'CCM assets verification gets nod from cadres'
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4:39 AM |
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Dar es Salaam CCM Regional chairman, Ramadhani Madabida gave a nod to President John Magufuli’s directive, who’s the party’s national chairman, on stock taking of the party’s assets.
It is believed some of the party’s assets have been misappropriated by a few unscrupulous members at the expense of the party’s self-reliance efforts.
“For many years CCM assets have been in the hands of a few individuals. While some custodians of party assets have been remitting revenues through authorised channels, most have literally used them for personal gain. There is no reason why CCM should be financially unsound,” Madabida observed.
He took swipe at outdated business strategies coupled with graft as factors for the systematic collapse of otherwise grand economic projects like Shirika la Kiuchumi la Taifa (SUKITA).
Deliberate misappropriation of funds disregarded modern day financial regulations in running projects, he added.
Among the party’s properties in Dar es Salaam include the ultra-modern youth wing (UVCCM) building worth billions of shillings with reported unclear financial administration.
Others include open spaces and a myriad of parking lots in all districts of Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke. Some of these locations are reported to have been sold for personal gain. Unaudited accounts of revenue collected on a daily basis raised concern among party members.
Continued construction of structures in the party’s plots in the city earned Dar es Salaam the reputation as one of the leading regions with a sharp increase of income generating assets.
Among the structures include the building that houses Airtel headquarters at Morocco area, Ualimu House in Ilala and several apartment buildings in Temeke constructed on CCM plots.
“In essence all CCM assets are under the control of the national council of trustees.
For example, title deeds are not issued to individuals but to the council on behalf of all party members. The fundamental change we (CCM) need to undergo is to act professionally,” suggested Madabida.
There is a need to establish a national business oriented unit of professional members entrusted with the duty to counsel on the best practices in running party projects with strict monitoring to avoid relapse to previous blunders.
“In Dar es Salaam the assessment started earlier and was completed by August 15, 2016. We discovered that all districts are endowed with assets that can raise billions in revenues. Some are grossly underutilized or misappropriated. We need to start counting on the benefits,” he concluded.
In his acceptance speech in Dodoma in July this year after being elected to the party chairmanship, Magufuli ordered nationwide assessment of the party’s property to ensure a professional re-alignment of financial administration.
“It is unfathomable that CCM, with its vast resources, should depend on subsidies. Income generating projects are found almost in all regions, districts and wards, yet the revenue ends up in individuals’ pockets,” he observed.
“Some members, I am told, have allocated themselves apartments at the UVCCM block in Dar es Salaam and they collect rent as though they own the building. This must stop and an audit must be carried out to identify those siphoning proceeds,” Magufuli was quoted as saying in Dodoma.
He cited as an example the various sports arenas in different regions still owned by the party but revenues are collected by individuals for personal gain.
Other interviewed party cadres also gave thumps up to President Magufuli’s intervention by calling for immediate and systematic ‘house cleaning’to get rid of elements behind the noticed financial irregularities.
Some have already started predicting financial and economic prosperity for the party while others see an imminent friction for party imputed to disgruntled members who have been from the status quo.
Former lecturer the then Kivukoni College of Social Sciences, now Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy, Prof Manoka Ibrahim praised the party for what he described as self-corrective measures which will eventually lead to financial discipline.
“In any collective entrepreneurship, appropriation of property by a few individuals generates self destructive friction and resentment among party members.
I am a CCM member and totally unhappy at the way things were being handled. Lack of transparency in financial management propels antipathy. Any disgruntled member will either sabotage or desert the party altogether,” Ibrahim observed.
Samson Mafie (78), resident of Temeke and CCM member, said efforts to uproot corruption within the party ranks deserve support to restore trust and integrity of leaders.
“There was a time I almost crossed over to the opposition. I was totally against nomination of some candidates at different levels on the basis of wealth and not merit.
As a result, such leaders become architects of embezzlement of party assets to recover election costs. President Magufuli must be supported but, of course, not everyone will be amused,” the elderly Mafie noted.
Former deputy minister in the previous government, Makongoro Mahanga said CCM should consider splitting with the opposition assets acquired during the single party era.
“Democracy and justice must prevail. A national property distribution committee should be formed to make sure that hundreds of property currently in possession of the ruling party are shared equally as all political parties have a significant contribution to building democracy,” Mahanga observed.
