Sacking of Muhongo bares herculian task at ministry

Dar es Salaam. Before you forget about President John Magufuli’s sacking of Energy and Minerals minister, Prof Sospter Muhongo (pictured), yesterday think about of Mr Nazir Karamagi, Mr Ibrahim Msabaha and Mr William Ngeleja, who previously held the docket and their tenures ended unceremoniously.

President Magufuli sacked Prof Muhongo yesterday after a probe team he formed in April to probe the extent and type of minerals contained in mineral sands in containers in various locations in the country found out that Tanzania was being taken for a ride by multinationals and other exporters.

“Prof Muhongo is my friend, but on this, he needs to think thoroughly and assessment then leave office without further delay,” President Magufuli said.

Later in the evening, the State House officially confirmed the sacking of Prof Muhongo.

Yesterday’s sacking was Prof Muhongo’s second since retired President Jakaya Kikwete brought a highly decorated geologist into politics in 2012 and entrusted him with the supervision of the Energy and Minerals docket.

Almost three years at the helm of the docket, Prof Muhongo was forced to resign in 2015 over his alleged role in a 2014 scandal that saw $180 million taken from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) in what came to be famously known as Escrow Scandal.

Prof Muhongo was removed together with his permanent secretary, Mr Eliakim Maswi, former Attorney General Frederick Werema and the then Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development minister, Prof Anna Tibaijuka, who was sacked after it was realised that $1 million of the $180 million actually went into her private bank account.

The professor was, however, returned to the docket following President Magufuli’s ascending to the presidency in October 2015.

When Prof Muhongo joined politics in 2012, he was actually being invited to occupy the docket that was formerly held by Sengerema MP William Ngeleja, who had to be sacked – along with five other ministers - following a high level corruption scandal.

Retired President Kikwete sacked Mr Ngeleja, former Finance minister Mustapha Mkulo, former Tourism and Natural Resources minister Ezekiel Maige, former Transport minister Omari Nundu, former Health minister Haji Mponda and former Trade and Industry minister Cyril Chami over graft allegations after a report by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) implicated numerous officials in cases of bribery and suspect procurements.

Mr Ngeleja’s own ascending to the Energy and Minerals docket was purely a result of past sackings that saw former Prime Minister Edward Lowasa resigning in 2008 due to the infamous Richmond Scandal.

Mr Lowassa was forced to tender his resignation despite denying allegations that his office was involved in improperly awarding a contract to a US-based electricity company, Richmond Development, in 2006.

The firm failed to provide emergency power during a power crisis in 2006.

Following Mr Lowassa’s announcement to Parliament, former Energy and Minerals minister Nazir Karamagi and Ibrahim Msabaha - a former Energy minister, who had during that time been shifted to the East African Community ministry, also resigned.

Mr Msabaha decided to hide his face from active politics and has not put his face into the ‘political business’ since then.

Much as some ministers are either sacked or forced to resign as a sign of exercising collective responsibility over misdeeds of those, who work under them, the sectors’ lucrative nature also brings the eyes and ears of every Tanzanian closer to the ministry of Energy and Minerals.

The government spends a reasonable chunk of the budget on electricity generation and distribution as it seeks to increase the number of households that are connected to the national grid from the current 34 per cent.

Similarly, mining contracts for gold and gemstones as well as oil and natural gas prospecting licences also expose officials at the ministry of Energy Ministry to some unethical dealings.

In July 2015, the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court sentenced two former cabinet ministers Basil Mramba and Daniel Yona to three-years in jail for abuse of office and causing Sh11.7 billion loss to the government.