Tibaijuka speaks out on escrow
Dodoma. Muleba South MP (CCM) Prof Anne Tibaijuka, who has been a lawmaker for two terms in Parliament, yesterday bade farewell to the august House.
Besides that, she vented what was inside her heart about questionable scooping of funds from the Tegeta escrow account scandal.
Making a contribution to the budget of the Prime Minister’s Office for the 2020/2021 Financial Year, Prof Tibaijuka said she would not seek reelection in the October General Election to be held later this year.
“Through your office, I thank you for informing Hon Jenista Mhagama in writing about presenting my private motion that I struggled with since the tenth Parliament 10,” she said.
She suggested that the Bunge Hansards should indicate that she had presented her private motion to Ms Mhagama.
She said her motion showed that after she was implicated in the Tegeta escrow account scandal she, being ‘sentenced’, by Parliament while being part of it but, she added, she was not given a chance to defend herself.
“Then I realized that there was a huge shortcoming in our system and I came up with a private motion in the Makinda Parliament (Speaker of the 10th Parliament, Anne Makinda), but there was no time. However, I thank your Parliament for at least making some strides and handing the matter over to the government,” said she.
She said the duty of an MP was to pass laws but not to interpret laws, a key aspect in a democratic society.
“I very much thank the constituents of Muleba South for offering me the opportunity of being in the House for 10 years as I have learnt a lot of things. So, now I’m going to author books,” she said.
For his part, Kilombero MP (Chadema) Peter Lijualikali said since the start of the 11th Parliament he had been speaking about the Ifakara-Kidatu road constructed by the Sagot funds.
He said in 2017, President John Magufuli laid the foundation stone for the road with the length of 175km and it was to be completed in April, this year, but its construction had only reached six percent.
He said the past Parliament’s sitting had asked a question, which was responded that the problem was a Value Added Tax that had already been solved.
“It is a disgraceful thing. Where are you to fight for the interests of the constituents about our road? That road is about the economy,” he said.
However, Works, Transport and Communications minister Isack Kamwelwe said the challenge facing the construction of the road had been weather conditions, whereby, he added, since October last year there had been rains.
He stressed that that was the reason that delayed the completion of the road and not the question of VAT. He added that the government had good intentions and was committed to its promises.
