Yericko Nyerere
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 22, 2010
- 17,005
- 20,425
On Monday this week, former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa opened what some analysts were quick to nickname "Pandora's Box" after the Monduli lawmaker offered a well-crafted, rare version of his side of the story of the Richmond power scandal.
In his much-publicised speech announcing his bid to succeed President Jakaya Kikwete today, Mr Lowassa is expected to offer even more details about Richmond-the scandal that rocked this administration for seven years, leaving the ruling party wounded and divided.
From Mr Lowassa's viewpoint, there was nothing wrong with the much-debated scandal. He is convinced that his resignation was set off by the politics of revenge and betrayal that dominated the post-nomination period and eventually ended with the election of President Kikwete as the fourth head of state in November 2005.
In his first meeting with editors in Dodoma this week after he resigned in February 2008, Mr Lowassa maintained that he did not resign because of his perceived role in the Richmond saga.
Asked whether he believes Richmond was a clean deal, Mr Lowassa said it took a former US Secretary of State and US President Barack Obama to come to Tanzania to confirm that the power generating plant was okay. He says it was unfortunate that, at the end of the day, the government lost a whopping $120 million (Sh240 billion) that was paid to Dowans after a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in November 2011. "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama came here to praise the very power plant that were installed by Richmond," Mr Lowassa said. "Today it is generating power in this country."
The ICC ruling that granted Dowans a $120 million award is confirmation that the contract was clean and was terminated unlawfully, according to him. Asked why he resigned if the deal was clean, Mr Lowassa responded that he did not resign because of the Richmond contract but due to the fact that there were people who wanted his position.
"The problem was the premiership…they wanted the premiership," Mr Lowassa said shortly before he resigned in February 2008. "Richmond wasn't an issue at all," he added, echoing his remarks shortly before resigning in February 2008.
Mr Lowassa's version of the Richmond story has come under criticism from his political opponents, who insist that the deal was unlawful and dubious.
Taking advantage of social media, Mr Lowassa's critics maintain that Richmond was a dubious deal aimed at stealing billions of shillings from the nation, contrary to his claims that not a shilling of taxpayers' money was lost.
There's no doubt that Mr Lowassa's political opponents within the ruling party will lean heavily on the Richmond scandal and claims that the man was once rejected by Mwalimu Nyerere to thwart his bid to succeed his former political ally, President Kikwete.
But there are pressing questions that beg answers: Whose version of the scandal is right? How much did President Kikwete know about it? Was the public told the whole truth about Richmond? Was Mr Lowassa a victim of politics of revenge and betrayal as he claims? Did the taxpayers lose any money?
What was Richmond deal?
Source: The Citizen
In his much-publicised speech announcing his bid to succeed President Jakaya Kikwete today, Mr Lowassa is expected to offer even more details about Richmond-the scandal that rocked this administration for seven years, leaving the ruling party wounded and divided.
From Mr Lowassa's viewpoint, there was nothing wrong with the much-debated scandal. He is convinced that his resignation was set off by the politics of revenge and betrayal that dominated the post-nomination period and eventually ended with the election of President Kikwete as the fourth head of state in November 2005.
In his first meeting with editors in Dodoma this week after he resigned in February 2008, Mr Lowassa maintained that he did not resign because of his perceived role in the Richmond saga.
Asked whether he believes Richmond was a clean deal, Mr Lowassa said it took a former US Secretary of State and US President Barack Obama to come to Tanzania to confirm that the power generating plant was okay. He says it was unfortunate that, at the end of the day, the government lost a whopping $120 million (Sh240 billion) that was paid to Dowans after a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in November 2011. "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama came here to praise the very power plant that were installed by Richmond," Mr Lowassa said. "Today it is generating power in this country."
The ICC ruling that granted Dowans a $120 million award is confirmation that the contract was clean and was terminated unlawfully, according to him. Asked why he resigned if the deal was clean, Mr Lowassa responded that he did not resign because of the Richmond contract but due to the fact that there were people who wanted his position.
"The problem was the premiership…they wanted the premiership," Mr Lowassa said shortly before he resigned in February 2008. "Richmond wasn't an issue at all," he added, echoing his remarks shortly before resigning in February 2008.
Mr Lowassa's version of the Richmond story has come under criticism from his political opponents, who insist that the deal was unlawful and dubious.
Taking advantage of social media, Mr Lowassa's critics maintain that Richmond was a dubious deal aimed at stealing billions of shillings from the nation, contrary to his claims that not a shilling of taxpayers' money was lost.
There's no doubt that Mr Lowassa's political opponents within the ruling party will lean heavily on the Richmond scandal and claims that the man was once rejected by Mwalimu Nyerere to thwart his bid to succeed his former political ally, President Kikwete.
But there are pressing questions that beg answers: Whose version of the scandal is right? How much did President Kikwete know about it? Was the public told the whole truth about Richmond? Was Mr Lowassa a victim of politics of revenge and betrayal as he claims? Did the taxpayers lose any money?
What was Richmond deal?
Source: The Citizen
