By Ole Siringot

As much as i was suspicious of Hon. Zitto motives on the assigned review process on the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs)and energy contracts by the Minister of Energy and Minerals; i was forced to backtrack from my Pre-stand and right-off any attempts to have anything significant out of this review process when i came across this! Before narrating to what triggered this sudden retraction of his official statement, as great thinkers of this forum or wadau of this blog we should first ask ourselves what has happened to the discovery of US$ 33 mio. unpaid revenues by PanAfrican Energy as a quota meant for TPDC according to PSA? What happened to the Parliament committee directives to our Government to seek the reimbursement from PanAfrican energy that was supposed to pay its dues anyway? Do we have to restart "the process" every time when a new leadership takes over in that ministry if the objective is not to change or revoke the current contracts that are not in the best interest of our welfare going to this crucial stage of exploiting the proven resources estimated at 33 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas and valued over US$ 430 bio.? How about Zitto's cry for a creation of sovereign Wealth fund? Do we have ears to hear? BTW, what about to the implementation process of the Bomani committee recommendations?

Can Our Excellency Dr (Honorary)Kikwete look himself in the mirror? BTW if we had a Bomani committee to look at royalties and other taxes paid by gold mines and if EWURA oversleeps on its assigned duties, how about having one (independent) to oversee setting up good gas and oil regulatory policies and to oversee the both the agreements and directives set are respected by the gas companies after the policies are in place before things go awry? Do we have to wait till things go sour? To me, that ministry is too big and lacks first; the capacity to properly handle responsibilities that come from both energy and mineral portfolios! If at all we are serious with our future prospects (we and the generations to come) that ministry has to be split into two now; Energy sector that is serious in shambles needs its own ministry that will oversee power supply, production and revenues of coal, renewable energy sources (like geothermal,solar, biomass, wind) and conventional energy sources like nukes, oil and gas. This has to be serious considered now, especially at this particular time our nation is proven to have over US$ 400 bio. worth of reserves at stake and never had this huge wealth to deal with before! On the other hand, the Mineral ministry has to continue to with deal with all non-hydrocarbons mineral prospecting licenses (metals and gemstones) among others negotiating contracts and PSAs agreements and without forgetting, overseeing how the mining of non-hydrocarbons minerals are conducted according to regulations in place. But, at the same time other ministries (of less importance) can be merged to allow this to happen since the current cabinet is too big and costly to tax-payers to run and its setup is infested with high level bureaucracy that hinders supposed to be swift-delivery on most important issues.

Second; the ministry lacks the highly sought-after integrity to undertake basic but so vital duties like precisely-protecting our interests while signing PSAs especially with the current regime that is allergic to Transparency! Most of our officers there lack accountability and do not hold at heart the interests of this country probably out of the question of kick-backs luring patriotism.... Once more, We have to quickly remind ourselves that this same graft blighted ministry harbored Nazir Karamagi and William Ngeleja; each of them at his own era and not a single person within the ministry dared to expose their economic atrocities undertakings that could have saved our country from the current situation that prevents our nation to achieve its true and rightly deserving economic potentials out of loss of opportunity due to negligence, revenue loss as a result of pervasive graft and worst enough dilemma on our economic prospects way forward; our sovereignty faces at the moment.

Though these two are no more there we should not sit back and relax and assure ourselves that all is well at that ministry while with the exception of Karamagi, Ngeleja, Jairo and the old board at TPDC; the old guards are still at large, some even got promoted. The likes of energy commissioners, mining commissioners (that issue mining blocks permits and mining licenses), ministry directors, ministry lawyers et al that are technical savvy and so instrumental to the daily ministry undertakings since are pinnacles on crafting contracts and policies that directly affect us all; but chose to facilitate agreements that right now we are struggling to annul or improve its terms since we disapprove them.


Out of all these setbacks at the management level of the institution assigned to oversee our newly found hydrocarbons, can we dare to say all his arguments (i mean Zitto's) need to go down the drain since he just sound to have attacked Prof. Muhongo on a mission that has already lost track on citing his latest remarks that contradicted the task he assigned the TPDC board to undertake prior? Are we really serious to easily forget the Parliamentary Energy Committee findings and recommendations that sit at Mr Muhongo shelves without a follow up or implementation of its findings and recommendations!? What is the Government of Mr Kikwete doing on recovering the funds not issued to our coffers by PanAfrican energy? And what about the hydrocarbon experts at TPDC have to say on commercialization process of this resource?

IMOHO, we really need to trade carefully since we just have no idea how good are these MNCs that have for so long proven to be so tricky and best spinners of issues to suit their interests where hydrocarbons have been discovered! Before procrastination costs direly our nation in the near future, We need perseverance on the part of a man at the center of golden undertakings to dare and keep his stand firm and NOT someone that can be easily persuaded to change his stand after issuing them on the back of excuses that the media misquoted his public announcement; fun enough his rebuttal came two days late...likewise we need a man that does not compromise but endowed with negotiation skills and capable of reaching consensus albeit knowing there will be so many deadlocks before attaining a WIN-WIN situation. 


Whereas my reasonable doubt lies on the wrong foot under which Mr Muhongo has stepped in on encountering this Mega MNCs; i am convinced to say i withhold the same view on the whole system at the moment that is in shambles and that includes my holding mistrusts on the TPDC experts on their lack of focus and seriousness in handling this massive wealth that lies underneath our coastal-land and off sea immediately and deep in our EEZ! It is out of this vagueness in handling the matter at hand i support Hon. Zitto whistle blowing cum brain storming approach to alert us of the path we are current taking towards resource curse society and i vehemently support his loud approach on the on-goings at the MEM and transparency should be foremost embraced if we have to achieve anything meaningful going towards setting up a first LNG on our shores! Furthermore i would have wanted to hear anything from the NEMC but i am completely ashamed of the fact that the institution is almost dead and only to be reminded of its existence and duties when a replica of the Gulf of Mexico disaster is to happen on our Pristine Coastal waters! So please my dear Tanzanians, Give Hon. Zitto a benefit of doubt and let him do his duties bestowed upon him by our constitution, unfortunately we have no idea how badly need him and many more others since; his being vocal is just a drop in the ocean if we are to compare to serious debates that are currently underway within Ghana on how to best exploit their crude there. 

Michuzi Blog

Tanzanian blog operating since 2005, covering International news and Local News, including Politics, Fashion, Social Scenes, Interviews, Movies, Events, personalities and anything positive happening worldwide. Written in Swahili and English targeting both Swahili and English readers.

Toa Maoni Yako:

Kuna Maoni 14 mpaka sasa

  1. Nani kaandika hii? Tuandikie kwa kiswahili. Sisi ni watanganyika tusiojua kizungu sana.

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  2. Mbona hiki kizungu cha kawaida tu, hakina lebasi za malimbwende kama kile "kithingu" anachoandika mashaka, Wa lasaba mzuri ataelewa kila kitu.

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  3. Sikuisoma mpaka mwishi kwa sababu anatumia i ndogo badala ya capital I when he is refering to himself. Kifimbo cheza uko wapi?

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  4. There is no wealth anywhere in Tanzania valued at $430 billion dollars. Let us be realistic in our assessments.

    Get your figures right. The biggest gas reserves in the world are Russia, Iran and Qatar. Tanzania is nowhere near even top 20 gas producers in the world. It stands at number 65!!

    Tanzania has some reserves of natural gas, but not enough and mostly unexploited. It is very expensive to exploit anything from the earth, and companies will only spend money in economies which are free, open and with educated workforce. Tanzania is still building her infrastructures, we have problems with power and water supplies. We have a long way to go before we can give our people hope of a better future.

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  5. We bwana uko alergic na nukta (full stop)? Mtu unasoma sentensi hadi unashidwa kupumua na ukimaliza waraka umechoka na hujapata ujumbe wako kiufasaha! Ungesema kwanza your take kwenye maoni ya Zito na Mashaka halafu ndio utoe msimamo wako – hivyo ndio waraka wako ungeeleweka kama mwendelezo wa debate.
    Huu waraka wako unauelekeza kwa hadhira gani? Inaonekana unaelekeza kwa wanaojua kiingereza - lakini umeelezea details nyingine za kiutendaji wa hivyo vyombo vya madini na mambo mengine ya kitaaaluma ambayo hata hao tunaojua kiingereza wengi watukuelewi unless utupe backdrop ya kutosha.
    Mwisho wake ni kwamba waraka wako haueleweki - unakosa hadhira na unakuwa meaningless!! Nachokubaliana na wewe ni kutenganisha Wizara sababu kuna nchi zenye mafuta naona zina Ministry of Petroleum – naona na sisi tungekuwa na Ministry of Minerals inayojitegemea.

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  6. Too long, summarize by bullet points.

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  7. ipo huku pia bila makosa http://www.jamiiforums.com/jukwaa-la-siasa/327182-while-zitto-is-being-attacked-pls-read-here.html#post4672107

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  8. well done !! and very true. tatizo kubwa siyo kumuelewa Zitto au Mashaka pointi zao NO tatizo ni elimu .Wengi wetu humu ni darasa la saba na la 12 na wengi wetu hata huko kufika la 12 tulitizamia majibu kwa jirani.So agenda kama hii yenye kina kirefu cha kuelewa ,siyo rahisi kuambua kitu bali imetubakia kushabikia tu na kumsifia Mashaka kwamba kaandika kizungu kizuri, au kwa mfano huyo mshamba hapo juu aliyeona i ndogo ndo issue kubwa kwake,bila kuelewa kwamba siku hizi maandishi yamebadilika kiasi kwamba hata jina la mtu haina haja sana kulianzia na capital letter. Zitto na Mashaka na wengine wengi komaeni msife moyo kutuelimisha na wala msijisikie wanyonge mnaposoma comment za kijinga za kwetu kina mbumbumbu, siyo kosa lenu ni letu HATUJUI kitu, uelewa wetu mdogo sana. Kuna mambo mengi mno hatujawahi hata kuyasikia na mengine hatutayasikia wala kuyaelewa mpaka mwisho wa maisha yetu. Tunachowaombeni nyie viongozi msigombane tu, maana tembo wakipigana ,nyasi ndizo zinazo athirika. Haya ,waliomtukana Zitto,ongeeni basi,au ndo hizo i zimewashinda kumwelewa mtoa mada.nyoooo !!! nashomile la mpaka 12 baba.Zebedayo msema kweli

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  9. Unafanya utafiti ili upate digrii? Wewe ni Mtanzania mzalendo? Tumia lugha fasaha kwa jamii unayoilenga na wasilisha taarifa zako kwa Waziri ili azifanyie kazi hata kama ana nyingine kwenye kabati. Chenye mwanzo kina mwisho. Mungu Ibariki Tanzania

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  10. Kwa mara ya kwanza Zebedayo katoa points nzuri. Lakini tukubali, mwandishi kachanganya mambo ya kitaalamu muno kiasi kwamba nilianza paragraf a kwanza baadae nikasoma sentesi kama mbili na kuacha, ngumu kuelewa, sio kiingereza ila bio mimi bio yule bio Zebedayo!

    Omuburi

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  11. Mnacheza nyie eti muamue kuhusu mafuta na gesi wakati hamna ujuzi wala uwezo wa kufanye explorations? Kwanza uhuru wenu ni wa kisiasa tu, tulizeni ball mkijitawala kiuchumi ndio mnaweza kufikiria hayo, otherwise kwa sasa there is nothing you can do. Unajua ni nani anamiliki mafuta huko middle east? Ni watu wachache wakisaidiwa na wanyonyaji wa hayo mafuta. Hebu tujikumbushe what happened to Ghaddafi?

    Zitto hata akiwa rais hawezi kuvunja hiyo mikataba ya kimataifa ambayo imesainiwa. Hiyo mikataba sio kama ile ya makocha wenu wa mpira ambao mnawaleta na kuwafukuza kabla mkataba haujesha, lakini hii mkijitia wajuaji yatawakuta ya Dowans kwani kwenye hiyo mikataba kuna clause ambayo inawalinda wote wawili. Ushabiki wa kisiasa mbali na hali halisi na ukweli mbali. Cha msingi ni kuhakikisha mikataba mipya tutakayoingia tuna sauti, lakini haya mambo ya kulazimishana kuwa na foreign advisors kwenye mambo yetu matokeo ni hayo. We need to fight for our economic indipendence first ndio mabadiliko yanaweza kuja.

    Mama A.

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  12. Kama kuna mchangia mada ambaye huwa ananikera ni huyu mjinga zebedayo msema kweli, wewe na mtoa mada mwafanana, huoni kuna tatizo kwenye maelezo yake? Pia watanzania jifunzeni kutoka ktk nchi za Europe zisizotumia kiingereza, angalieni ujerumani, ufaransa na nyingine nyingi lugha ya taifa wanaipa kipaumbele, ujumbe unawalenga watanzania hizi broken english zinatoka wapi? kuweni wazalendo.

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  13. yaani nikisoma comments za watanzania wenzangu natamani kulia. suala la tanzania itanufaika na utajiri mkubwa sana wa gesi na mafuta hauna mjadala ila tatizo utajiri utatukuta wananchi na viongozi bila ya mataarisho yeyote na neema haitakuja kwetu bali kwa wageni. kwa upeo wa ufahamu wa kinachojadiliwa ninaouona hapa, nawaonea huruma sana wanangu na tanzania watakayo rithi. tuombe Mungu!

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  14. Jamani suluhisho hapa ni hili; nipeni urais alafu nitachofanya ni hiki! Hakutakuwa na uchimbaji wa madini wala gas Tanzania mpaka pale tutapoweza kuchimba na kuuza wenyewe, nguvu zoote zitaekekezwa kwenye kilimo, ufugaji, uvuvi n.k. Kwa sasa tunaibiwa tu ndugu zangu...!

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Hii ni Blog ya Watanzania popote walipo duniani kwa ajili ya kuhabarisha, kutoa/kupokea taarifa na kuelimisha mambo yote yaliyo chanya kwa Taifa letu. Tafadhali sana unapotoa maoni usichafue hali ya hewa wala usijeruhi hisia za mtu/watu. Kuwa mstaarabu...