Following Thursday’s sensational disclosure by Mr David Chandi Jamwa that “immense” and “terrible pressure” was applied on him to close the now-controversial Shs11 billion NSSF land purchase deal, it is time for the ministers at the centre of this saga to own up.
Until now, Security Minister Amama Mbabazi and Dr Ezra Suruma of the finance ministry have waffled. While maintaining that they did not peddle political influence to land this deal, which is unlawful, they have protested their innocence.
Under oath when he appeared before the investigating House committee on September 11, Mr Mbabazi also denied having had any contact with the Fund. In fact, he said he left his associate, city businessman Amos Nzeyi to handle the entire transaction.
Now it appears that this may not be an entirely accurate account of what actually transpired. We have not officially heard Dr Suruma and Mr Mbabazi’s reaction to Mr Jamwa’s assertions so it would be unfair to take a position either way. But this is not to take away anything from the fact that this is a serious development.
If it is true the ministers lied under oath it could have far-reaching implications for their political careers. Secondly, the core of their defence has been that they did not peddle any political influence in order to get the Fund to buy more than 400 acres of land from Mr Mbabazi and Mr Nzeyi. Mr Suruma as line minister sanctioned the transaction.
Thursday’s revelations would seem to greatly undermine that defence and it brings the credibility of the ministers into further question.
The cat appears half way out of the bag. It is at times like this when it serves everybody’s interest that the whole truth comes out. The more than 250,000 workers in private employment who contribute to NSSF have a right to know how their life savings are being invested, the taxpayers who are paying for the time and effort being consumed by this investigation demand value for money, and the virtuous principle of accountable leadership requires that those in public service be prepared to be transparent.
The defenders of the Temangalo land purchase have made the sensible argument that by planning to put up a low cost housing estate (5,000 units) in this place, NSSF was making a sound business decision. On the face of it, this seems to be true. Uganda is facing a severe shortage in decent housing with Kampala alone requiring more than 60,000 units to meet demand as at 2006 estimates of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
The boom in the housing construction market is eloquent testimony to this. So why does Mr Jamwa have to be placed under all sorts of pressure to agree to what looks like a splendid idea?
In coming clean, Mr Mbabazi and Dr Suruma will help clarify this matter.
1 comment:
eddy said at 05 Oct 2008, 09:34
6 pack u should try making a poll and u will not leave to see 2morro. bobiwine's launch was sabotaged bcoz of of his political song. u can see no freedom of speech for the majority so some body like monitor is standin up.
mathias kulubya said at 05 Oct 2008, 03:18
The NRM leadership has some soul searching to do as the cat is now out of the bag that indeed Dr Suruma, Hon Mbabazi used their cabinet position to force the NSSF deal. Stealing the workers money through dubious deals is morally and legally wrong.
Mr Jamwa has done himself and the nation good to speak out in camera about how the political pressures forced his hand in land purchase deal. Ugandans now know that even the Attorney General gave a green light despite the reservations from Mr Jamwa.
Perjury is a serious offence in the western nations and it is now clear that if proved that Dr Suruma and Hon Mbabazi lied under oath, the parliamentary committee should refer the matter to the Criminal Investigation and DPP.
The USA, UK and EU should equally take note by denying these politicians visas as they did to the Kenyan ministers involved in corruption. The state department should note that Uganda was given $10m to fight corruption and American tax payers need accountability from the Ugandan government.
General Saleh was right to advise Hon Mbabazi to drop the money and walk away. Now the day of reckoning for Mr Museveni to act by suspending the two ministers immediately. He should equally invoke his executive powers to cancel the NSSF deal to save the workers money.
The NSSF board should be given free land for investment just like the quack investors who have been donated land. Why should Ugandans pay land yet strangers get it for free?
Kudos to monitor for setting up this blog alongside the stories.
Mayiko Makula said at 05 Oct 2008, 01:10
Its true if I was in Dr Suruma's & Amama Mbabazi's positions I would have looked for money where its best found "YOUR NSSF",. Jamwa was risky business right from London days. He was an accident waiting to happen. That's the money that can be stolen and the swindlers drop off the face of the earth. And why are we hearing about this NSSF saga? if not uncoordinated pressurizing corruption staged without much intelligence supplied to M7. Pressures have been highly applied onto Jamwa, these guys knowing him very well; a small apology will do and names dropped in good faith such as Mr. clean no one expects Dr Suruma or Amama to resign on such small politics of the mouth, after the apology, Amama & Dr Suruma will be applauded as they join the rest of the corrupt gang; The Salim Salehs of NRM-O as in the junk helicopters deal. No ill feelings as Saleh himself advised Amama to drop it and apologize. Isn't Caleb Akandwanaho a minister of some finance now? Long live the National Robbery Movement. Obugalo.... come 2011 we shall all vote for you do not bother rigging the vote this time around.
Paul Wandera said at 04 Oct 2008, 21:52
Dear 6-pack,
I never claimed that withdrawing money from your own account is a crime. However, if the money on your account has fraudulent sources and then you try to withdraw the said money... then I leave the rest to common sense. You asked me to get my facts right but you just stumbled on a fact: the amount being withdrawn was totaling UG SHS. 10 BILLION not "a billion" as you claim. I was also just shocked to read that in the Uganda I know, someone can withdraw up to UG SHS. 10 BILLION in CASH at one go! No wonder the Stanbic bank employees called the Police. Nevertheless, the bank issue is not a major issue for me. In truth I am more worried about the general downwards spiral our media is taking. For a long time people have said that the New Vision is a biased paper (after all it is NRM government owned) and is generally taken for granted as so, most other papers are not taken for granted as biased. I just wanted to point out that in my opinion, reading the articles lately and especially today's Sunday Vision, I can say it is now official (to me) that the Monitor has become the mouthpiece of Muhwezi & Co faction. If we disagree on that then 'fair enough' but it pains me to see how far down our media has gone. For the sake of our country: whether it is New Vision or Monitor or whichever, someone needs to stand up for independent reporting. You claim that the Monitor is "championing interests of the majority"; I ask you: which majority? As far as I can tell this is a battle between two NRM factions, it is internal and has not been taken over by the public. I have seen no polls showing a majority opinion in the public or even in NRM or FDC, UPC or any other party on any of these issues! So whose opinion are they really championing?! Debating 'facts' to me is a waste of time. You present 'facts' then I present 'facts' to score 'points' and then what? There is something much bigger which we are missing: the death of true balanced journalism in Uganda. On the other issue of NRM MPs, I have noticed the different strategies being used by the different NRM factions. From my point of view, I see this is a wider internal power struggle and not just about NSSF (which was the spark that started the war) or Stanbic bank or whatever is the next 'scandal'. I also think this struggle will continue until the end of elections in 2011. My opinion is not TRUTH but my own current understanding comes from reading between the lines and contrasting between the various news sources. Thanks!
6-pack said at 04 Oct 2008, 19:08
Dear Paul Wandera,
I always like reading ur comments though today,It seems a little too obvious that you are trying so hard to divert attention from a crime that has been committed to one that was going to be committed, thats if withdrawing a billion from one's own account is actually a crime (get ur facts right)!
The whole idea of confusing the citizens with silly displays of cheap animosity between Mbabazi and Muhwezi was all part of Mbabazi's insane plan to undermine the NSSF wetland inquest.
Regarding ur cry-baby comment on Monitor being a mouth piece for the anti-mbabazi camp,would u rather monitor peddles a rumor entangling Muhwezi to a future bank robbery? When the government is on the verge of violating our rights, i do not see anything wrong with the Monitor Championing the interests of the majority. Of course the Newvision is a tool used by government to sell their cheap spin to the public, even the kindergarten kids know this.
Just ground-truthing, hope it sinks in
Paul Wandera said at 04 Oct 2008, 17:30
Reading this Sunday Monitor editorial and the headlines and reading the Sunday Vision editorial and headlines, it is very interesting to see the contrasts; I think it is now official: the Monitor has become the mouthpiece of the anti-Mbabazi camp within NRM. The Sunday Vision has chosen to support their party Secretary General. However, in Parliament it seems to me to be a lopsided match with the pro-Mbabazi camp using a more "brainy" strategy. It is a bit obvious when you read Monitor articles to see their "news" sources: they usually quote Muhwezi, Muhanga, Banyenzaki and a few others and claim a larger group of "NRM MPs"(always unnamed). The anti-Mbabazi camp seem to believe that just talking in public will get the point across (a sort of public smear campaign). Whereas in the pro-Mbabazi camp things seem to be mostly in the background to the public. I get the feeling that the anti-Mbabazi camp in the NRM is still rather small but make up for it by noise (and getting support from opposition MPs) while the pro-Mbabazi camp are using a "person-to-person" campaign strategy within the NRM MPs. Considering that the NRM MPs are more than two thirds of the house, I would not be surprised if this so called anti-Mbabazi "censure plot" just fails to take off on the house floor because they lack the numbers in Parliament. Meanwhile all of this is happening there is the interesting case of the Stanbic Bank robbery... somehow I think this power struggle thing won't end in Parliament. The interesting question regarding the bank incident is this: why would anyone want to withdraw the equivalent of UG Shs. 10 billion in cash at one go?!
kizito said at 04 Oct 2008, 17:05
These are dirty old men expecting them to come clean is in your dreams. They have the full support of the college drop out.
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