Dr Rashid protested interference
DAILY NEWS Reporter
Daily News On Saturday; Saturday,November 24, 2007 @00:02
THE resignation of Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) Managing Director, Dr Idris Rashid, has been linked to meddling by his minister and board chairman in his decision to disconnect power at Tanga Cement Factory (TCC) early this week.
Reliable sources close to the board of directors and within Tanesco said that Dr Rashid resigned because the Board Chairman, Ambassador Fulgence Kazaura, ordered restoration of power at TCC some hours after it was disconnected on Tuesday. Other highly placed sources further said that Dr Rashids resignation was likely to be rejected and he would be required to continue with his post.
The bottom-line is he will continue to be the chief executive officer of Tanesco, said one source. When reached for comment, the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr Nazir Karamagi, admitted that Tanesco still needs the services of Dr Rashid. I doubt if the TCC power issue is what prompted his decision to resign. There could be some other issues
but I cannot know for sure. Find out more, said Mr Karamagi.
Sources, however, said that trouble started brewing at the power utility company since Dr Rashid was appointed and after he started introducing changes. Shortly after his appointment, Tanesco withdrew the vehicle that was being used by the chairman on a daily basis. The company also moved the chairman from a posh office that he was using at the former headquarters of the company.
The office, sources say, is now being occupied by the Tanesco Ilala Regional Manager. As for the TCC saga, sources said that Dr Rashid ordered power to be disconnected at the factory after getting an official report that TCCs meter was tampered with and the company ignored Tanescos letter asking for settlement of an outstanding bill of 47m/-.
A few hours after the factory was halted, the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr Nazir Karamagi, called Dr Rashid and wanted power to be restored after explaining to him economic, political and social implications of such a move. Dr Rashid did not agree to rescind his decision and moments later Ambassador Kazaura called him and a conversion similar to that of Minister Karamagi followed but the MD, then, maintained his position.
Sources said, Ambassador Kazaura called the Tanga Manager and ordered him to restore power. The manager did so immediately. When Dr Rashid got information that power was restored at TCC, he called the manager to disconnect power immediately and he obeyed. Dr Rashid received the calls of Mr Karamagi and Ambassador Kazaura when he was in Arusha on Tuesday where public hearing session on the proposed 40 per cent tariff increase and 100 per cent up on connection charges was held.
Sources said: Soon after arrival from Arusha on Wednesday he presented his resignation letter to the board chairman who convened an emergency meeting which endorsed it. Dr Rashid told the members that he took the decision because the minister and the board chairman were interfering with operational issues of the company. Their role in relation to Tanesco is on policy issues and not operations.
Minister Karamagi said he contacted Dr Rashid over the TCC power disconnection matter. He did so after getting a call from fellow minister for Industries, Trade and Marketing inquiring about the move taken by Tanesco. I shared his concern over the repercussions in the light of the prevailing shortage of cement which forced the government to allow importation and following that decision the price of cement has started to go down.
I contacted Dr Rashid because it was procedural. I also contacted the board chairman and directed him to deal with the matter. So who else could he have contacted if not Dr Rashid, he quipped.