja ya Bunge, vivyo hivyo walitengewa vijisenti vyao, wakiwemo mawaziri na mawaziri wastaafu ndani ya Bunge, mashirika ya jamii na wafadhili," ameandika.

Aliyekuwa Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Bunge iliyochunguza kashfa hiyo ya Richmond, juzi alizungumza na waandishi wa habari mjini Dodoma na kusema kuwa kitendo hicho cha Takukuru ni cha kisasi na kuwa kamwe hatokubali kuhojiwa.

Jana Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa Chama cha Wananchi (CUF), Juma Haji Duni alisema serikali inaogopa matokeo ya sakata la Richmond na inataka kutumia suala la wabunge kupokea posho mara mbili kama njia ya kutokea, baada ya kukwama kutekeleza maazimio ya Bunge kwa zaidi ya miezi sita sasa.

"Waziri Mkuu Mizengo Pinda na serikali yake anaogopa Richmond, anakazania wabunge wahojiwe kwa kuwa anaona hapo ndio mahali pa kutokea, wanajaribu kukwepa hoja ya msingi," alisema.

Alisema ikiwa serikali ina sura mbili moja ikiwa ya ufisadi na ndio sababu inachelea kuchukua hatua za wazi zilizopendekezwa na kamati ya Bunge kuhusu watendaji wake.

"Kama serikali ina sura mbili, moja ya kifisadi; ingekuwa makini ingewachukulia hatua wote kama ilivyopendekezwa na Bunge. Sasa inashangaza kwa kushupalia posho za wabunge na kuwahoji ikitafuta pa kutokea," alisema Duni na kuongeza:

"Kama serikali ipo makini kwa nini haijasema wazi ni nani waliorejesha fedha za EPA? Si kweli kama posho za wabunge ndiyo suala kubwa kwa sasa. Serikali iache unafiki kwani, kama posho si wabunge pekee hata watendaji wa serikali wanakula mara mbili."

Alisema, Pinda anajipapatua, huo ni unafiki wa serikali kutaka kufunika hoja ya Richmond na kwamba, kama wana umakini mbona waliorejesha fedha za EPA hawatajwi mpaka leo. Kama Takukuru wapo 'serious' (makini) kwa nini hawakulisemea hilo mwanzo wanasubiri wakati huu wa mkutano wa Bunge."

Aliongeza kuwa lililo mbele ni Bunge kuachiwa lifanye kazi yake na wabunge wafanye kazi yao na iwapo serikali kupitia Takukuru inahitaji kuwahoji basi isubiri kumalizika kwa mkutano wa Bunge.

Kauli hiyo ya Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa CUF iliungwa mkono na Kiongozi wa Upinzani Bungeni, Hamad Rashid Mohamed (Wawi-CUF) aliyesema kuwa ingawa hana tatizo na Takukuru kutekeleza wajibu wake, lakini hofu yake ni wakati gani inatekeleza wajibu huo na kama Bunge ambalo pia lina kanuni zinazoweza kufanyia kazi madai hayo limeshindwa kufanya hivyo.

"Ingawa sheria za nchi hazikatazi mtu kuhojiwa wakati wowote, lakini kila jambo lina wakati wake. Kama Takukuru imefanya hivyo ili kudhoofisha nguvu za wabunge kutetea maslahi ya taifa, basi wajue hakuna mtu yeyote anayeweza kulizuia Bunge kufanya kazi yake," alisema Hamad na kuongeza:

"Bunge lisizuiwe kufanya kazi yake. Hata kama litawavuruga wachache bado tutasimamia haki kwani waliobaki pia ni nguvu ya umma, kwa kuwa ni wawakilishi wa wananchi na wana nguvu na uwezo ule ule".

Kwa upande wake Mbunge wa Kigoma Kaskazini, Zitto Kabwe amewasihi wabunge wenzake kukubali kuhojiwa na Takukuru kama njia pekee ya kujisafisha mbele ya umma kuhusu tuhuma za kulipwa posho mara mbili kwa kazi moja.

Akizungumza katika mahojiano maalumu na Mwananchi ofisini kwake bungeni mjini Dodoma jana, alihadharisha kuwa endapo umakini na busara haitatumika katika suala hilo, kashfa hiyo inaweza kuliondolea Bunge heshima ambayo chombo hicho kimejijengea kwa wananchi.

“Sisi wabunge tunapopinga kuhojiwa na chombo cha dola tunatoa taswira mbaya kwa jamii…tunaweza kuharibu hii sifa tuonekane kuna mambo tunayafanya halafu tunajificha na kinga ya Bunge…kinga inatulinda kutoa maoni na michango yetu ndani ya Bunge tusishtakiwe,”alisema Zitto.

Katika mtazamo tofauti Mwenyekiti wa Taifa wa NCCR-Mageuzi, James Mbatia alisema anayachukulia mabishano hayo sawa na ya vibaka wawili wanaogombana kila mmoja akitaka kumuwahi mwenzake.

“Takukuru ni questionable (wanatuhumiwa) na wabunge nao pia ni ‘questionable’. Sasa imekuwa ni sawa na vibaka wawili ambao wanapambana na sasa inategemea ni kibaka yupi atamuwahi mwenzake.” alisema Mbatia.

Alifafanua kuwa katika mazingira ya sasa wabunge, wanatuhuma na wanapaswa kuchunguzwa na suala la Richmond nalo linapaswa kuchukua nafasi yake, hivyo Takukuru wasizuiwe kufanya kazi zao kama Bunge nalo lisivyotakiwa kuingiliwa.

Naye Kada wa Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) na ambaye pia ni kijana aliyeinukia kwa kasi kisiasa nchini katika miaka ya karibuni, Nape Nnauye, alisema anatilia shaka uhalali wa Takukuru kutekeleza kazi yao wakati huu wa Mkutano wa Bunge, hasa ikizingatiwa hoja nzito zinazotarajiwa kujadiliwa.

"Mazingira ya sasa tuna sakata la Richmond na bado halijaisha na mmoja wa wanaotuhumiwa ni Mkurugenzi wa Takukuru. Hata kama operesheni yao ni 'genuine' (halali) tunaweza tukafikiri ni kuzuia wabunge wasitekeleze wajibu wao," alisema Nnauye.

Mkurugenzi wa Mtandao wa Jinsia Tanzania (TGNP), Usu Malya alielezea kitendo hicho cha Takukuru kuwa ni cha kuwadhalilisha wabunge na kuongeza kama ni suala la kutolewa posho mara mbili kwa wabunge, Bunge kupitia kamati yake ya maadili lingeweza kujadili na kutoa ripoti.

"Tunaamini wabunge wetu wamekuwa wakijadili kwa uwazi mambo yote kwa maslahi ya umma. Suala hilo pia wangeweza kulifanyia kazi. Kitendo cha Takukuru kwenda kuwafuatilia mimi naona ni cha kuwashushia hadhi," alionya Usu.

Hata hivyo, Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa (Takukuru) Dk Edward Hosea, ametia ngumu akitaka uchunguzi dhidi ya wabunge uendelee akisema : "Hakuna mtu aliye juu ya sheria."

Kauli hiyo ya kwanza ya Dk Hosea tangu kuanza uchunguzi huo ambao sasa umefikia hatua ya juu zaidi, inakuja kipindi ambacho tayari kumeibuka msuguano kati ya mihimili miwili ya dola, ambayo ni Bunge na Serikali.

"No one is above the Law..., no matter who are you (Hakuna aliye juu ya sheria, bila kujali wewe ni nani)," alisema Hosea na kuongeza:

"Sisi tunafanya kazi kwa mujibu wa sheria na katiba, kwa hiyo hatuangalii nani ni nani zaidi ya sheria na katiba".

Mapema mwaka huu Dk Hosea alionya wabunge kwamba, wakianza mchezo wa kuumbuana hawatasalimika, kwani kumekuwa na taarifa na ushahidi wa kutosha kuhusu ufisadi wao wa kuchukua posho mara mbili.

Akionyesha kutimiza azma hiyo, Hosea alisema hapendi malumbano na wanasiasa kwani yeye si mwanasiasa mwenye jukwaa kama Bunge, ila atasimamia sheria.

"Wanaweza kusema mambo mengi, mimi si mwanasiasa sipendi malumbano na wanasiasa, wao wana audience (hadhara) mimi sina, wana Bunge na wanaweza kukaa bungeni na kuzungumza chochote," alifafanua Hosea na kusisitiza:

"Lakini kwa kifupi ni kwamba, msimamo wa Takukuru uko wazi, ni kufanya kazi kwa mujibu wa sheria na katiba basi, hakuna jambo jingine".

Alipoulizwa endapo uchunguzi huo una msukumo na nguvu za aina yoyote nje ya sheria na utendaji kazi wa kawaida wa Takukuru, alijibu: "Nasisitiza, sipendi malumbano na wanasiasa, wanaweza kusema mengi, lakini tunasimamia sheria tu".

Msuguano huo unaondelea kati ya mihimili hiyo miwili ya dola, pamoja na mambo mengine unaweza kuliingiza Bunge la Tanzania katika kashfa mbaya ya matumizi mabaya ya fedha za umma kama ilivyokuwa kwa Bunge la Uingereza.

Tayari hadi sasa, wabunge wengi wakiwa ni kutoka Kamati ya Nishati na Madini wakiongozwa na Shellukindo mwenyewe, wamekwishahojiwa kutokana na tuhuma hizo.

Kwa mujibu wa habari ambazo gazeti hili imezipata, karibu wajumbe wote 21 kutoka Kamati ya Hesabu za Mashirika ya Umma wamekwishaitwa kuhojiwa huku mwenyekiti wao Zitto akiwa njiani.

Baadhi ya wabunge kama James Lembeli wa Kahama na Dk Mwakyembe, walikwishaitwa kuhojiwa lakini hadi sasa hawajafanyiwa hivyo, huku mbunge huyo wa Kyela akiweka bayana kwamba, hayuko tayari kuhojiwa na Takukuru vinginevyo apelekwe mahakamani.

Baadhi ya wananchi waliliambia gazeti hili kwamba, hawaoni sababu ya wabunge kulalamikia kitendo cha Takukuru.

"Mjadala wa bunge hauwezi kuzuia mambo mengine yasifanyike... kama wabunge watashindwa kwa sababu tu ya kuhojiwa basi kazi yao watakuwa hawaijui. Na pengine hili litakuwa ni changamoto kwao," alisema Hamis Athuman.

Imeandaliwa na Exuper Kachenje, Leon Bahati na Ramadhan Semtawa

SOURCE: Mwananchi

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NON-WHITES BANNED FROM OPEN BNP MEETING (VIDEO)

Non-whites barred from 'open' BNP meeting

Peter Dominiczak

22.10.09

Two senior BNP figures have been secretly filmed barring non-whites from entering one of their meetings on the day the party was forced to admit black and Asian members.

Richard Barnbrook, the BNP's representative on the London Assembly, and Bob Bailey, the party's London organiser, were filmed stopping 10 non-whites entering a branch meeting in the Eastbrook pub in Dagenham.

The meeting was on 15 October, the day the party was forced to change its constitution to allow non-white people to join.

The emergence of the new footage, shot by film-maker Heydon Prowse, the editor of Don't Panic magazine, will come as a massive embarrassment to BNP leader Nick Griffin just hours ahead of his appearance on BBC Question Time tonight.

In the film, Mr Barnbrook, a Barking and Dagenham councillor, is seen telling a group of mixed race African and Asian campaigners that the meeting is "private" before the group is told to leave. One of the campaigners, a white Swedish woman and the only non-Briton in the group, was told she could stay.

The film shows the campaigners, who had worn Nick Griffin T-shirts and were carrying their British passports, being abused outside the meeting's venue by a BNP member who says "we don't want people like you".

Mr Barnbrook claims to be "delighted" by the decision to allow non-whites despite denying the group entry to the meeting. In the footage he says: "It's a private meeting. I'm afraid the meeting inside here is closed. We're finishing."

The move is mirrored by another party official, Bob Bailey, who is later filmed admitting the party now allows non-white members to join but still refuses to let the group inside the meeting, saying "This is a members' meeting and that's it".

Some time later he says: "Our party has always been open to other people if they want to join. We've got people who are black Africans, we've got people who are from the West Indies, we've got Sri Lankans - we've got people from everywhere."

Mr Prowse said: "While Bailey was throwing us out he seemed to be aware of the fact that he couldn't appear to be discriminating against non-whites but he couldn't come up with one valid reason why we shouldn't be let in." After the group is barred, a party member confronts the group, saying: "This is my party. I don't want you in my party and it is up to us whether we decide to let you people in - people that ain't like us. Our party is being forced into a position that we do not want.

"You can belong to anything you like, but we don't want you. You are not white British."

SOURCE: London Evening Standard

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RIPOTI HIZI ZIKO WAPI?

ANDREW CHENGE,ALMAARUF KAMA MZEE WA VIJISENTI ALIPOGONGA NA KUUA,ILIUNDWA TUME MOJA YA CHAP CHAP NA JESHI LA POLISI (SIJUI NI AJALI NAGPI ZINAUNDIWA TUME).HADI LEO HATUJAFAHAMISHWA MATOKEO YA UCHUNGUZI WA TUME HIYO YA "WATAALAM" (JAPO WATAALAM HAOHAO WALIKUWA NA SPIDI YA ROKETI KUBASHIRI CHANZO CHA AJALI YA MWAKYEMBE).

UFISADI KATIKA KITUO KIKUU CHA MABASI CHA UBINGO ULIPELEKEA KUTOLEWA MAAGIZO KWA MKAGUZI MKUU WA SERIKALI AFANYE UCHUNGUZI.RIPOTI ILIKABIDHIWA KWA MTOA AGIZO LAKINI HADI LEO HAIJAWEKWA HADHARANI.

MABOMU YALILIPUKA MBAGALA NA KUSABABISHA VIFO NA MAJERUHI KADHAA.CHAPCHAP TENA IKAUNDWA TUME YA UCHUNGUZI.IKAWA ASUBUHI,IKAWA USIKU,HATIMAYE RIPOTI IKAKABIDHIWA KWA MTOA MAELEKEZO.KABLA HAJATUJULISHA KILICHOMO KWENYE RIPOTI HIYO MABOMU MENGINE YAKALIPUKA NA KUUA WATOTO WAWILI.LAKINI HADI LEO HATUJAELEZWA SABABU ZA MILIPUKO HIYO JAPO RIPOTI IMESHAKABIDHIWA KWA MHUSIKA.

WAKATI HAYO YAKITOKEA BADO KUNA WINGU KUBWA KUHUSU MAPENDEKEZO YA TUME YA BUNGE YA MWAKYEMBE KUHUSU UJAMBAZI WA RICHMOND.WALIOJIUZULU WAMEACHWA KANA KWAMBA KUJIUZULU KWAO KUMEREJESHA HASARA WALIYOSABABISHA KWA TAIFA (KUMBUKA MGAO WA UMEME UNAOENDELEA NI SEHEMU YA UJAMBAZI HUO WA RICHMOND).LAKINI KAMA KUTUPUUZA,BAADHI YA WALIOHUSISHWA NA UJAMBAZI HUO WANASTAAFU NA MARUPURUPU MANONO.HAPO BADO SIJAGUSIA MDUDU AITWAYE KAGODA.

HIVI BADO MPIGA KURA UNAAMINI KWAMBA MAAMUZI YAKO YA KUIPA KURA CCM MWAKA 2005 YALIKUWA SAHIHI?LAKINI KWA VILE KUFANYA KOSA SI KOSA BALI KULIREJEA,KWANINI USITOE ADHABU YAKO MWENYEWE KWENYE UCHAGUZI MKUU UJAO HAPO MWAKANI?

HATMA YETU IKO MIKONONI MWETU.

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MAZINGAOMBWE YA RICHMOND YANAKIFU

DANADANA KUHUSU SUALA LA RICHMOND IMEZIDI KUENDELEA.BINAFSI SIDHANI KAMA SUALA HILI LITAPATIWA UFUMBUZI UNAOSUBIRIWA NA WATANZANIA WENGI.KUPATA UFUMBUZI,KWA MAANA YA KUWEKWA BAYANA UKWELI WA UTAPELI NA UJAMBAZI HUO UTAMAANISHA WATU MUHIMU KUPOTEZA NYADHIFA ZAO.SIO KWAMBA HILO NI BAYA BALI HALIWEZEKANI KATIKA MAZINGIRA YA SIASA ZETU ZA KUJIKOMBA,KUOGOPANA NA BORA LIENDE.

PENGINE HII NI SABABU NYINGINE MUHIMU KWA WAPIGAKURA KUIHOJI CCM COME THE 2010 ELECTION.HEBU SOMA KWANZA HAPA CHINI:

Mazingaombwe tupu Richmond

• Shellukindo anuna, akataa kuulizwa maswali

na Deogratius Temba

KWA mara nyingine tena, serikali jana ilishindwa kuwasilisha maelezo ya utekelezaji wa maazimio 23 ya Bunge kuhusu hatma ya kashfa ya Kampuni ya kufua umeme wa dharura ya Richmond kwa Kamati ya Kudumu ya Bunge ya Nishati na Madini.

Licha ya kauli thabiti iliyotolewa na Mwenyekiti wa kamati hiyo, William Shellukindo mwanzoni mwa wiki kwa waandishi wa habari kuwa, serikali ingetoa maelezo hayo kwa kamati yake jana, hali ilikuwa tofauti baada ya Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, William Ngeleja kutotokea katika ofisi ndogo za Bunge jijini Dar es Salaam, ambako kamati mbalimbali za Bunge zinaendelea na vikao vyake.

Kwa mujibu wa ratiba mpya ya vikao vya kamati hiyo vinavyoendelea katika ofisi hizo, jana kamati ilipanga kupokea taarifa hiyo na kuanza kuijadili kwa muda wa siku mbili, baada ya wiki iliyopita kuahirishwa kwa kile kilichoelezwa kuwa Waziri Ngeleja alikuwa nje ya nchi.

Habari ambazo Tanzania Daima Jumatano lilizipata kutoka kwa baadhi ya wajumbe wa Kamati ya Bunge ya Nishati na Madini zilieleza kuwa, walipokea ombi la serikali la kuahirishwa kwa mjadala huo ili ijipange sawasawa.

Mmoja wa wajumbe wa kamati hiyo alieleza kuwa, serikali katika ombi lake kwa kamati, iliitaka kuliweka suala hilo pembeni hadi baadaye itakapoarifiwa, na ilitaka kuendelea na ratiba zake nyingine kama zilivyopangwa.

“Ni kweli leo (jana) tulikuwa tuipokee taarifa ya serikali kuhusu utekelezaji wa maazimio ya Bunge, lakini haya ni masuala yanayoihusu serikali zaidi, wameomba tuendelee na kazi nyingine, wanaweza kuiwasilisha kesho (leo) au keshokutwa (kesho),” alisema mmoja wa wajumbe wa kamati hiyo aliyeomba jina lake lisitajwe kwa sababu si msemaji.

Alieleza zaidi maelezo kamili ya kuahirishwa kwa upokeaji maelezo ya serikali yanaweza kutolewa na mwenyekiti wa kamati hiyo, Shellukindo, ambaye ndiye aliyepokea ombi hilo la serikali.

Shellukindo alipoulizwa kuhusu hali hiyo, aligeuka mbogo kwa waandishi wa habari kwa kuwataka wasimuulize maswali kuhusu Richmond. Kwa ukali aliwataka waulize maswali yanayohusiana na kampuni ya kuzalisha umeme wa gesi ya Songas, ambayo ilikuwa ikijadiliwa na kamati yake jana.

“Nataka kuwaeleza tulichozungumza na watu wa Songas, lakini nikimaliza nitakaribisha maswali ambayo yatahusiana tu na suala hili la Songas, nje ya hapo sitajibu,” alisema Shellukindo.

Msimamo huo wa Shellukindo uliwafanya waandishi wa habari waliokuwa na shauku ya kutaka kujua sababu za serikali kushindwa kuwasilisha taarifa ya utekelezaji maazimio ya Bunge ambayo imekuwa ikisubiriwa kwa hamu kubwa na watu wengi, kushikwa na butwaa na kushindwa kuuliza maswali kwa muda.

Baada ya dakika chake, Shellukindo ambaye alionekana kutokuwa katika hali ya kawaida, alieleza kuwa kamati yake imezungumza na uongozi wa Kampuni ya Songas kuhusu utengenezaji wa mashine ya kuzalisha umeme wa megawati 20 iliyoharibika wiki iliyopita na upatikanaji wa gesi nchini.

Hata hivyo katika hali ambayo haikutarajiwa na waandishi wa habari, wakati Shellukindo akiendelea kutoa maelezo, wajumbe wa kamati walianza kusimama mmoja mmoja na kuondoka na walipoulizwa sababu ya kuondoka katika kikao hicho, walidai kuwa wana majukumu mengi ya kufanya.

Kabla ya Shellukindo kuanza kuongea na waandishi wa habari, Mbunge wa Kyela, Dk. Harrison Mwakyembe ambaye ni kinara wa kashfa hiyo, alisimama na kutoka nje. Mwakyembe amekuwa hazungumzi lolote na waandishi tangu kuanza kwa vikao vya kamati hiyo.

Awali Tanzania Daima Jumatano lilielezwa kuwa, taarifa hiyo haitawasilishwa kwa kamati hiyo ikiwa jijini Dar es Salaam kwa sababu za kiusalama na badala yake itawasilishwa mjini Dodoma.

Taarifa hizo zilieleza kuwa, wajumbe wa kamati ya Shellukindo watapata nafasi ya kuijadili wakiwa Dodoma na endapo watairidhia wataruhusu serikali iiwasilishe bungeni katika mkutano wa 17, utakaokuwa ukiendelea. Mkutano huo unatarajiwa kuanza Oktoba 27.

Taarifa nyingine zilizolifikia gazeti hili zilieleza kuwa, serikali ina hofu kuwa, iwapo itaitoa taarifa hiyo kwa kamati ya Shellukindo mapema, inaweza kuvuja na kutoa mwanya kwa baadhi ya watuhumiwa wa Richmond kujipanga namna ya kujisafisha au kupoteza baadhi ya vielelezo.

Mmoja wa viongozi wa serikali aliyezungumza na gazeti hili katika eneo la ofisi ndogo za Bunge jana, alisema serikali imekuwa ikisita kuiwasilisha taarifa yake kwa kamati hiyo kwa sababu inaweza kuvuja na kuvuruga mwenendo wa mambo.

“Hofu yetu ni kwamba, serikali ikiwasilisha taarifa hii mapema, hadi kufikia siku ya kuijadili bungeni itakuwa imezagaa mno, taarifa kuenea si jambo jema, watuhumiwa wanaweza kujipanga, inatakiwa iwe ya kushtukizia,” alisema ofisa huyo.

Katika mjadala huo uliokamiwa na baadhi ya wajumbe wa kamati hiyo, wajumbe pamoja na mambo mengine wataangalia kama serikali imejibu maswali na maagizo ambayo Bunge liliipa serikali.

Wakati Bunge likitaka watu zaidi waliohusika wawajibishwe, tayari mmoja wa wawakilishi wa Kampuni ya Richmond, Naeem Adam Gire, ameshafikishwa katika Mahakama ya Kisutu, Dar es Salaam Januari 13, mwaka huu na kusomewa mashtaka matano ya makosa ya jinai.

CHANZO: Tanzania Daima

MAAMUZI YA KUIPA TENDA RICHMOND HAYAKUFANYIKA KWENYE KIJIWE CHA KAHAWA BALI KWENYE OFISI NYETI.SASA KWANINI KILA ALIYEHUSIKA KWENYE MAAMUZI HAYO ASIWEKWE HADHARANI?JIBU JEPESI NI KWAMBA KUFANYA HIVYO KUNAWEZA KUPELEKEA "KUISOGEZA 2010 KABLA YA MUDA WAKE" (READ BETWEEN THE LINES,PLZ).

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IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM DeFunKadelic ON MISS EA SCHENGEN

I would like to understand a few things about this Miss EA Schengen competition (as there seems to be a lot of Miss competitions popping up with the notion of empowering young women). For anyone who can help, please do share your knowledge. Earlier attempts to speak to Mr. Charles Gadi were futile, as he hung up on me, upon me saying I did not recognise what the company was. Most importantly, we would like to know who is behind the organisation. What is their background? Who is training the girls? What do these individuals do for life? The girls competiting are required not to have "poor behaviour or they will be disqualified". Are the organisers, trainers etc squeaky clean? Will their background impart "beauty, culture and purity" to the girls? Do you really, really know who is working with your daughters and sisters? DO YOU??

So my questions;

1. What kind of organisation is this? Is it an individuals company or an NGO? What is the registration number if anyone knows, and when was it registered. Who is on the board?

2. On the website, the contact is not clear, there is only an e-mail and phone number but no physical address.

3. What kind of health (or any other) insurances are in place for young girls participating in this event?

4. The organisation aims to encourage people to visit East African countries etc. Is this encouraging East Africans in the diaspora to go back to their own countries, or they are targeting Europeans? If so, how is this being marketed to them?

5. One of the entry requirements is; girls must be single and have no children. Why specifically single? Is this a discrimination on young girls who might have boyfriends? Does it make them improper to serve the community?

6. I see there are only 2 sponsors, one travel company and a restaurant. Are they the main sponsors of the event? Do they provide the presents for these young girls? I believe, it is important to have transparency, and it would be encouraging to see the companies put forward what they are actually sponsoring, so that come the time their word will be legally binding (mainly to the participating girls). I would hate to see naive young girls being exploited.

7. Does the company provide psychological support to young girls who might be vulnerable to insults that will no doubt pop in different blogs whereby the individual has decided to market. It is one thing to claim to build confidence in young girls, it is another when individuals elsewhere try and knock young girls' confidence. A proper organisation should have these things in place.

8. On that note, a concerned parent has recently called the organiser, Mr. Gadi in relation to the pictures and more importantly to a "bongoflava" cheap $2 video (NOTE: $2 is a compliment), which consists of lyrics that arent pleasant to a parent, with videos of the young girls pictures flashing. He has been asked to remove them, the singer has been requested to remove them. In reply Mr. Gadi said "Maybe I will do", "I will see what I can do" or "They are 18 years, they can decide what they want". I believe on this note, an organiser creating a reputable organisation, promoting positivity for the girls, shows a lack of understanding and respect to a concerned parent and our beautiful african culture. I believe the organiser has a family, and needs to think like a family man. So if anyone else knows who is running this organisation, it will be wise to share it, so they can be contacted, perhaps they might show sense and discuss as grow ups.

9. It may be neccessary to contact the different ambassadors to understand their involvement in this event, and whether they endorse the carefree nature of dealing with parents as shown by this particular organiser.

10. For parents who have young girls competiting for these events, it is important you ask questions and make sure your children's interests are best served. Where will your girls be staying? How are they funding their travelling costs? Will these costs be recouped regardless of whether they win or lose?

Food For Thought for parents: What do you want your young girls to achieve from this? Is it attention? Fame? Material things? If helping the community, is parading on stage and being viewed as an object what your daughter is about? In terms of modelling, in Europe there are a lot of very genuine modelling companies with clear procedures on how they are run. My word is, ask questions, talk to your friends, advise them and do the right and sensible things for your young daughters and sisters.

Best of Regards,

Denis

Defunkadelic

(Please feel free to contact me in private and in confidence. I am accessible on the e-mail (and my mobile no. is available on request via e-mail), I will be happy to speak out when you do not dare, where neccessary, you can always rely on the rule of law).

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HIV VACCINE RESULTS ARE QUESTIONED

By GAUTAM NAIK and MARK SCHOOFS

Researchers from the U.S. Army and Thailand announced last month they had found the first vaccine that provided some protection against HIV. But a second analysis of the $105 million study, not disclosed publicly, suggests the results may have been a fluke, according to AIDS scientists who have seen it.

The second analysis, which is considered a vital component of any vaccine study, shows the results weren't statistically significant, these scientists said. In other words, it indicates that the results could have been due to chance and that the vaccine may not be effective.

The additional data were available to the researchers on Sept. 24 when they announced the trial results, but they chose not to disclose them, said Jerome Kim, a scientist with the U.S. Army who was involved in the study. News of the second analysis was first reported on the Web site of Science magazine, but the story didn't provide specific data. Full details of the trial are to be aired at an AIDS meeting in Paris that starts Oct. 19.

The incomplete disclosure raises the question of whether the Army, the Thai government and the U.S. National Institutes of Health -- which helped fund the study -- rushed to give a positive spin to what may turn out to be another inconclusive AIDS-vaccine effort.

"We thought very hard about how to provide the clearest, most honest message," Dr. Kim said. "We stand by the fact that this is a vaccine with a modest protective effect." He called the trial results "complex."

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the part of the NIH that oversees AIDS research, declined to comment.

The study was criticized as pointless by some AIDS scientists when it was launched three years ago because it combined a failed vaccine with one widely thought to have little chance of success. It was the largest HIV vaccine trial ever conducted, with more than 16,000 participants in Thailand.

Some AIDS researchers and activists who have learned of the additional data still think the vaccine shows promise and should be investigated further. But they worry that not disclosing the study transparently will cause people to conclude the vaccine trial was a failure and undermine support for more research.

"I would have preferred to have seen both results straight up. It might spring back on them, and that would be unfortunate," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition in New York.

About 33 million people were living with HIV world-wide in 2007, according to the latest United Nations statistics. About two million people died from AIDS that year. There have been more than 100 HIV vaccine trials since 1987. None had succeeded until the latest Thai trial.

The results announced last month were based on a "modified intent to treat analysis," which includes virtually everyone who enrolled in the study, regardless of whether they ended up getting the full course of the vaccine. It is a good stand-in for the real world, where people don't always follow instructions properly. By this measure, the vaccine tested in Thailand reduced by 31% the chance of infection with HIV, the AIDS-causing immunodeficiency virus.

But the result was derived from a small number of actual HIV cases: New infections occurred in 51 of the 8,197 people who got the vaccine, compared with 74 of the 8,198 volunteers who got placebo shots. Statistical calculations showed there was a 3.9% probability that chance accounted for the difference. In drug and vaccine trials, anything above a 5% probability of a chance result is deemed statistically insignificant.

The second analysis is called "per protocol" and adheres strictly to how the trial was designed by only including the study participants who got the full regimen of vaccine shots at the right time. Because it excludes study participants who didn't get the full vaccine regimen, it usually provides corroboration to the looser "intent to treat" findings.

Two AIDS scientists, who have seen the "per protocol" analysis, said it indicates there is a 16% chance the study results were a fluke -- a far greater probability than is considered statistically acceptable. This analysis included 86 people who received either the vaccine or a placebo and were infected. The "per protocol" analysis also showed that the supposed effectiveness was lower, at 26.2%. Dr. Kim, of the U.S. Army, declined to comment on the data. It isn't clear why the vaccine was seemingly ineffective among participants who followed the guidelines to the letter.

These anomalous results sparked discussion last week at a meeting of the Center for HIV-AIDS Vaccine Immunology in Durham, N.C. The group is made up of a team of universities and academic medical centers established by the NIH to help vaccine design and development.

"I think in general it's best to lay out as much data as possible," said Barton Haynes, director of the center and an HIV vaccine expert at Duke University, who was at the meeting. "This is a very difficult situation for everyone, and we'll have to wait until all the data are released so we can drill down into it."

When drug or vaccine trials results are disclosed, it is common for investigators to simultaneously provide "per protocol" and "intent to treat" data. For example, when Merck & Co. announced the details of its failed HIV vaccine trial in 2007, the Whitehouse Station, N.J., company provided both sets of statistics at the same time.

In September, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition published a report in anticipation of the Thai results that noted: "The safest route is to report both PP [per protocol] and ITT [intent to treat] and to analyze the difference."

In January 2004, a group of 22 scientists in article in the journal Science noted that one component of the Thai vaccine, a primer dose made by Sanofi Pasteur, a division of Sanofi-Aventis SA of France, was poor at triggering an immune response. They also pointed out that trials of the second component of the Thai vaccine, a booster component now licensed to Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, of South San Francisco, Calif., had been proven "to be completely incapable of preventing or ameliorating HIV-1 infection."

They added: "One price for repetitive failure could be crucial erosion by the public and politicians in our capability of developing an effective AIDS vaccine collectively."

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal

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FAR-RIGHT DUTCH MP JETS INTO BRITAIN,DECLARES ISLAM A BAD RELIGION

Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders sparked angry protests today as he declared that Islamic culture is inferior to Christianity.The MP was met by angry Muslim protesters when he arrived in the UK after winning a court battle to enter the country.Around 40 demonstrators gathered near the Houses of Parliament as Mr Wilders, whose film Fitna criticises the Koran as a 'fascist book', arrived in central London.Brandishing banners saying 'Sharia is the solution, freedom go to hell' and 'Geert Wilders deserves Islamic punishment', the protesters were held back by police...READ MORE

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