Lissu salary ‘suspended’

Dar es Salaam. A Cloud still hangs over the fate of Singida East Member of Parliament Tundu Lissu’s salary, following unclear signals whether Parliament has indeed stopped the payment.

In a clip circulating on social media, Mr Lissu is seen suggesting that Parliament has suspended his salary. He was speaking to Tanzanians living in Washington DC last weeked.

His remarks came days after Parliament Speaker Job Ndugai threatened to cancel the payment due to his absence from the National Assembly while he was touring the world to give speeches.

When, contacted over Lissu’s claims, Mr Ndugai neither confirmed nor denied the claims.

And when asked to verify his words, Mr Lissu retorted: “You should ask the Speaker because he was the one who said that Parliament will reconsider paying me my salary…after all I haven’t checked my bank account.”

He added: “At least they haven’t stripped me of my membership as they had threatened. That is something that I am aware of. A Member of Parliament should have his salary suspended in an event that his is stripped off his membership or suspended in accordance to the law.”

Yesterday Mr Ndugai said: “About Mr Lissu’s salary you should call him and ask him and not me. You should also ask him if his boss (the Speaker) knows about his whereabouts.”

He reiterated an appeal last week in Parliament by Geita Rural MP Joseph Musukuma (CCM) that Lissu should not expect to be paid while he was loitering outside the country.

Mr Lissu, whose absence in Parliament was occasioned by what is suspected to be an assassination attempt has since September 2017 been in treatment in Kenya and Belgium.

He dared Mr Ndugai to withhold his salary, saying the threat will not silence him. He said he will soldier on with his work should the Parliament go ahead to deny him his salary.