Hivi anaposema hakuhusika ana maana gani, wakati sote tunajua kuwa ni alihusika, let me refresh his memory:
Source:: Daily News
Story by: CHARLES KIZIGHA
Date: 20.10.2006
THE Prime Minister, Mr Edward Lowassa, held a meeting with the power sector top brass led by the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr Nizar Karamagi, in Dar es Salaam yesterday to critically review the power crisis and chart out strategies to alleviate the problem at the earliest time possible.
The country is facing a serious power shortage caused by lack of rainfall which has reduced electricity generation at the hydro plants from their installed capacity of 650 mw to an average of about 200 mw and intermittent breakdown of Songas gas turbines with a total capacity of 181 mw.
A senior government official told the 'Daily News' yesterday that the meeting was necessary as the situation was expected to worsen following the shut down of Mtera Dam and possibly Kidatu power station any time from today.
The meeting reviewed all strategies drawn by the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) to counter the power crisis, which included the leasing of gas turbines from Aggreko International Power Projects of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US-based Richmond Development Corporation (RDC) and the one to be bought from Warstila.
Tanesco presented at the meeting names of some foreign companies that submitted proposals to import gas and diesel engines and evaluated them, he said.
The official, who declined further comment, said that the recommendations from yesterday's meeting would be submitted to higher authorities for a decision likely to be made at the earliest possible time in view of the prevailing power crisis.
Sources within Tanesco explained that hydro plants production dropped from 647 mw to almost 200 mw. The following are the capacities of the plants with current generation in brackets: Kidatu 200 mw (average of 24 mw), Mtera 80 (zero), Kihansi 180 mw (closed during the day and switched on at night giving between 100 and 150 mw).
The New Pangani Falls 68 mw (50 mw), Hale 21mw (5mw) and Nyumba ya Mungu Dam eight mw (two mw).
A 20-mw gas turbine installed by Aggreko at Ubungo power station is now on line and components of the second 20-mw generator, which were to start arriving yesterday from Sharjah, UAE, are expected in Dar es Salaam today.
Efforts to reach the Country Manager of RDC, Mr Naeem Gire, to comment on latest development on the 20-mw gas turbine that he said was in North Caroline were futile.
Na Mwandishi Wetu, Gazeti la Mwananchi
WAKATI Bunge linaanza mkutano wake wa tano leo, serikali imewaangukia wabunge wa CCM katika harakati za kujaribu kuwafumba midomo ili kufifisha makali ya mjadala wa hali ya umeme unaobashiriwa kwamba utaibuliwa bungeni.
Harakati hizo za serikali zilijibainisha juzi (Jumapili) wakati wa kikao cha Kamati ya wabunge wa CCM kilichofanyika mjini Dodoma chini ya uenyekiti wa Waziri Mkuu, Edward Lowassa.
Serikali ililazimika kuwaweka sawa wabunge wa CCM kufuatia hisia kuwa suala la hali ya umeme na uhalali wa kampuni ya Richmond Development Corporation (RDC) kupewa zabuni na serikali, linaweza kuibuka ndani ya mkutano unaoanza leo.
Habari za uhakika kutoka ndani ya kikao hicho zimesema, wabunge wa CCM mara baada ya kumalizika kwa uchaguzi wa kuchuja majina 36 ya wana-CCM wanaogombea ubunge wa Bunge la Afrika Mashariki, waliihoji serikali juu ya wingu zito linalotanda dhidi ya hali ya umeme nchini hususan uhalali wa kampuni ya RDC kupewa zabuni ya kuleta majenereta ya dharura.
Wabunge hao waliitaka serikali iwaeleze kinagaubaga juu ya mazingira ya Richmond kupewa mkataba huo na kufafanua juu ya tuhuma kuwa kampuni hiyo inayodai kuwa imesajiliwa Marekani, haitambuliki huko.
Akijibu hoja za wabunge, chanzo cha habari kimesema, Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, Nazir Karamagi, alikwepa kuzungumzia hoja ya Richmond moja kwa moja akidai kuwa yeye ndiyo kwanza ameingia wizarani hapo na hakuwapo wakati mikataba ya kampuni hiyo ikisainiwa.
Waziri Karamagi anadaiwa kusema kuwa mara baada ya kuingia wizarani alianza kushughulika hali ya umeme ili kuhakikisha inatengemaa walau ifikapo Desemba upatikanaji wa nishati hiyo urejee katika hali ya kawaida. Hata hivyo, Waziri Karamagi aliwaambia wabunge hao kuwa pamoja na malalamiko yanayoihusu Richmond, kama serikali itavunja mkataba nao, italazimika kubeba hasara kubwa kwa kuwa italazimika kulipa fidia kubwa kwa Richmond.
Alisema kwa sasa Richmond bado haijavunja mkataba na wanaendelea na utekelezaji kwa mujibu wa makubaliano. Hata hivyo, majibu hayo ya Karamagi yanaelezwa kuwa hayakuwaridhisha wabunge hao wa CCM ambao walitaka kuelezwa bayana juu ya uhalali wa kampuni ya Richmond kupewa zabuni hiyo na serikali.
Kufuatia maswali hayo, Waziri Mkuu Lowassa ilibidi aingilie kati na kumsadia Karamagi na kuwaeleza wabunge kuwa Serikali ikiongozwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete mwenyewe, inalifuatilia kwa karibu suala la umeme nchini. "Lowasa alisema suala la umeme linamsononesha sana Rais na analifuatilia kwa karibu na kwamba kuna siku Rais aliwahi kumpigia simu saa saba za usiku kwa ajili ya kuzungumzia suala hilo na waliongea kwa saa nzima," alisema mbunge mmoja wa CCM aliyehudhuria kikao hicho cha juzi.
Inadaiwa kuwa katika ufafanuzi wake, Lowassa aliwaomba wabunge wa CCM kuiunga mkono serikali katika jitihada zake za kutafuta suluhisho la kudumu la hali ya umeme, kauli ambayo inatafsiriwa kuwa ni kuwanyamazisha wabunge hao kuzungumzia hoja hiyo kwa kishindo ndani ya Bunge.
"Serikali ilisema inajua kuwa wapinzani wataibua hoja hiyo ndani ya kikao cha Bunge, na hivyo ni muhimu kwa wana CCM kuielewa serikali katika jambo hilo na kuiunga mkono," kilisema chanzo kingine cha habari. Tangu serikali iingie mkataba na kampuni IPTL mwaka 1995 kwa ajili ya kuzalisha umeme na kuiuzia Tanesco, kumekuwako na malalamiko mengi juu ya mikataba ya nishati.
Tangu wakati huo, serikali imekuwa ikiahidi kuwa itakuwa makini, lakini tangu kuanza kwa mgawo mkali wa umeme nchini ambao umesababishwa na ukame na hivyo mitambo ya kufua umeme wa maji kushindwa kufanya kazi kutokana na kupungua kwa maji, juhudi kadhaa zimechukuliwa ikiwa ni pamoja na kuingia mkataba wa kuzalisha umeme kwa kutumia gesi asilia.
Miongoni mwa kampuni zilizioingia mkataba na serikali katika siku za hivi karibuni kabisa ni ya Aggreko ambayo tayari imekwisha kuanza kuzalisha megawati 20 za umeme takribani wiki mbili zilizopita huku kampuni nyingine iliyoingia mkataba huo ni Richmond na ilitakiwa iwe imekwisha kuanza kuazalisha umeme huo sasa.
Kutokana na sababu mbalimbali Richmond ndiyo kwanza awamu ya pili ya mitambo yake ya kuzalisha umeme huo iliwasili juzi jijini, baada ya kwanza kuwasili wiki moja iliyopita.
Kabla ya kuwasili kwa mitambo ya Richmond, kumekuwapo na taarifa za kutatanisha kuhusu uwezo wa kampuni hiyo, uhalali wake wa kupewa kazi hiyo na kama ni kweli kwamba kampuni hiyo ina makazi yake nchini Marekani.
Kuna habari pia kwamba kuhamishwa kwa mawaziri wote wa Nishati na Madini katika mabadiliko yaliyofanywa na Rais hivi karibuni, kulichangiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa na jinsi suala la umeme lilivyoendeshwa katika mchakato mzima wa kupatikana kwa kampuni za kuzalisha umeme wa dharura kwa kutumia gesi.
