Project delay annoys president
President John Magufuli yesterday gave four months to Minister for Water and Irrigation, Eng. Gerson Lwenge, to make sure Ng’apa water project is completed or risk his job.
The Head of State was speaking after visiting the project site where he expressed his dissatisfaction with the contractor’s speed in the implementation of the project.
The president is on a working tour of Coast, Lindi and Mtwara regions. He immediately ordered security officials in the region to seize the passport of the representative of the Indian based contractor ‘Overseas Infrastructure Alliance Private Limited’, Mr Rajendra Kumar and other officials.
President Magufuli said the officials will not be allowed to move from the country until when the project is completed in the coming four months. The project commenced in March 17, 2013 and was supposed to be completed in March 17, 2015.
However, the contractor has so far failed to complete the project even after two years from the agreed time. According to Dr Magufuli, the project worth 29bn/- and so far a total of 21.8bn/- has been paid to the contractor.
President Magufuli said if the project is not completed in four months, he will take serious measures against those who are involved in the construction. “I am not happy with the way this project is being implemented, we have agreed on four months ultimatum, after that period, I should not be blamed for the action that I will take,” he said.
He added: “We cannot accept to see Lindi residents suffering, the donors are releasing money and the contractor is taking it to India, this project has been delayed for two years, the contractor is not at the site and those who are supposed to supervise him are not taking action, why didn’t you chase him away for all that long,” said Dr Magufuli in a disappointed mood.
He said the regional commissioner (RC) has visited the sites seven times trying to ask the contractor to speed up the project in vain, the Minister for Water and Irrigation, Prime Minister and other officials have all visited the site to speed up the project but n vain.
“Today, I have decided to come on my own, I wanted to know what is happening here. Minister Lwenge was my deputy when I was a minister in the fourth phase government, I know him very well so I have just given him four months to finish up this job, after that period, nobody should blame me,” he said.
Upon its completion, the project is expected to produce a total of 5 million litres of water per day to residents of Lindi Urban.
He added that a team of engineers will be formed to oversee the implementation of the project so that everything could go as planned.Earlier, Minister Lwenge told the head of state that the project is funded by the Germany Development Bank (KFW) and European Union (EU) and that so far it has been implemented by 85 per cent.
He added that the contractor has stopped due to lack of fund. President Magufuli said his government will be ready to provide the remaining amount of money for the project in case donors fail to provide the money.
On education, President Magufuli told Lindi residents that the government is doing everything within its powers to ensure free and quality education to Tanzanian students.
He said the government now offers free education from primary school to secondary school and that a number of students who get loans for higher learning education has increased from 18,300 to 140,000. On phantom workers, President Magufuli said a total of 19,000 of them have been removed from payrolls and 56,000 phantom students have been deleted from students’ lists.
“The government has been losing billions of shillings in paying salaries, allowances, capitation fund, pension and other benefits to phantom students, workers and pensioners, the state has managed to identify them and we no longer lose taxpayers money,” he said.
He warned some government officials who are currently threatening the government over their delayed payment, saying his government does not bow to any intimidation.
“Some people are threatening the government over their payment, but we could now pay them because we were dealing with phantom workers, how you could pay someone who you don’t real understand whether he is the one or not, we will continue with the screening exercise until the last name,” said Dr Magufuli.
Meanwhile, President Magufuli held talks with members of African Development Bank (AfDB) board of directors. He met the AfDB team at Lindi State Lodge. He asked them to continue supporting Tanzania in implementing various development projects especially the construction of Standard Gauge railway.
The head of AfDB board of directors, Ms Lekhethe Mmakgoshi, said her bank will continue cooperating with Tanzania in bringing about development to Tanzanians. She commended Dr Magufuli for his commitment in serving the public.