Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has sacked his Home Affairs Minister for allegedly mismanaging a $453m fire department contract.
President Magufui said Kangi Lugola signed a contract with a Romanian company without notifying the finance ministry or seeking approval from the parliament.
Magufuli cited lack of integrity in the purchase of firefighting equipment as a key reason for the sacking
President Magufuli also fired the Commissioner General of the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force Thobias Andengenye, for overseeing a dubious project worth $452 million.
He publicly announced the sacking of the two senior officials at the inauguration of a housing project for prisons officers in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam which was televised live by the national broadcaster, Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.
The President said he has also accepted the resignation of the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Hamad Masauni and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Jacob Kingu.
He said Andengenye was involved in the preparations and the signing of the project for the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The project was authorised by officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs without the knowledge of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and without the approval of the National Assembly.
President Magufuli said other officials in the Attorney General’s Office and the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force who were involved in the shoddy deal should be accountable.
Magufuli appointed Lugola Minister for Home Affairs replacing Mwigulu Nchemba in a cabinet reshuffle in July 2018.
Source: Africafeeds.com
