By Zephania Ubwani
The Citizen Bureau Chief
Arusha. Arusha Urban MP (Chadema) Godbless Lema has shrugged off government criticism that he is stubborn.
He affirmed that he was ready to work with various parties to develop Arusha. “But if they think that I can compromise with them through intimidation, they are wrong.  Such a strategy will not work at all.”

He was addressing supporters after he was released on bail yesterday from the Kisongo prison where he spent two weeks for allegedly being involved in an illegal demonstration.However, he told hundreds of his supporters after being granted bail by the Arusha Resident Magistrate’s Court: “I don’t regret being there.”

He said his stay at the prison had enabled him to learn how police were framing innocent people to have them jailed.
He also said sentences of some inmates were disproportionate to offences they committed. He cited cases where a person convicted of rape or stealing a mobile phone was jailed for up to 20 years whereas a convict in the grand corruption could serve only one year in jail.

The court was expected to release him on November 7 but that did not happen.Mr Lema took issue with Arusha officer commanding district (OCD) Zuberi Mwombeji for allegedly harassing opposition supporters and wondered why he was still there despite Chadema’s repeated pleas to have him removed.“Ideally, we [Chadema] have no problem with the police except the OCD,” he told his supporters at the new regional party headquarters at Ngarenaro off Dodoma Road here.

The MP, who has been in confrontation with the state organs since his election last year, wondered why the new Arusha regional commissioner, Mr Magesa Mulongo, had a negative perception about Chadema.

“Why is he so negative about us?” He affirmed that his party would not be cowed by Mr Mulongo’s recent threats in a meeting of regional leaders when he swore that he no longer tolerate chaos allegedly masterminded by Chadema. Mr Lema hinted that someone might have misled Mr Mulongo.

He hinted that the Opposition was contemplating to organise a series of demonstrations in Arusha to protest against mayor Gaudence Lyimo whose election last December has been challenged by Chadema.

Earlier, Mr Lema arrived in court premises from the remand prison after 9am in a police vehicle. Eighteen other people who are accused with Mr Lema joined him. After the bail procedures were completed, resident magistrate Judith Kamala granted him and his co-accused bail.

The case has been adjourned to December 14 this year when it will come up for mention.
Upon his release at 10am, Chadema supporters sang, danced and carried him shoulder-high.
They later put him in an open vehicle before a procession started. Bodaboda riders (motorcyclists) joined marchers from the High Court area, north east of Arusha, to the party regional and district offices — about three kilometres away.

The march was peaceful and police did not stop it and it went through Kanisha and Nyerere roads and Sokoine Road, the city’s main shopping area to Ngarenaro.  The MP has been in the remand prison since October 31 this year after he refused to be bailed because he believed the charges were trumped up. He opted to stay behind bars to express his anger at the authorities.On October 28, he appeared in the court in a case filed by CCM, challenging his victory of the parliamentary seat last year.

After the case was adjourned, Mr Lema left the court premises. So many people followed him.
He briefly addressed them but police took him for questioning and later having a statement recorded as to why he was holding an alleged illegal demonstration. He was arraigned three days later. But he refused to be bailed as a sign of protest against what he said “state harassment”.

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