Buildings for VP, PM in spotlight

Dodoma. Construction of offices and residential premises for two top national leaders yesterday came under criticism by the Constitution, Legal Affairs and Governance Committee.

In its annual report, the committee accused the government of jeopardising the safety of the Vice President by building his offices and residency in an area bordered by a high-rise building in Tunguu, Zanzibar.

On the other hand, the committee said the Prime Minister’s block in Dodoma was yet to be completed five years after the project, which was expected to take only one year, began.

As a result, the project cost increased by 19.2 per cent because of structural adjustments from Sh6 billion to Sh7.154 billion, the committee chairman, Mr Jasson Rweikiza (Bukoba Rural–CCM), said when tabling the report.

“The delay has been caused by delays in releasing funds for project implementation. In some cases, the government did not release any money for this project,” he said.

On the VPO premises in Tunguu, Mr Rweikiza said the government should negotiate with the owner of the high-rise building and buy it otherwise the safety and security of the top national leader would be always at risk when he uses the facility.

“People in the nearby privately owned high-rise building can see each and everything happening in the Vice President’s premises. This is dangerous for our national leader,” he said.

The committee also urged the government to review its decision to shift its seat from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma because experience had so far shown that it was not committed to doing so.

He said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had been receiving a meagre budget for implementation of the programme, showing a lack of interest on the part of the government to quickly undertake the decision.

On the war against corruption, Mr Rweikiza urged the government to immediately give the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) power to prosecute graft cases which it investigates.

He said the current system whereby PCCB was supposed to seek permission from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to send corruption suspects were hampering the anti-corruption agency’s efforts to deal with the problem.

“For instance, between July 2014 and January 2015, PCCB had investigated 3,014 corruption cases, but has been able to prosecute only 108 cases,” noted Mr Rweikiza.

On another recommendation, the committee noted that due to an increase in corruption and grand corruption in the country, there was a need to establish another organ which will deal with minor corruption, leaving PCCB to deal with grand corruption.

Debating the report, Ms Diana Chilolo (Special Seats-CCM) asked the government to set aside enough money for construction of district courts in all areas which have no the facilities at the moment.