Mutharika storms ESCOM headquarters during board meeting

President Arthur Peter Mutharika quietly sneaked into  Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) headquarters’ offices which are housed on the 5th Floor of Umoyo House in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre for a surprise visit Wednesday morning.

Mutharika at ESCOM demanding answers on why there is power blackout everyday
On Lookers witness Mutharika sneak in Umoyo Building in a suprise visit
Mutharika at ESCOM demanding answers on why there is power blackout everyday

The Malawi leader invaded the premises unannounced with business as usual and he sneaked in without the customary presidential fanfare catching people within the precincts of Umoyo and surrounding areas unawares.

A senior ESCOM official speaking to Nyasa Times on anonymity said: “The president just showed up at Umoyo House on 5th Floor and marched into ESCOM offices. It was both scary and dramatic as no one never expected that to happen. Heads rolled and the president appeared somewhat livid and unhappy.”

Added the ESCOM official: “This is the first time for a sitting president to storm into ESCOM offices unannounced in history. The look on his face tells it all. He is not happy with the electricity supplying outfit and he surely needs answers and thorough explanations as to what is really going on.”

Mutharika’s visit to the embattled electricity suppliers, ESCOM is believed to be an executive clampdown on the country’s most inefficient utility service provider whose incessant power cuts continue to annoy the country’s populace.

No roads in the city, including the Victoria Avenue, were closed as is the case whenever the president is travelling within the City.

Publicity stunt

Some people, however, are not buying Mutharika’s ‘surprise visit’ to ESCOM as a genuine bolt from the blue visit but just a rhetorical publicity stunt saying the visit was prearranged.

James Gondwe, who works at Umoyo House said: “Surprise visit? What surprise visit? Please give us a break; we all know it was a pre-arranged meeting. What kind of a surprise visit is this that the president is going about carrying the presidential coat of arms?”

“This, to me is nothing but a publicity stunt, he just wants to bluff Malawians and make them believe that he is doing something about the ongoing electricity problems,” said a seemingly irate Gondwe.

Ellen Mvulayagunda who also works in Umoyo House it is surprising that national and presidential flags were all well-erected at a surprise and emergency meeting or visit.

She said: “We don’t need surprise visits, emergency management meetings attended by the president, we need electricity and the only thing the president and his government must do is find and provide resources into the energy sector and ensuring that as a country we have the capacity to provide sufficient power to the people.”

“The president just wants to be seen to be doing something about the never-ending electricity problem in the country and he knows that perception is key in politics but it is a little too late now. We all know that these meetings do not yield any tangible results,” said Mvulayagunda.

During the purported surprise visit, the Malawi leader crept and leapfrogged into a closed-door joint ESCOM and EGENCO management meeting at 10:20 AM.

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beje
beje
6 years ago

kkkkkkk every top official in Malawi is a comedian sure. surprise visit ? you were busy painting the building the whole week and you say you were taken by surprise? am happy the by election results where MCP emerged victors has shaken sleeping guys.

Lottie
Lottie
6 years ago

Why so much negativity surrounding the presidential visit? He is the Head of State and ESCOM is a parastatal organization. Should the president not show interest in what the organization is doing about the on-going power challenges? Are we addicted to negativity? Why can we not see good in some events? Whether pre-arranged or otherwise, its neither here nor there. What matters is the the motive behind the action – to understand what the ESCOM Board are doing to curb the power problem in the country.

nyasimmaso
nyasimmaso
6 years ago

Kkkkkkk nde mwati mbendera zaboma zinayikidwa a president akudikira mgalimoto? Kkk this was a well prepared suprise visit ndithu

Keen Observer
Keen Observer
6 years ago

Ya a Malawi muli ndi chinthu choti ndi chabwino ngati? No wonder dziko lathu ndi lovutika. President walakwa chani when it was prearranged or surprise visit is that a problem if the problem can be solved.

Patali
Patali
6 years ago

Mr president if u really care about your people why cant you just advice escom to include the state house line on the power rationing program…. For solidarity sake

Ndatopa
Ndatopa
6 years ago

A one term president you will become, whether you surprise yourself with surprised visits to defunct ESCOM or not its on your back and trolling you.

Generations of vipers
Generations of vipers
6 years ago

There is no any aspect to signify that this was a surprise visit, it was rather prearranged!!!!! KOMA ALHOMWE NDE HAVE INFESTED BIG STATUTORY CORPS EEEEEEISH!!! ITS HIGH TIME WE START WORKING ON ERADICATING THEM

Bodza la N\'nanu
Bodza la N\'nanu
6 years ago

Pathetic is an under statement.

Charlie Hebdo
Charlie Hebdo
6 years ago

I do understand to some extent the predicament Escom has found itself in although this is a problem of our own making. We tackle things as though tomorrow does not exist. Take for example the road works going on along M1 road between Bunda roundabout and Biwi. What is being done is resurfacing the road and shoulders. This is not going to solve the problem of traffic congestion. Notwithstanding the number of vehicles already in the country, every day hundreds of vehicles are entering the country. A forward looking approach would be to upgrade the road to dual lane. Despite… Read more »

Nox Nthambi
Nox Nthambi
6 years ago

hahahaha this is laughable. Why do we have presidential and national flags in the boardroom if he stormed the meeting without the knowledge of ESCOM and govt officials. Stop playing games Mr President.

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