Botolo says ‘old man’ Goodall wrongly accused on MPs K4bn funds
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe is wrongly and unfairly accused by some civil society organisations (CSOs) pushing for his resignation over the controversial K4 billion to legislators, Secretary to Treasury Ben Botolo has told stakeholders during pre-Budget consultations in Mzuzu.
CSO leaders are demanding President Peter Mutharika to fire Gondwe and his Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development counterpart Kondwani Nankhumwa for their role in the transaction.
But Botolo queried the CSOs for their “torture” of the “old man” Gondwe when the matter was debated in Parliament in the Rural Development Budget.
Botolo said none of the CSOs go to Parliament to question them on the allocation But they are attacking the country’s purse keeper , which he said is “unfair.”
He said: “We are defending him [Gondwe] because it was not in the Ministry of Finance budget, but the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.”
Botolo was representing the Minister during the meeting seeking input on the 2018/19 national budget.
The K4 billion issue—that initially saw 86 legislators mostly affiliated to the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its working partners getting about K40 million each—came to the fore during the Mid-Year Budget Review Meeting on Parliament in February after Malawi News first reported the matter.
But Nankhumwa clarified that both sides of the House decided to distribute the money equally across the board, meaning that each of the 193 legislators would now receive K20.7 million.
Capital Hill has long argued that the money, described as Quick Grant Project, is meant for rural development.
Just like the President himself, most Malawians had so some much respect for Goodall. But the old man has earned himself a reputation of being untrustworthy and an economic delinquent to the nation. He is fast prooving to be more destructive than any previous finance minister on record. In fact even than career politicians like Henry Mussa and Dausi.
Look, within a space of 1 month he has been involved 2 hugely controversial issues that can have enormous impact on our country’s economy. The FAKE LICENSE testimony in court and the K4m scam. And he did it like a seasoned trickster. And without remorse he has been all over trying to defend the INDEFENSIBLE. Please don’t pity this old man. He is a DELINQUENT.
Ana a njoka a kongiresi mwachuluka pano ati? Mungoti sphere tikuphwanyani mitu pa 21 May pano. Mukamuuza mbuyanu. NEVER AGAIN
Did this bill of 4bn go to the process of debate? Was the opposition in the chamber during debate of this bill? Was Chakwera in the chamber that day?
Was Chakwera and his MCP in the chamber during the 50+1 Bill?
All this shows that the opposition is too blind to see where it is going. Its own mistakes are blamed on government. They are making noise on things which are going through full procedures. Government has been open by putting all the bills on the floor for Chakwera and his dead party to participate. Opposition is showing total stupidity by hating and blaming a thing which they helped to create. This is total nonsense! What a silly party. No wonder you have been denied the state house in all the past five elections. You are not fit to be in that house.
There was massive collusion amongst the parties (DPP as a ruling party and opposition) with the voting for/against Electoral Reform Bill. None of the politicians sitting in parliament are clean. They don’t even have their conscious. They all have sold their souls to the devil and the next best bidder. The electorate has to be smart enough to vote smartly come 2019. They need to take their power back where they hold their MPs to account and if not they fire them by voting them out in the next elections. Its as simple as that. Citizens should learn to exercise their basic right (to vote) and make it clear to the politicians that they’re the bosses. Malawi Inc has shareholders (ordinary citizens) and have the power to fire the CEO (Head of State/President). Malawi Inc should be run by a competent Executive Committee (MPs) who also know they serve the masses and not the other way round.
MCP also voted against the bill by sending their MPs to off duty so that the opposition is outnumbered. We are asking these pro opposition CSOs to probe opposition on that record absentism.
We just need Goodall Gondwe to tell the truth of what really happened. He is the custodian of the fiscus. It may be that all political parties (MPs were all in it or just some of them) were involved in the scam but the buck stops with Goodall Gondwe.
A Botolo you are really Mr. Botolo I thought you would give convincing arguments on this malpractice by the Finance Minister koma shaaaaa!. Abale ma fat envelops akuononga dziko. No wonder Prophet Bushiri akunena kuti we must change our mindsets. Mr. Botolo mutasintha mindset yanu mungatukuletu dzikoli.
STOP FOOLING people with FAKE clarifications here!!!
The old man l& Nankhumwa & others behalved like TRICKSTERS in this whole scenario. They exactly knew what they were up to and which button they were touching and why?
In fact they were taking advantage of unsuspecting, money-hungry and to some extent semi-illiterate opposition MPs. They knew the big-guns, the likes of Chakwera were not part of the discussions.
Like in most TRICKSTERS syndicates an innocent victim often realises s/he has been robbed when the perpetrator is long gone. So Goodall is squarely the architect of this grand EXECUTIVE thievery and loot by TRICK.
If it was MAFIA’s WORLD in USA the old man tikanamugomera kuti ndi grandmaster but unfortunately he is minister of finance of the poorest nation on earth. SHAME!!!
Botolo you are also part of this as the one who supports wrong is also in the wrong , you also need to go. Botolo you are shameless how can you protect lies you are not fit to hold a position of high integrity. Mu choke mbava iweyo ndi bwana wanu
Stop torturing Goodall Gondwe. He is one of the best.
The standards by which you are measuring Honourable Goodall Gondwe are definitely low Mr Banda. Now we wonder why Malawi is the poorest country in the world. Its people like you who are busy “kuombela mfiti m’manja”.
used to be
No wonder Malawi is in the financial state it is in. If a whole Secretary to the Treasury is unable to grasp basic financial and budgeting processes then God Save Malawi. If indeed Treasury allocated the expenditure budget (of a mere K1.3 trillion) the way K4 billion has been allocated then again, Lord Have Mercy. Review or revamp the entire budgeting process. Aren’t ministries supposed to submit a list of projects to justify funds allocations (save for recurring expenses). At the time of allocating funds to various constituents did the Honourable Nankhumwa produce a list of projects tying back to the K4 billion? If not then Honourable Gondwe erred big time. This should have been the first thing he needed to ask from Hon Nankhumwa. If not how would Gondwe monitor whether the funds have been used appropriately and for the intended developmental project. As a custodian of the discus Mr Botolo, please pay due care to yiur responsibilities and advise the old man accordingly. Don’t defend the indefensible. If you believe he’s too old to do the job the ask him politietely to resign and make way for young blood. You should also resign obviously you’re underqualified for the Treasury job.
This Botolo is amathematician who who was a teacher. He is where he is because the father comes from Phalombe and the mother from Mzimba. He did not recognized his father and spoke only Tumbuka and that is why he is backing Goodall Gondwe. Botolo is clever because of dual districts of origins and he swings. Any you can see that old age is catching up with him and this shows that what goes up comes down. Now coming to the issue it just shows that Botolo cannot bite the finger that is feeding him. The finger that fished him from the miserable teaching service to become PS through the National Statistics Office in Zomba. What you and old man Goodall did by trying to reward your MPs with K4 billion is abuse of office and abuse of the taxes that we pay. That money could build several schools or renovate the dilapidated ones. It is very unfortunate that even the intelligent become fools because of politics. You are the ones who are making Malawi a shithole country together with Pitala. We are removing you from power next year unless you steal the elections again.
Who is fooling who here. This is financial blunder the Ministry has made so far. In Malawi, we have democracy which is 70 percentum working for the betterment of majority Malawians. We have ears, eyes and many of us are learned. We are not in 1970’s or 80s where people could not question Govt operations. All politicians are under microscope, kungoti coz of corruption anthu akapatsidwa kangachepe people do not speak the truth, BUT people know the truth. No secret under the Sun. Say NO to Electoral Reforms bill, mission accomplished =”Thank you ladies and gentlemen gwirani kangachepeka muzipepeseko” We know it in and out. Our purse keeper (Finance Minister) did not help Malawians on the matter.
Botolo is one of the people that have performed miserably at senior government official level. He has been a failure wherever he has worked. Here he is, busy defending a stupid transaction.
A Panganani please sober up and be objective. It’s been some time since the 4bn kwacha issue has been in the public domain. U can’t afford to be still losing your head when we ALL now understand what actually happened. Really in this world it’s only those fellas who spent some 4 yrs ku chanco? Koma ka chanco kameneka kamaputsitsa anthu eti?
IS BEN BOTOLO ATTENDING PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS WHEN HE IS CASTIGATING CSOs WHO DO NOT ATTEND SESSIONS?? WE NEED PEOPLE OF NOBLE CHARACTER. THAT MONEY IS GONE IN THE DRAIN. GOODALL FAILS TO COMPLETE EZONDWENI-MZIMBA ROAD AND JENDA-EDINGENI ROAD. YOU CAN’T START A PROJECT WHICH WILL DIE IN THE PROCESS. WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT BOTH ROADS WERE FULLY FUNDED BUT THE BIG SHOTS HAVE TAKEN THE MONEY. NO NEED FOR LEGAL PROOF HERE. THERE IS AN OLD CLICHE SAYING- “YOU CAN’T KILL A GOOSE THAT LAY GOLDEN EGGE.” MUTHARIKA CANNOT FIRE OUTDATED GONDWE AND MAFIA NANKHUMWA BECAUSE THEY LAY GOLDEN EGGS IN DPP. THE MONEY SHARED WITHOUT REMORSE IS JUST FOR CAMPAIGN. NOTE THAT THERE IS SOMEONE IN NKHANIRE, CHITIPA WHO SLEEPS ON EMPTY BELLY JUSTING WAITING TO CAST A VOTE FOR THIVES NEXT YEAR. GOD IS WATCHING OVER YOU MAFIAS WHO RAISE YOUR PECKS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR. MARANATHA!!!!!
Botolo-We know you did not do economics at Chanco which could have exposed you to rudimentary elements of budgeting. You are telling lies and this is just tainting your credibility. The MK4bn is a reward to those that voted against the electoral reform bill-PERIOD!
A Big NO. Thats not true, dude Panganani!
Kodi nanu ndi kusazindikira kwanuko anakuuzani kuti budget amapanga ndi a economics a ku Thyanko okha ndi ndani????