Igunga residents defend Rostam
By Florence Mugarula
Some residents of Igunga constituency defended their Member of Parliament, Mr Rostam Aziz, who was named on Thursday by IPP chairman Reginald Mengi among "corruption sharks" in Tanzania.
Speaking to The Citizen, the residents who were participating at a fundraising event, said they know Mr Aziz as a good leader who has performed his responsibility well.
They also said the MP hugely assisted in developing Igunga constituency and Tabora region in general.
The chairperson of Nata Village Basket Fund in Igunga, Mr Raphael Kapaya, said they had confidence in Mr Aziz and were annoyed by Mr Mengi's attack on him.
"Mr Mengi's accusations do not hold water since the Government formed a team to probe different corruption cases that included EPA, Richmond and other scandals and our MP has not been indicted in any of them," he said.
Mr Hussein Mohammed Bashe, who was a losing contestant for the top office in the ruling party's youth wing elections, accused Mr Mengi of abusing the freedom of speech by attacking other people without providing evidence.
Mr Bashe remarked: "Mr Mengi has decided to become an investigator, prosecutor and judge at the same time. The country cannot go this way; he must change his attitude"
Mr Hamis Selemani, who came all the way from Tabora to Dar es Salaam, told this paper that his fellow constituents do not like to hear anything about the EPA and Richmond scandals.
He said they were focusing on development activities instead of wasting time to discuss corruption scandals.
"We are only focusing on development issues. I am here in Dar es Salaam to discuss important matters for my village, Mr Aziz is supporting us accordingly," he explained.
Addressing a news conference in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, Mr Mengi said the country was facing serious problems due to grand corruption. He said people who are involved in the scandals do not like to be touched.
Source: The Citizen, Monday, 27 April, 2009, page 6