Globe trotting Lissu risks salary, benefit forfeiture
National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai intends to halt payments of salary and other benefits to Singida East Member of Parliament (MP) Tundu Lissu after learning that the legislator is neither performing the parliamentary duties nor in hospital for treatment.
Mr Ndugai stated here yesterday that the parliament had not received any official communication regarding Mr Lissu’s latest status, including his whereabouts and what he is doing after his discharge from hospital in Belgium.
Mr Lissu, who doubles as Opposition Chief Whip, has only been seen travelling around different countries overseas, appearing on different international news agencies for interviews over Tanzania’s political climate and his attack on over a year ago.
“There is need to stop paying him because continued payment will lead to an audit query for the parliament has no official information about his absence,” Speaker Ndugai explained.
He was responding to Geita Rural legislator Joseph Msukuma who sought the speaker’s guidance on Lissu’s absenteeism in the house, asking why the National Assembly should continue using public funds to pay somebody who is no longer serving his people and instead trotting the globe.
He argued that the opposition chief whip who was previously reported to be in hospital abroad is now touring foreign countries, insulting the house and top government leaders.
“I don’t see why the parliament continues to pay Lissu while he is absent…he is busy insulting the government and our leaders,” said Mr Msukuma.
Mr Ndugai replied, “I accept your advice. I will act swiftly, after all, the parliament doesn’t even have report from his doctors on his medical status.”
Last week, Speaker Ndugai said the house has so far paid 250m/- to the MP over the past one year since he was hospitalised following the gunshots he sustained here.
Mr Ndugai said the parliament has been paying the Singida East MP since December last year, hinting that the National Assembly had first disbursed 43m/- to foot Lissu’s medical bills at the Nairobi hospital in Kenya and the remaining 207m/- was paid in monthly salaries.
The opposition chief whip was attacked by a volley of bullets on September 7, 2017 and later rushed to Dodoma General Referral Hospital prior to transferring him to the Nairobi hospital, Kenya.
After four months in Nairobi he was flown to Belgium for specialised treatment.