FEATURE: Muhongo too good to be politician

No doubt, Sospeter Muhongo is a renowned person in the world of geology and has just been so in Tanzania two years after being appointed minister for Energy and Minerals, a very cumbersome portfolio to lead. Prof Muhongo’s profile is built on his intelligence and professorial practice in a broader field of geology worldwide.

About two years ago, I and, of course, many Tanzanians did not know him until the time when President Jakaya Kikwete uncovered him from the depth of  geology field, where for many years this highly expert had been deeply immersed practising his most loved work -- geology.

Due to the nature of the ministry he was appointed to lead and his peculiar intelligence, the name of Muhongo soon became so famous among all Tanzanians, both young and adults.

Prof Muhongo began his work with full determination, enthusiasm, and commitment, realising that his appointment was not by accident, but was highly meant to bring a difference in the ministry which for several decades has been a try and error portfolio.

Ordinary person

Prof Muhongo as an ordinary person in terms of confidence, eloquence, and rhetoric, after starting his job, immediately raised hopes of many Tanzanians, who for many years have been witnessing in and out of presidential appointees in this portfolio, while at the same time suffering from poor services of the utility company - Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco), on the one hand, and, on the other, their valuables minerals are exploited without having any lion’s share.

Thus, Prof Muhongo became a shining star among very few ‘stars’ in the Cabinet of President Jakaya Kikwete.

Others being Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, and Dr John Magufuli in Transport and Works ministries respectively. Are these guys really doing their job well and carefully or seem so because we as a society do not have a culture of working diligently?

Is this momentarily shining star Prof Muhongo going to diminish soon and get away from the Tanzania’s sky? Are we going to lose Prof Muhongo on legitimate grounds or simply on politically manufactured scandal against him? 

By trying to highlight Prof Muhongo’s profile in this article, I am not at all ignoring what transpired in the National Assembly last November and its resolutions on the escrow account saga, but I am trying to contrast Prof Muhongo’s workmanship of its kind and what fell on him as an implication of the escrow account.

Prof Muhongo is one a few Tanzanians, who can stand before people and declare unquestionable integrity. He is really a man of integrity or so claimed to be?

Let us put this question to him and let him give a public answer in due time.

Implicated?

Reading between the lines the report of Controller and Auditor General (CAG) one finds that there is no any direct sentence that implicates him in getting any advantage of the money put in the controversy account of the Tegeta escrow.

Perhaps the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau will establish the opposite later in its assigned investigation.  Prof Muhongo was blamed for being irresponsible in exercising due diligence in the whole process of releasing  the money kept in the escrow account to PAP’s account held with Stanbic Bank in the City.

Going by historical reports, the Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) was created by corrupt hands and established through a controversial contract. For new comers in the ministry after almost two decades later like Prof Muhongo, exercising due diligence among the people of so many dubious interests wasn’t easy.

Prof Muhongo, a highly proved technocrat, coming into politics was purely a new venture, which he was supposed to handle it with extra care.

This is where he failed to know and understand that our politics had been for a longtime replaced with politicking (people use public political office to advance their interests).

Being patriotic

I think Prof Muhongo accepted President’s appointment on the basis of patriotism and the honour showed by the Head of State on him and not because he thought of going into politics anytime in his life. Prof Muhongo proved patriotism and commitment not only through his words, but also through his deeds. Thus, while he may be condemned for failing to exercise due diligence in the escrow saga, we should not forget his excellent workmanship he displayed within such a short time of his appointment.

I think, another factor which contributed to his condemnation by Parliament is his intellectual pride. It is true. Prof Muhongo is very intelligent and highly experienced in his field and being a senior professor of rare profession, has forgotten that human beings are differently intelligent. Psychologist Robert Feldman tells us that there are two kinds of Intelligence: fluid intelligence and crystallised intelligence.

The former reflects information-processing capabilities, reasoning and memory. In contrast, the latter is the accumulation of information, skills, and strategies that people have learned through experience and that they can apply in problem-solving situations.

Thus, intelligence is not about the capacity to understand the world only, but also think rationally on how to use resources available to solve challenges humans face in their environments. Hence, psychologists do connect the meaning of intelligence with the use of available resources.

Conflicts

For Prof Muhongo, this is the kind of intelligence he is gifted by the creator. Thus, he knows that this country is naturally too rich to be poor.

A drive that Prof Muhongo made in the ministry within a short period is a proof that this man was committed to bringing about change using intelligently the little or many resources allocated to his ministry.

But why this very intelligent professor has been annoying and offending many people, in particular politicians and businesspeople?

I think our loved professor lacks thorough understanding of seven habits, which underpin essential principles which together make someone to be an effective leader. These principles are found in a book entitled: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R Covey. 

Prof Muhongo is a good technocrat, but not good politician, according to African standards.  His statements or replies on different issues had been irking people the way he normally reposts when responding to a question posed to him by his colleagues in Parliament or a journalist during a press conference. To this Prof Muhongo needs to learn something different from his profession.

Hence, Prof Muhongo fits exactly to work in a technocracy environment, but not in politics where he might cross-over with politicians, who would not like to hear the truth.

 If Prof Muhongo is to resign or otherwise, we should not forget his commitment to doing the job he was trusted to do, though the political environment has proved not to be in favour of him. I honour Prof Muhongo’s workmanship, but whether he corruptly benefited anything from the escrow account or not, that remains with him and his God, who cannot be hidden anything. 

The author is a Dar es Salaam-based lawyer/journalist. He can be reached at [email protected], 0756 440 175.