The legopoliticomedy (i.e. comedy of a legal and political nature) in what is rightly called ‘maizegate’ has now come to an end with the passing of the Supreme Court judgment reinstating Dr. George Chaponda as Minister of Agriculture. But more importantly, the maizegate comedy has died after the Commission of Inquiry handed its report on the maizegate to the president on Friday, 9 February 2017.

Of special interest in the report’s findings is the shady dealings at Admarc and Dr. Chaponda’s involvement with Transglobe in the maize procurement. To this end, the report recommends that heads roll at Admarc and that Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigates Dr. Chaponda’s role in the maize scandal.

It is worth pointing out that the recommendations by the maizegate inquiry are both objective and insightful. As a matter of fact, the commissioners have delivered beyond Malawians’ expectation.

The report be as objective and insightful as it is, Malawians are rightly concerned that President Peter Mutharika may not act at all on the recommendations of the inquiry.

These concerns are not without foundation. President Mutharika was recently quoted as saying that the maizegate issue is useless and that talking about it is just a waste of time.

President Mutharika said: “We should stop writing negative stories about our country. For example, the issue of maize is useless. It is false. We have wasted a lot of time talking about it, yet there is nothing wrong which happened. We should stop that.”

Given the above statements from the president, it is doubtful if he will see to it that the Commission of Inquiry was not another waste of resources as is almost always true of Commissions of Inquiry.

The general expectations from Malawians is that the maizegate inquiry should tell a different story about Commissions of Inquiry by ensuring that the report findings are acted upon with the seriousness they deserve.

It is, therefore, a plea to President Mutharika to show leadership skills by leaving politics aside and letting his profession side of him to govern at least for once.

Mutharika should thus desist from making pre-emptive statements exonerating those involved in the maize procurement scandal in a way that shows bias and, to be frank, in a way that is regrettably unpresidential.

So, as the maizegate inquiry report recommends, let us see president Mutharika act so that heads roll at Admarc. Let us see ACB grow teeth and bite as far hard and deep in Dr. Chaponda’s flesh. For the president will surely lose Malawians’ faith in him if he does nothing in light of the report’s findings as that will mean that he does not mean business.

Mr. president, the maizegate inquiry recommendations represents an axe which you must use to chop off heads at Admarc. They also give you an insight as to how unpatriotic officers in government ministries and departments abuse their offices in order to benefit from them inappropriately.

Make every effort Mr. president Mutharika to ensure that the maizegate inquiry recommendations see the light of day. Do that. And do it as soon as is practicable. And, at least for once, give Malawians a reason to smile!