“The arguments raised by Kipande point to gross indiscipline. Kipande does not have to complain because he was merely suspended and not dismissed. He should have waited for the team to complete investigations,” he told this paper in mobile phone texted messages yesterday.
He was reacting to complaints by the former acting Director General to this paper on Tuesday.
The minister went on saying any minister is capable of either calling or dissolving the board under his ministry.
On Tuesday Kipande said that according to the procedures being the acting Director General of TPA and at the same time secretary to the Board he is supposed to convene board meetings.Kipande, who was suspended indefinitely as Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) acting Director General on Monday, denied all allegations leveled against him on Tuesday, saying
“I did not violate the state-owned agency’s procurement procedures.”
“I was not summoned by the board over the said allegations that are directed to me except that the minister came on Monday saying he wanted to convene a meeting with the board members,” said Kipande.
Speaking to journalists at TPA headquarters in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Sitta said he had suspended Kipande to provide room for investigations on various allegations leveled against him.
“We decided to convene an emergency TPA board meeting following complaints from different departments about the authority’s procurement system…former predecessor, minister Dr Harrison Mwakyembe had begun to tackle on problems which have been facing the authority to no avail,” said Sitta.
According to the minister, the allegations include complaints about lack of transparency, inconsistency in procurement procedures and poor relationships with stakeholders and workers.
On Monday Sitta pointed out that TPA is the country’s core revenue generator - 87 per cent of the revenue comes from the ports. He said that employees must be diligent and faithful towards work.
He noted that unnecessary delays in approving tenders which had been endorsed by the tender board tarnished the image of the government.
“I am suspending Eng Kipande until the probe team completes investigations on all the allegations,” he said.
Sitta mentioned members of the probe team including, retired Judge Augusta Bubeshi from his ministry who will be the chairman assisted by Deogratius Kasinda (secretary).
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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