JK suspends Jairo

President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete By Lucas Liganga, The Citizen Chief Reporter Dodoma. President Jakaya Kikwete has suspended Energy and Minerals Permanent Secretary David Jairo to pave the way for investigations into allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds.The move came barely a day after a committee appointed by Chief Secretary Philemon Luhanjo cleared Mr Jairo of wrongdoing in asking departments and agencies in the ministry for Sh50 million donation each to “facilitate” the approval of their 2011/12 budget. Mr Jairo’s conduct will be reviewed by a select committee to be appointed by the Speaker of the National Assembly today. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda pledged that the government would work closely with the parliamentary select committee. The new development came in sharp contrast to the mood of the ministry on Wednesday, when the chief secretary received a hero’s welcome from staff on his return to office. Hugs and cheers were the order of the day as staff ceremoniously pushed his car into the ministry compound. Mr Jairo himself was magnanimous in his short-lived reprieve. He declared that he had forgiven those who “accused and condemned” him and asked Parliament to discuss development matters rather than personalities. Yesterday, Mr Pinda announced the suspension of Mr Jairo during the Prime Minister’s half-hour question-and-answer session. He was responding to the leader of the opposition camp in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai-Chadema), who wanted to know whether the government was ready to suspend Mr Jairo pending the select committee investigations announced on Wednesday by Deputy Speaker Job Ndugai. The parliamentary committee was announced barely 24 hours after Mr Luhanjo said at a State House press conference that the committee he appointed had concluded that Mr Jairo acted within his authority when he directed departments and agencies under the ministry to contribute Sh50 million each towards facilitating Parliament’s approval of the ministry’s 2011/12 budget. The committee was formed after Mr Christopher ole Sendeka (Simanjiro-CCM), said the chief secretary’s reasons for clearing Mr Jairo were not convincing and amounted to disrespect for Parliament and the Prime Minister. He made the proposal when discussing a private motion moved by Mr Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma North - Chadema), who wanted the clearing of Mr Jairo debated in the House. Mr Kabwe said the decision had belittled the august House. Since the accusations against Mr Jairo were made in Parliament, he said, the findings of the Controller and Auditor-General were also supposed to have been tabled in the House. Mr Ndugai assigned Mr George Simbachawene (Kibakwe - CCM) to chair the morning session to allow him to convene an impromptu meeting of Parliament’s Steering Committee to decide whether Mr Kabwe’s motion deserved urgent consideration. It took the committee just 20 minutes to decide that the question-and-answer session be put on hold to allow debate on Mr Kabwe’s motion, which had the backing of Ms Zainab Vullu (Special Seats - CCM) and Mr Sendeka. Mr Jairo was suspended after Mrs Beatrice Shellukindo (Kilindi-CCM) said in Parliament on July 20 that he had solicited Sh50 million from each of at least 20 departments and agencies under the ministry. This, Parliament heard, was standard practice. The money that had been raised was to be deposited in a Geological Survey of Tanzania account in Dodoma. Mr Luhanjo convened a news conference in Dodoma the next day and announced that Mr Jairo had been sent on compulsory leave pending an investigation. He gave the committee, led by the CAG, Mr Ludovick Utouh, 10 days to complete the probe. On Tuesday, Mr Luhanjo said Mr Jairo had been reinstated after investigations established that he was clean. It was normal for ministries to request funds from institutions under their authority, he added. The preliminary investigation was conducted according to the principles of good governance of 2003, which require a public servant to be investigated when accused of going against the principles of good governance and the laws of the land. Mr Luhanjo said the probe committee’s report, which was presented to him on August 9, 2011, had established that Mr Jairo did not commit any disciplinary offence. Had the preliminary investigation found Mr Jairo wanting, the ministry would have released an accusation notice and charge sheet to allow further legal action. But there was still room for further investigation, Mr Luhanjo said, if there were any related accusations based on corruption or other offences. Reacting to Mr Jairo’s reinstatement, Agenda 2000 Executive Director Moses Kulaba, Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) acting Executive Director Imelda Urio and Dar es Salaam resident Godlisten Lema said they were “shocked and disappointed”. Mr Kulaba said the decision showed that the government was not working as a team and that the decision was a disgrace to the country after Prime Minister Pinda told Parliament that he would have immediately sacked Mr Jairo were he the appointing authority. “If Jairo is innocent, why then did Pinda say he would have fired him straight away if he had the power to do so?” queried Mr Kulaba.  “According to my understanding, ministries and their departments have their budgets.  How come Mr Jairo requested money for allowances from departments under his ministry?” Ms Urio commended Parliament for forming the probe committee, saying the LHRC was disappointed to learn that taxpayers’ money had been misused. Addressing reporters after he was welcomed back by the minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja, Mr Jairo said as a Christian, he would not retaliate against people who had wrongly accused him. “I have forgiven her (Mrs Shellukindo) with all my heart. I return in peace…everybody here should work hard,” he said.