Maoni haya au "Editorial" yalitoka juzi ktk gazeti letu nami nimeona niyarudie kwa wale ambao labda watakuwa hawakupata nafasi ya kuyapitia siku iyo, lakini pia kilichonivuta zaidi ni kile alichoandika Boss wa ktk kolamu yake ya Just a Thought ndani ya Politika kwa hakika kinaendana na editorial hii na naamini ni kilio cha wabongo wengi kuwa wakti wa kiza au kutishiana kiza ati kisa ni mitambo mtumba ya Dowans mrithi wa Richmond alotuvulugia serikali yetu mwaka jana kutokununuliwa ndo iwe sababu kunani hapa??
IF Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) Managing Director Idris Rashidi was to ask for advice, most discerning Tanzanians would tell him – pointedly – that blackout is not an option.
In fact, Tanzanians don’t deserve blackout, both past and impending -- and Dr Rashidi’s main brief in his current job is to keep the country alight, not in darkness. We find most strange that Tanesco has dropped plans to purchase the ageing Dowans power generating plant, but with the chief executive officer blaming political interference for his woes.
On Friday, Dr Rashidi told a well attended news conference in his office in the city that Tanesco’s withdrawal from the deal would carry with it very dire consequences for the country – arguing at this late hour that his ‘technical’ and ‘professional’ advice on the need to buy the 100MW power plant had been largely ignored – and blown out kilter by politicians.We wish all Tanzanians had short memories. Wasn’t the Richmond scandal a creation of a looming power crisis, which subsequently led us the Dowans façade? Isn’t this the same scenario which Dr Rashidi now wishes everyone to believe started only yesterday?
The most dangerous politics is to depoliticize politics. And harping on some looming power crisis – as a reason to strike some controversial deal -- is not only misplaced technical advice but an irresponsible statement from a man we expect to fix the gridlocks instead of talking. In engaging everyone in such small talk, Dr Rashidi is, in essence, holding every Tanzanian to ransom, we dare say.To start with, the Dowans hawks are asking a whopping $60m for their used plant – way up from quotes for new machines. Still worse, Dr Rashidi seems to have forgotten that there are mechanisms in place to procure new machinery under a certificate of the same urgency he is treating us all in favour of the old relic sitting at Ubungo!
Where is the politics when someone argues that we stand to make a saving from buying a new plant? When we give political tags to the people making such suggestions we unknowingly play politics as well. Let’s face it, these we call politicians also have arguments that are as sound as any technical standpoint – because they are also informed by the professional advisers.We don’t believe that the Speaker, Mr Samwel Sitta, just woke up one morning and made up his comparative figures supporting the wisdom of buying new machines.As for Dr Rashidi’s impending power blackouts, Tanzanians don’t stand warned: Tanesco owes them a huge explanation when it comes – and an apology now for such rude threats.
No comments:
Post a Comment