Utouh speaks out on Assad treatment

Dar es Salaam. Former Controller and Auditor General Ludovick Utouh has said Parliament’s decision to blacklist his successor Prof Mussa Assad would cost the nation.

“If Parliament has passed a resolution to halt cooperation with the CAG, then that will be a serious problem as far as the country’s transparency aspect is concerned,” said Mr Utouh.

He told The Citizen when reached for comment yesterday that he would reserve his detailed comment pending a comprehensive understanding of what transpired.

Mr Utouh served for 10 years as CAG and it was during his tenure that Parliament begun to publicly debate the annual CAG report to raise government accountability in the use of public resources.

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Policy Forum board chairman Japhet Makongo said there appears to be a fundamental difference of principle between Prof Assad and Parliament. He said what is troubling is that this major deviation was unknown and would only take the President to resolve. According to Mr Makongo, the matter poses a threat to independent institutions, organisations and individuals advocating for transparency and accountability in Tanzania.

“Having withdrawn from global transparency mechanism like the Open Government Partnership, the country was expected to strengthen domestic institutions but unfortunately we’re discouraging them. We should therefore build alternative mechanisms to close the gap instead of lamenting,” he said.

Legal and Human Rights Centre executive director Anna Henga said she feared Parliament was laying the ground to reject the CAG report due for tabling in the House. “This means the government wants to avoid exposure on accountability that would tarnish its image ahead of the forthcoming elections,” Ms Henga said, adding that this could be aiming at removing the CAG due to his professional stance.

Dr James Jesse of the University of Dar es Salaam said while a continued standoff between Parliament and Prof Assad could trigger a constitutional mechanism for his removal, the current move in Parliament was likely meant to frustrate him into resigning.

Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition national coordinator Onesmo Olengurumwa said MPs will have to call for amendment of articles of the constitution if their resolution is to work.

He said Article 143 of the country’s constitution stipulates that Parliament will work with the CAG, which is a constitutional demand.

“The first negative impact of the decision is that corruption, fraud and embezzlement in public offices may now increase as the standoff escaleates,” CCK Secretary General Renatus Muabhi said the country lacked leaders of Prof Assad’s calibre, who are not hypocrites and who speak the truth.