LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has allegedly accused some State House officials for interfering fuel procurement arguing that the move goes against the law of the land.
The grouping observed that much-publicised importation of fuel under the guise of Government-to-Government (G2G) arrangement is not serving the public interests but individuals.
Addressing the news conference on Wednesday, February 12, 2024 in the capital Lilongwe, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa challenges State House to immediately stop the illegal procurement of the said 360 metric tonnes of fuel under the guise of the G2G arrangement.
Namiwa calls, “We urge the people at State House who are behind this sinister project to put their hands off fuel issues in the country and allow fuel to be purchased following the laid down regulations and procedures.
“Buying of fuel should remain a preserve of the mandated State organs, not individuals who are riding the political gravy train at the expense of the poor majority”.
He adds, “CDEDI challenges those few privileged State House employees, who seem to have captured government, to inform Malawians where they are
drawing their mandate to be involved in matters that, according to the country’s prevailing laws and regulations, belong to the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) and the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA).
“We at CDEDI are disturbed and disgusted to note that Minister of Energy Hon. Ibrahim Matola travelled all the way to Tanga in Tanzania in a desperate attempt to hoodwink Malawians into believing that he was welcoming 51 million litres of fuel procured through an arrangement between the governments of Malawi and Kenya”.
Namiwa observes further, “CDEDI is reliably informed that that fuel was supplied by Gulf Energies, which is a private company, and the arrangement came in as an emergency albeit at a higher CIF.
“Actually, with a larger part of the fuel consignment still stuck in Tanga as we speak, the deal has ceased to an emergency”.
Namiwa says, “Malawians may wish to know that at the height of this deal, a US$150 million Letter of Credit was opened when the traditional suppliers’ bill was hovering at around US$100 million.
“This meant that if it were in a serious arrangement,
the best way to go about it was to sort out the suppliers and maintain those who were compliant with the law”.
He adds, “Simply put, the country’s persistent fuel woes are a result of an engineered non-payment of fuel suppliers calculated to dodge the law and allow those behind the scheme make a killing.
“To validate the above, CDEDI regrets to inform the public that arrangements are at an advanced stage to identify a vessel to move the fuel stuck in Tanga to
Nacala”.
Namiwa observes further, “This is called double-handling by the end of the day, which will make the product more expensive and in the process further defeat the element of feeling with an emergency.
“Malawians ought to know that the country’s annual fuel consumption is far below that which we can be considered to buy from the refineries whose minimum order stands at 100 million metric tonnes”.
He therefore appeals, “When all is said and done, and left wanting about this particular fuel issue, on behalf of well-meaning Malawians, CDEDI wishes to implore the Malaŵi Government, MERA and NOCMA to stop the illegal purchase of the said 360 metric tonnes fuel under this shoddy deal; otherwise, it has potential to spark public anger”.
On halted Age Bill, Namwa says, “CDEDI is aware that a lot has been said on social media in relation to alleged attempts, by whoever, to take to Parliament an infamous Age Limit Bill. But it is pleasing that the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Hon. Richard Chimwendo Banda categorically dismissed that assertion andbranded it as a mere rumour.
“Equally pleasing was a post on social media Tuesday evening by Leader of the Opposition in the House Hon George Chaponda to the effect that according to a
Business Committee meeting be had attended to agree on matters to be transacted when Parliament reconvenes this week, there is nothing like that
infamous and undemocratic matter”.
Namwa explains, “CDEDI was however disturbed to hear from reliable sources that about K1 billion was invested in attempts to bring this matter for debate in Parliament when Malawians are starving due to acute food shortage.
“We gathered that proponents of the bill intended to push it into the Chamber as a Private Member’s Bill. For starters, Thursday is a Private Member’s day in
Parliament”.
He added, “It is when members of Parliament (MPs) are at liberty to waive relevant Standing Orders to allow any MP to bring to the floor a motion.
“But all that has to be done with the knowledge of the Business Committee of the House, in which case, if Hon Chaponda’s post is anything to go by, the
infamous and undemocratic bill about capping the country’s presidential age limit is not part of what our parliamentarians will deliberate on in the weeks
ahead”.
Namiwa observes, “In view of the dust that this stirred when it started making rounds, there is no harm in CDEDI borrowing the words of retired Supreme Court Judge Dunstain Mwaungulu, that under any circumstance such a bill is unconstitutional and not welcome in any democratic society.
“Ordinarily, a bill of such nature, cannot just appear in the Chamber from nowhere, since it calls for exhaustive consultative processes spearheaded by the Malawi Law Commission (MLC) in collaboration with the Malawi Law Society (MLS)”.
He concludes, “Apart from the rigorous consultative process, such a law cannot come in the middle of an electoral process, where registration of voters has already been conducted and all major political parties have conducted their conventions effectively electing or endorsing their torch-bearers.
“That said, CDEDI is mindful that this is Malawi, where overzealousness, coupled with forces of greed, drive some supposedly Honourable people do not act as such; hence warns such people to be ready to face the music for taking Malawians for granted”.
Meanwhile, State House is yet to respond on fuel procurement interference allegations.