Gesi ya Mtwara: Ray of hope in gas row as Bunge told to step in

Dar es Salaam. Parliament has been urged to intervene in the gas row and end the tensions that have cropped up in the industry. A cross-section of stakeholders – from politicians to legislators, investors and academics – demanded yesterday that Parliament uses its constitutional right as adviser and supervisor of the government to help craft a solution to the dispute. The problem was triggered by mass protests in Mtwara against the construction of a gas pipeline to Dar es Salaam for power production. Local people want the project shelved so that the gas, which is drilled in the region, is used for power generation and for petrochemical industries right at the source. The $1.225 billion pipeline, which will cover 532km, will transport gas to Dar es Salaam for producing 2,780mw of electricity. It is a joint project between China Petroleum and Technology Development Company (CPTDC), a unit of China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), and the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC). The government says producing power is cheaper in Dar es Salaam and this will benefit even the people of Mtwara. The fiery debate has spread nationwide, with people from all walks of life weighing in with their opinions. But there are fears that the situation is getting out of hand and could turn violent if it is not handled well. There are those who argue that a third party needs to come in to calm the fears and deal with the frustrations of both sides. Shadow minister for Energy and Minerals John Mnyika has kickstarted the process by writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, urging her to use her legal powers to appoint a parliamentary committee to try and bring the government and the people’s representatives to the negotiating table. “In addition to defusing the tension between the two sides, the committee will also perform the oversight role of directing the government to solve the issues in the oil and gas sector,” said Mr Mnyika, who is also the MP for Ubungo. He told The Citizen that the committee should also probe irregularities and allegations of corruption in gas contracts and make the report public. Other legislators, including Christopher Ole-Sendeka (Simanjiro-CCM) and Madgalena Sakaya (Special Seat-CUF), also backed Mr Mnyika’s proposal. Ms Sakaya added: “I recently visited Mtwara and the situation is tense. People are very angry, thinking that the government has shortchanged them and ignored their interests. We have no option but to let the Parliament intervene.” Mr Mnyika said the problem had escalated because of an oversight vacuum in Parliament due to the absence of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals. The committee was suspended during the budget session last year. It has neither been reinstated nor a new one created to replace it. “This means the Energy and Minerals ministry has been conducting its business without any engagement with the Parliament because there is no committee on Energy and Minerals,” Mr Nyika said. Other stakeholders said the government must use the collection of views on the draft gas policy as an opportunity to encourage debate and create a national consensus on how to handle oil and gas issue. The government is now collecting views in order to improve the draft natural gas policy before it is adopted by the cabinet. The policy will pave the way for new laws. According to Mzumbe University lecturer Dr Honest Ngowi, the government should make sure that the people are well informed about what is going on in the natural gas sector--including how their interests will be protected. Experience from various countries has reportedly shown that most citizens tend to turn against state projects due to lack of information on the pros and cons.“We shouldn’t shun discussing what is happening in Mtwara and Lindi,” Dr Ngowi said. “The government should release information without waiting for provocation from the public.” Additional reporting by Frank Kimboy in Dar and Abdallah Bakari in Mtwara Songas Business Infrastructure Manager Malcolm Taylor said the new gas policy should strive to manage people’s expectations of the gas discovery. According to him, it will take up to eight years for Tanzania to start benefitting from the gas discoveries in the southern part of the country. Meanwhile, a 106-year-old resident of Msimbati, Somoe Mtiti, narrowly escaped being abducted yesterday by a stranger who said he had been sent by his “superiors from Dar es Salaam” to collect the old woman for a meeting with President Jakaya Kikwete and Minister Hawa Ghasia.The drama ended with the vehicle being torched by suspicious villagers. Ms Mtiti came into the limelight about two weeks ago after telling reporters that the gas would turn into water should the government insist on transporting it to Dar es Salaam. Neighbours said the stranger, who happens to have relatives in the village, arrived arrived at Ms Mtiti’s house at 8pm accompanied by his aunt. He said he wanted to take Ms Mtiti with him but the children of the old lady refused. Neighbours who saw the car parked in front of Ms Mtiti’s house got curious and chased away the stranger. They then vented their frustration at his escape by setting the car on fire. Village Chairman Salum Tostao confirmed the drama. (Additional reporting by Frank Kimboy in Dar and Abdallah Bakari in Mtwara). Source: The Citizen http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/component/content/article/37-tanzania-top-news-story/28358-ray-of-hope-in-gas-row-as-bunge-told-to-step-in.html