CCM, Lowassa and the smoking gun

RECENT findings by Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s National Executive Committee (NEC) that some high profile politicians, including former PM Edward Lowassa, did nothing wrong reminiscent to Richmond is unfair and disturbing.

If anything, this is condoning and sanctioning corruption as CCM does itself a favour. It’s a blow and warning to the hoi polloi that they’ve to find another party to defend them and their resources. What NEC did will remain ridiculous and an insult to the Parliament and the nation.

NEC that sat in Dodoma last month, wrongly and shockingly, exonerated Lowassa and his colleagues. It said they did nothing wrong save they vacated their posts for the good of the party! Moreover, the offbeat NEC didn’t mention which good Lowassa was crucified for! But again, due to the fact that CCM itself was allegedly implicated in all these scams, chances are the good that Lowassa ’died’ for is to conceal the truth by not allowing inquisitorial minds to pull the rat out of the hat and avert the nose-diving of the whole outfit.? And doing this awarded him a slap on the back in lieu of the wrist or in the face. What predatory and nihilistic politics!

As a person who saw and heard everything regarding the Richmond scam, this unfair verdict cannot go without comments. There are some vital questions to be mused and pondered upon. Why was Lowassa axed if at all he did nothing wrong? Isn’t this the Mwenzetu philosophy that CCM has always been blamed for? Does this repugnant move aim at preempting the mizengwe of Lowassa’s bouncing back as it was recently predicted by his cronies and palmistry? Is this the lack of direction the late Horace Kolimba and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere warned CCM of?


Going back to the main question as to why Lowassa had to vacate his position, it is an open secret that the select-committee chaired by Dr Harrison Mwakyembe - Kyela CCM, beyond all shadows of doubts, found Lowassa guilty of abetting with Richmond to steal public money. Scripta manenta - it is written and what is written is for ever. Shall these ballyhoos and hoo-ha go on Dr Mwakyembe and his colleagues must stand and defend the noble job they did to the nation.

For the sake of argument, let’s consent that Lowassa was innocent. But then why did he take the verdict by the select-committee as vindictive and far-fetched? If Lowassa was and still is innocent then who aided Richmond?

To paraphrase the words of the star witness in this scam, Dr Ibrahim Msabaha, he said: Richmond is the project of the prime minister and his business partner. Why didn’t this well known business partner sue for defamation? If he is not behind the whole scam who then is? What is the logic of his addresses being used while he actually does not know anything?

Does this mean that many crucial questions evidence were left untouched? If the evidence was coloured thanks to NEC’s findings, then where are the true ones?

More on Lowassa who alleged he was not ’invited’ to adduce evidence whilst the chance was offered to everybody else, then why didn’t he also sue for loss and defamation? Hey, where do we put allegations by opposition that brought this scam to the fore that some money was donated to CCM’s campaigns? Is this that geared NEC to come with this lugubrious verdict?

Can really Lowassa be palliated or cleansed so as to bounce back? Is CCM such nugatory so as to become myopic and useless this much? Wananchi need to know who ushered Richmond in so that he can legally be dealt with and our money retrieved. And what of Deep Green Finance- that has been reigning supreme reminiscent to corruption? Will CCM one day cleanse itself as it did to Lowassa? If this goes on unabated chances are our country is slowly and systemically being privatized to mafisadi .What rationale did NEC apply?

If this is the way our country is managed, something is horribly wrong somewhere in the upper echelons of power! Will CCM and Lowassa really succeed in their attempts to jump a smoking gun?



One crucial point, if Lowassa is to bounce back and reclaim his poise, I beg you to believe ye me: Our country is heading for hell. But all in all people know between the seeds and the chaffs.

Source: Thisday June 28, 2008.