Malawi in blackouts over $74 mil Escom genesets deal: Ligoya implicated

Malawians are made to live in blackout all day everyday as Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) board chairperson Dr. Perks Ligoya has messed  up procurement of new heavy-duty generators that were expected to add about 80 megawatts to the national grid when he  pushed for awarding of  a $74 million contract to a South African firm Aggreko, Nyasa Times can reveal.

Perks Ligoya in geneset deal

This did not go down well with Escom’s Chief Executive Officer Evelyn Mwapasa who accused his board chairperson of interfering with the procurement process.

Mwapasa has a reputation of being a tough and incorruptible manager.

According to investigations, Mwapasa stopped the signing of the multimillion dollar contract with Aggreko after she became suspicious of the way procurement procedures were flouted.

It later transpired that Ligoya had met Aggreko officials “on more than three occassions in South Africa to cut his deal.”

Mwapasa’s tough stance was strengthened by  another observation which the office of the director of public procurement (ODPP) made on the same and advised government to cancel the deal in what was termed as “some decisions and actions in the procurement process were wrongly made.”

 Nyasa Times sources at Escom confided that Ligoya  had a “sweetener” when he made a trip to South Africa to meet Aggreko officials.

“We have all the information regarding Ligoya’s connections to Aggreko and the deal he cut with the South African firm. Mwapasa was very angry upon hearing this and she immediately called the President to inform him about the rot in the generators deal,” confided a senior Escom manager privy to the issue.

“It is a very tricky situation because we now have massive blackouts and generators have not yet been bought. But Mwapasa has put her foot down, she told us in a management meeting that its better to have blackouts and save government’s billions than go ahead with a deal which will only enrich few individuals,” added the source who spoke on condition of strict anonymity.

Meanwhile, in a letter dated August 7, 2017 which Mwapasa wrote to ODPP, she highlighted several anomalies on the deal which she asked the office of the directorate of procurement to clarify before she could proceed with the Aggreko deal.

Part of the letter reads: “Speed is of the essence in this procurement because the emergency power being procured is required from October 2017 when the country’s hydropower plants are at their lowest production capacity due to lower water flows in the Shire River.”

The heavy-duty generators were scheduled to start running from this month but no single generator has been procured as  ODPP informed government to cancel the procurement, observing that the process were  “wrongly made”.

Escom’s poor handling of the process has made companies to be  forced to cut down on production, lives have been lost in hospitals while homes have been affected as well .

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Joe
Joe
6 years ago

Sweetheart Eve…

ANALYST
ANALYST
6 years ago

Is ESCOM still producing power? I thought ESCOM is now solely responsible for power distribution, and that power generation is in the hands of EGENCO? Why was ESCOM procuring the generators to “generate” electricity when such powers are with EGENCO? Chidziko cha Malawi ndi chotembeleredwadi basi!

Moment Mwalweni
6 years ago

Corruption will never end until Malawi have good leaders those who will be free from corruption and then we will see the real Malawi. So help us God.

Nabetha
Nabetha
6 years ago

I guess we need to make the ACB more independent give it extra power to conduct out reach campaigns, whistlestop rallies and let it run just like electoral commission but with main purpose of fighting this cancer.
If we don’t move God will be waiting for us to wake up as He already gave us the brain, the mouths and everything.

andy
andy
6 years ago

Malawi ndi ameneyu. MCP plz come back with MIKUYU PRISON. All corrupt idiots should rot there

Remnant
Remnant
6 years ago

UUUUHHMM………. Tnchito ilipo..

Bill
Bill
6 years ago

Perks for perks!!! Please think of the poor Malawians.

Kaloswe
6 years ago

Stupid Ligoya, it is this same Ligoya who released Billions on Tax payers money to Mphwiyo, Kasambara and others during cashgate when he was at Reserve Bank, why do we still keep such useless thieves? Who appointed him to be board chair at ESCOM?? The President may also be involved in this deal with a south african company. stupid!

mjiba
mjiba
6 years ago

I dont get the story at all. Evelyn Mwapasa how can procurement procedures be flawed under your watch? Who is the Internal Procurement Chairperson at ESCOM, How does the Internal Procurement Process at ESCOM work? Were you involved or aware of the process? Why did you not stop the sham from proceeding to ODPP? how can Escom send to procurement a request for validation of a tender without your approval in the first place??? You should have stopped the flawed process and documents from leaving ESCOM as CEO not complaining after they have left ESCOM are you in CONTROL??????

observer
observer
6 years ago

its not first time we have plenty of corrupt fat cats in ESCOM

mdumuka
mdumuka
6 years ago

i really dont think that generators are a way to go in dealing with these blanks outs. the whole nations opting for generators. then what will homes opt for? is this a temporary solution or permanent? its like we have wells for fuel only to understand that we purchase fuel frorm outised the country. in my view i wouldld have opted for solor energy.

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