The recent stance by the CCM National Executive Committee (CCM-NEC) on the “Kujivua gamba” campaign is retrogressive though expected. The organ’s publicity and ideology secretary, Nape Nnauye, poured cold water onto the whole exercise when he pointed out that his party’s cleansing philosophy neither targets individuals nor aims at stripping anyone of their party membership, adding that the misconception had created unnecessary tension.
This is in outright contrast to what he preached as soon as the new brooms took office early this year. Addressing reporters soon after assuming office in April, the then new Ideology and Publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye said the party had given all its members said to be involved in corruption scandals three months to cleanse themselves.
“The party will no longer tolerate any member associated with corruption… the party will not wait for proof from the courts. Once one is accused, the party will sack him,” he said.
It’s now seven months after this warning was made and the question that remains is how many corrupt individuals have been sacked so far Comrade Nape? Dear reader, I only recall of Rostam Aziz who resigned voluntarily.
It seems the going is fast becoming tough for the new brooms probably giving an explanation to the current shifting of goal posts. The happenings seemingly vindicate Bongoblast after publishing the following analysis soon after the campaign was launched:
The winds of change that currently swept across the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi's top echelon seems to be the dim light beginning to show at the end of a long and dark tunnel as it brings with it hope that sanity will at last be restored in the party that is said to have lost touch with the people who voted them into power.
Though for many, the changes are welcome and being considered a move towards the right direction, there is need to be cautious and let time vindicate the changes. The recent changes, everyone will agree with me, were not only necessary for the party to strengthen itself and regain wananchi's confidence, but also were long overdue.
The party made a bold decision by replacing old brooms with seemingly new ones, in a bid to sweep clean the party that was slowly moving towards political abyss that could have seen the party losing its relevance and subsequently dying a natural death. The move, hailed by many, should be used as a springboard for the revival of the party. The new leadership should live up to expectations if ever they will entertain any thoughts of reviving the party that is facing its strongest ever opposition in history.
And, with the newly appointed secretary-general, Mr Wilson Mukama, having immediately assumed office and promised fireworks, vowing to leave no stone unturned when it comes to tackling corruption, all hope seems not lost for the party and if the whole team adopts this vigor and vitality, fronting a no nonsense approach to corruption and other practices that are demeaning the party, then CCM will be invincible in no time.
Mukama warned the party members implicated in corruption scandals to either quit or be prepared to face the music. But, though this is a good stance as corruption is fast becoming one of the causes of the party's downfall, many questions remain unanswered. One of them being the kind of music the secretary-general is promising that the party hasn't played before.
Though simple as it might look, the problem has roots too deep to uproot. The crisis the party is facing can never be solved by a mere threat and requires action. The first mistake the party did was to allow corrupt individuals to manipulate the party structures to their advantage, to become powerful people who will become very difficult to get rid of.
The new broom that has been commission, without adequate support from senior party members, might find the going too tough and the dirty too heavy to sweep. They will obviously make a lot of noise when they are still new in office but mark my word, if they are not strong enough, their noise will quickly turn into silence, relegating them to being toothless bulldogs.
This is so because in the first place, the party should have made these changes long back by banning all tainted leaders from vying for parliamentary and other government and party seats. We have a lot of these corrupt leaders who are members of parliament. They were elected by the people due to their influence and financial muscles and it will be difficult to get rid of them. Neither will it be easy to tell them to voluntarily resign or relinquish their posts. This will be a non starter and Mukama knows that.
The same people have used their financial acumen to penetrate the structures of the party to such an extent that getting rid of them seems mission impossible. If the restructuring exercise had begun before last year's elections, then the party could have managed to get rid of corrupt individuals by now. I know this might have a backlash on the party where divisions are likely to emerge but, it is for the betterment of the party as in the long run it would emerge more powerful than before.
The party gains nothing by harbouring controversial and corrupt individuals, who in most cases taint its image. Let me give free advice to Mukama and his team that the battle has just began and they should brace for a long and gruesome battle as these corrupt individuals are no push overs. They have stood their ground and managed to stay not only in the party but as leaders in various portfolios in government so this will be more of a David and Goliath battle.
The problem here is that when rotten tomatoes are placed in the same basket with fresh ones, they tend to spoil the good ones. And, this scenario does not only depict rotten tomatoes that were put in the same tin with good ones but those that have been in the basked for a long time, making it difficult to distinguish the rotten ones from those that are still good. This is the puzzle Mukama is facing to such an extent that the influence of the rotten ones has spread like veld fire within the party.
The new secretariat team, to show that they are not taking things lying down, pledged a CCM nationwide “cleansing” drive, which according to the new publicity secretary, Mr Nape Nnauye, will see reshuffles being conducted from district to regional level across the country.
On paper, the announced steps seem good and if they are religiously followed, then a new CCM is in the offing. What continues to boggle many people's minds is whether the party will be able to transform itself and gain the confidence of the general public.
Some people believe that the new team is just building castles in the air and very soon they will join the squad. The truth of the matter is that they will either succeed and bring about the much-needed change into the party or they will be swallowed and join them. No one will fault them since it is written that “if you can't defeat them, then join them.”
The secretariat faces a daunting task and they should be prepared to tear the party apart in order to rebuild it so that it emerges stronger. The problem is that politics is a game of numbers and influence. It is against this that it will be difficult for CCM to take decisive measures on those with tainted hands because besides it having the potential to split the party, it also has the ability to weaken it at a time the opposition is gaining ground at an alarming rate.
The other problem is that most of these corrupt individuals wield a lot of power in the party and they have a lot of supporters of which if they are expelled from the party, will likely to go with their supporters. The job is not as easy as the Mukama team thinks. It will be an uphill task trying to get rid of unruly elements from the party structures.
I would bet my last shilling that because the aim of the secretariat is to revive and not to weaken the party, they are most likely going to apply emergency breaks whenever they find themselves taking steps that are likely to worsen the party's fragility. As long as we continue to have the corrupt leaders within the party structures and the political environment remaining as it is for the country's oldest political party, changing the face of the party will remain just but a pipe dream.
It will remain to be seen whether CCM ‘itaweza kujivua gamba bila kujidhuru’. Only time will tell and a good luck to the new brooms.
The struggle continues for the party through the skin shedding campaign to cleanse itself, but I believe NEC should take bold decisions and act on all those tainting the image of the party before it is too late. Even if this temporarily threatens the stability of the party, in the long run it will be a major breakthrough. Only time will tell. God bless us
Bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah@blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Education: Of the blame game and joke of the year
Human beings are fun creatures. If you haven’t discovered that yet, then look around you. Some people create history, while others strive the rest of their lives trying to make it. So many people are remembered for great deeds they have done in their lives that helped to change the face of the earth while others are remembered for wrong reasons.
Zeroing in on this country, we have so many people we consider heroes while others are villains. I can’t really come to mention names here but when it comes to our independence, the name of the Father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, arguably becomes the first for everyone who is well versed with the details of the struggle.
But, when it comes to education and every time I think of this sector, I am quickly reminded of a man who hit newspaper headlines for a controversial reason. I believe he qualifies to have his name written in the Guinness Book of Records. His name is Albert Mnali, a former District Commissioner (DC) who ordered the caning of 19 primary school teachers in the northern region of Kagera.
The teachers were said to have been caned by a police officer in front of their pupils after an investigation into poor exam results at three schools. The report blamed teachers for being late or not showing up for work and not teaching the official syllabus.
When the then DC ordered the teachers to be flogged, he was trying to come up with a solution to a problem bedeviling the education sector. In fact, the incident exposed a lot of short comings in the sector that leads to pupils failing to make it in life. The teachers were blamed for their students’ failure as they came late for school and sometimes failed to show up.
It’s not all rosy in the education sector and schools, especially in rural areas continue tuning out half-baked products, most of them illiterate. It is a shame and many schools are in a sorry state of affairs. Some of them don’t have proper structures while others don’t have desks and chairs. Books and other equipment are either not adequate or unavailable.
Some students have to brave harsh Tanzanian weather conditions to walk several kilometers to and from school. Poverty on the other hand contributes much to pregnancies that have cut short the education of thousands of schoolgirls throughout the country. With the look of things, much still needs to be done to make sure the sector is in order.
I also don’t know whether the recently rejected policy draft titled, “Education and Training Policy”, was a joke of some kind or what? I commend our Members of Parliament for out rightly rejecting the draft that was presented by a certain Calistus Chonya, Policy Analyst, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, that was aimed at slashing the current number of years for primary education from the current seven to six.
I consider this a joke because it was proposed at a time when there is a lot to be desired when it comes to the quality of primary school leavers in this country.
The act of coming up with such proposals is tantamount to ‘kupoteza mishale kwa kuwinda kunguru wakati kanga wanakuja.’ Surely there are many other pressing issues that should be addressed in the ministry first before thinking of reducing the years.
Let the powers that be know that what is wrong with our education system is not the number of years pupils study, but the quality of education they get. More effort is needed to make sure that service delivery is improved and once everything is in order then we might think of reducing the years.
As long as the learning environment is not improved and even if the number of primary school years are increased, then no positive results will be achieved. The problem bedeviling the education sector is too big for the government to tackle it alone. This calls for the private sector to chip in and help address some of the shortfalls.
Discipline among teachers is vital to turn around the sector. Mnali was forced to instill discipline in the same manner teachers use to instill it to their pupils. Don’t get me wrong dear reader, I am not condemning and neither am I condoning what the DC did but what I am trying to highlight here is that teachers need to pull up their socks and make sure that they do justice to the little ones.
Again, we may all blame the teachers but if we look at their working conditions then we are also forced to feel sorry for them. Sometimes we tend to expect miracles out of them while at the same time they are incapacitated by the working conditions and environment. The problem in the education sector is like a vicious circle it is very difficult to lay blame on one group of people in the circle.
That’s why the blame game is so evident every time results, be they Grade Seven, Form Four or Form Six, are published. The government usually blames both the teachers and students, while students blame their teachers and sometimes parents. Parents on the other hand blame teachers and the government while teachers blame the government and students; the list is endless.
A solution is exactly what is needed. There is need to overhaul the education sector for us to achieve the intended results, lest the gains we have achieved in the sector can be reversed. Everyone has to play his or her part and together we will make it.
bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300
Zeroing in on this country, we have so many people we consider heroes while others are villains. I can’t really come to mention names here but when it comes to our independence, the name of the Father of the Nation, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, arguably becomes the first for everyone who is well versed with the details of the struggle.
But, when it comes to education and every time I think of this sector, I am quickly reminded of a man who hit newspaper headlines for a controversial reason. I believe he qualifies to have his name written in the Guinness Book of Records. His name is Albert Mnali, a former District Commissioner (DC) who ordered the caning of 19 primary school teachers in the northern region of Kagera.
The teachers were said to have been caned by a police officer in front of their pupils after an investigation into poor exam results at three schools. The report blamed teachers for being late or not showing up for work and not teaching the official syllabus.
When the then DC ordered the teachers to be flogged, he was trying to come up with a solution to a problem bedeviling the education sector. In fact, the incident exposed a lot of short comings in the sector that leads to pupils failing to make it in life. The teachers were blamed for their students’ failure as they came late for school and sometimes failed to show up.
It’s not all rosy in the education sector and schools, especially in rural areas continue tuning out half-baked products, most of them illiterate. It is a shame and many schools are in a sorry state of affairs. Some of them don’t have proper structures while others don’t have desks and chairs. Books and other equipment are either not adequate or unavailable.
Some students have to brave harsh Tanzanian weather conditions to walk several kilometers to and from school. Poverty on the other hand contributes much to pregnancies that have cut short the education of thousands of schoolgirls throughout the country. With the look of things, much still needs to be done to make sure the sector is in order.
I also don’t know whether the recently rejected policy draft titled, “Education and Training Policy”, was a joke of some kind or what? I commend our Members of Parliament for out rightly rejecting the draft that was presented by a certain Calistus Chonya, Policy Analyst, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, that was aimed at slashing the current number of years for primary education from the current seven to six.
I consider this a joke because it was proposed at a time when there is a lot to be desired when it comes to the quality of primary school leavers in this country.
The act of coming up with such proposals is tantamount to ‘kupoteza mishale kwa kuwinda kunguru wakati kanga wanakuja.’ Surely there are many other pressing issues that should be addressed in the ministry first before thinking of reducing the years.
Let the powers that be know that what is wrong with our education system is not the number of years pupils study, but the quality of education they get. More effort is needed to make sure that service delivery is improved and once everything is in order then we might think of reducing the years.
As long as the learning environment is not improved and even if the number of primary school years are increased, then no positive results will be achieved. The problem bedeviling the education sector is too big for the government to tackle it alone. This calls for the private sector to chip in and help address some of the shortfalls.
Discipline among teachers is vital to turn around the sector. Mnali was forced to instill discipline in the same manner teachers use to instill it to their pupils. Don’t get me wrong dear reader, I am not condemning and neither am I condoning what the DC did but what I am trying to highlight here is that teachers need to pull up their socks and make sure that they do justice to the little ones.
Again, we may all blame the teachers but if we look at their working conditions then we are also forced to feel sorry for them. Sometimes we tend to expect miracles out of them while at the same time they are incapacitated by the working conditions and environment. The problem in the education sector is like a vicious circle it is very difficult to lay blame on one group of people in the circle.
That’s why the blame game is so evident every time results, be they Grade Seven, Form Four or Form Six, are published. The government usually blames both the teachers and students, while students blame their teachers and sometimes parents. Parents on the other hand blame teachers and the government while teachers blame the government and students; the list is endless.
A solution is exactly what is needed. There is need to overhaul the education sector for us to achieve the intended results, lest the gains we have achieved in the sector can be reversed. Everyone has to play his or her part and together we will make it.
bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300
Arrest warrant issued for Tanzanian in Benz swindle
A Tanzanian man, who is awaiting trial for allegedly swindling a Harare man of a Mercedes Benz worth US$6 000 has been issued with a warrant of arrest.
Magistrate Mr Morgan Nemadire issued Julius Magoli (36) with a warrant of arrest after he failed to turn up in court for his trial yesterday.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Razor alleges that on November 30 last year, Margoli went to Rocky Matenda's garage driving his S260 Mercedes Benz.
It is the State's case that Matenda had shown interest in the car before.
The two, the State alleges, made an agreement whereby Matenda was to give Margoli US$2 000.
He would also top up with an inferior model of a Mercedes Benz.
Matenda paid Magoli US$2 000 and Margoli left his Mercedes Benz on the pretext that Matenda would get the vehicle registration book after giving Margoli the other car.
The court heard that on December 4 the same year Margoli went to Matenda's workplace where they drank beer while in the office.
It is alleged that Margoli left the office, went to where the vehicle was parked and drove off after telling the security guard that he had been sent to buy more beer by Matenda.
As the accused was leaving, the security guard went to enquire with Matenda.
Matenda waited for Margoli to return until the close of business, it is alleged.
The State alleges that Margoli did not return with the vehicle.
He is alleged to have switched off his mobile phone.
The following day Matenda made a police report.
On December 19 last year Matenda got Margoli's address and was accompanied by some of his employees.
Upon their arrival, they identified the car and took it.
Source: The Herald
Magistrate Mr Morgan Nemadire issued Julius Magoli (36) with a warrant of arrest after he failed to turn up in court for his trial yesterday.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Razor alleges that on November 30 last year, Margoli went to Rocky Matenda's garage driving his S260 Mercedes Benz.
It is the State's case that Matenda had shown interest in the car before.
The two, the State alleges, made an agreement whereby Matenda was to give Margoli US$2 000.
He would also top up with an inferior model of a Mercedes Benz.
Matenda paid Magoli US$2 000 and Margoli left his Mercedes Benz on the pretext that Matenda would get the vehicle registration book after giving Margoli the other car.
The court heard that on December 4 the same year Margoli went to Matenda's workplace where they drank beer while in the office.
It is alleged that Margoli left the office, went to where the vehicle was parked and drove off after telling the security guard that he had been sent to buy more beer by Matenda.
As the accused was leaving, the security guard went to enquire with Matenda.
Matenda waited for Margoli to return until the close of business, it is alleged.
The State alleges that Margoli did not return with the vehicle.
He is alleged to have switched off his mobile phone.
The following day Matenda made a police report.
On December 19 last year Matenda got Margoli's address and was accompanied by some of his employees.
Upon their arrival, they identified the car and took it.
Source: The Herald
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Recklessness as bus, canter collide
An undisclosed number of people were injured when a Prisons' bus collided with a Mitsubishi Canter along Airport Road, near Quality Plaza recently. The driver of the Canter failed to give way to the oncoming bus during the morning rush hour. The accident blocked the road causing a traffic jam.
Accidents continue to claim many innocent souls on our roads and in most cases, human error is to blame. For how long shall we continue to watch our loved once perishing on the roads due to negligence. The time to act is now and now is the time.
Accidents continue to claim many innocent souls on our roads and in most cases, human error is to blame. For how long shall we continue to watch our loved once perishing on the roads due to negligence. The time to act is now and now is the time.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Of child abuse and fathers turning monsters
The hullabaloo caused by British Prime Minister David Cameroon’s remarks seems to be dying down while at the same time the message has been sent; a big NO to same sex marriages. But, though we were quick to dismiss Cameroon, calling him all sorts of names, I am reminded of a saying we used to tell those who always wanted freebies that ‘kitu cha bure duniani ni jua tu.’
This means that we can’t expect Britain and other countries to pump millions if not billions of US dollars or pounds to poor countries without them gaining something. At the end of the day, all aid comes with strings attached, whether visible or invisible. The sooner we learn that nothing is for free the better and easier we will understand Cameroon’s position.
Though as a nation we cannot be forced into having laws that are against our norms and values, it is high time we refrain from relying on aid. We are poor yes, but we should try all by means to stop extending our hands to receive every time. Even the Bible tells us that it is blessed to give than to receive.
Cameroon is right to say what he said because it is his country and they have no moral obligation to help any country in as much as we don’t have any moral obligation to change our laws. To call a spade, a spade, we should move away from aid because as long as we are still getting aid, we will always be told what to do.
Let it be a lesson to us to strive to be self reliant so that no one can try to recolonise us. This country is rich and if we could utilize our resources then we can go far. As we celebrate 50 years of independence, can we as a country look back and be proud of our achievements? It is a question that I ask you dear reader today.
I believe the issue of same sex marriages has been buried and is fast becoming water under the bridge. The choice is ours.
I have written about it before and by nature it should be a tired story but it seems as if the society is turning a blind eye to it. Children are now an endangered species and I wonder what kind of future generation we are preparing.
When reading through newspapers I came across this shocking story. It is a stranger than fiction story and I believe it qualifies to be turned into a script for a Bongo movie.
Two female strangers’ curiosity last week, led to the dramatic rescue of an eight-year-old girl who had been tied almost hanging from the roof crossbars by her mother. This was a punishment for allegedly stealing 500/-.
The women who were walking past the house around 2:30pm heard a feeble voice crying for help in a locked room. They called police officers to ascertain what the matter was with the crying child in a locked room. When the police officers broke the padlock, they found the child hanging on the bar in pain.
The child is also said to have been found with severe burns on her buttocks and hands which she said were inflicted on her by her mother after accusing her of failing to do house chores. The girl was taken to hospital for treatment.
It is a shame that such cases continue to happen and what pains most is the fact that the perpetrators are close relatives who in actual sense are supposed to protect the little ones. I have for a long time been writing about mothers who ill-treat their children. Some of them behave as if they were total strangers to their children and it’s a shame because motherly love is what has made what the society is today.
Many people are what they are now because of their mothers who gave them maximum love at a time where fathers maintained their distances. I know this trend might be fast changing, but it is a fact that many children are closer to their mothers than fathers as they are said to be having a softer heart.
The issue of having women ill-treating their own children was unheard of and men were the ones notorious for that. I know of families where children had to go to sleep every time their father either enters the room or arrives at home.
One of my readers highlighted to me that one of the stories, published recently on child abuse was one sided. It touched more on women abusing children while it was silent on the role of men on child abuse. Today, dear reader, the issue of men abusing children, not necessarily theirs is fast growing as well. Many children have their lives shattered and will have to live with the trauma of having been sexually abused.
I remember coming across a T-shirt written ‘acheni wawe ndege mayai hana mchuzi’. Loosely translated it means that people should wait for the bird’s eggs to hatch first and probably eat the bird later, as the eggs are too small to be cooked into a meaningful meal.
This statement advises men to leave these young girls and children to grow into adulthood rather than rushing to rape a small girl whose sexual organs are not even ready for that. It is a shame that things like this continue to happen and sexually abusing a child is tantamount to slapping him or her with a death sentence. The child will live to remember the abuse that will affect the rest of hi or her life.
Some men have turned into animals by sexually abusing children, what is shocking most is that some of them abuse young boys. I am not saying that only girls should be abused but, what I am alluding to is the point that they will be doing what the whole nation was up against, Sodomy. Daggers were drawn last week when the British PM suggested that we include it in our laws.
I don’t know why we are not complaining with the same intensity, when children are sodomised and at the same time little girls are raped. More should be done to protect these children so that they have a better tomorrow. Many stories of men raping or abusing children have been awash in our media and, although we know that the law usually take its course, the increase in these cases is worrying.
Let these children grow to become adults before you can think of touching them. When they grow up, they will be independent and wise enough to make their own decisions. The society should unite in fighting child abuse. Whether the abuser is the mother, father, relative or stranger to the child deterrent measures should be taken. Let’s get rid of child abusers and make this country a better place.
bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300
This means that we can’t expect Britain and other countries to pump millions if not billions of US dollars or pounds to poor countries without them gaining something. At the end of the day, all aid comes with strings attached, whether visible or invisible. The sooner we learn that nothing is for free the better and easier we will understand Cameroon’s position.
Though as a nation we cannot be forced into having laws that are against our norms and values, it is high time we refrain from relying on aid. We are poor yes, but we should try all by means to stop extending our hands to receive every time. Even the Bible tells us that it is blessed to give than to receive.
Cameroon is right to say what he said because it is his country and they have no moral obligation to help any country in as much as we don’t have any moral obligation to change our laws. To call a spade, a spade, we should move away from aid because as long as we are still getting aid, we will always be told what to do.
Let it be a lesson to us to strive to be self reliant so that no one can try to recolonise us. This country is rich and if we could utilize our resources then we can go far. As we celebrate 50 years of independence, can we as a country look back and be proud of our achievements? It is a question that I ask you dear reader today.
I believe the issue of same sex marriages has been buried and is fast becoming water under the bridge. The choice is ours.
I have written about it before and by nature it should be a tired story but it seems as if the society is turning a blind eye to it. Children are now an endangered species and I wonder what kind of future generation we are preparing.
When reading through newspapers I came across this shocking story. It is a stranger than fiction story and I believe it qualifies to be turned into a script for a Bongo movie.
Two female strangers’ curiosity last week, led to the dramatic rescue of an eight-year-old girl who had been tied almost hanging from the roof crossbars by her mother. This was a punishment for allegedly stealing 500/-.
The women who were walking past the house around 2:30pm heard a feeble voice crying for help in a locked room. They called police officers to ascertain what the matter was with the crying child in a locked room. When the police officers broke the padlock, they found the child hanging on the bar in pain.
The child is also said to have been found with severe burns on her buttocks and hands which she said were inflicted on her by her mother after accusing her of failing to do house chores. The girl was taken to hospital for treatment.
It is a shame that such cases continue to happen and what pains most is the fact that the perpetrators are close relatives who in actual sense are supposed to protect the little ones. I have for a long time been writing about mothers who ill-treat their children. Some of them behave as if they were total strangers to their children and it’s a shame because motherly love is what has made what the society is today.
Many people are what they are now because of their mothers who gave them maximum love at a time where fathers maintained their distances. I know this trend might be fast changing, but it is a fact that many children are closer to their mothers than fathers as they are said to be having a softer heart.
The issue of having women ill-treating their own children was unheard of and men were the ones notorious for that. I know of families where children had to go to sleep every time their father either enters the room or arrives at home.
One of my readers highlighted to me that one of the stories, published recently on child abuse was one sided. It touched more on women abusing children while it was silent on the role of men on child abuse. Today, dear reader, the issue of men abusing children, not necessarily theirs is fast growing as well. Many children have their lives shattered and will have to live with the trauma of having been sexually abused.
I remember coming across a T-shirt written ‘acheni wawe ndege mayai hana mchuzi’. Loosely translated it means that people should wait for the bird’s eggs to hatch first and probably eat the bird later, as the eggs are too small to be cooked into a meaningful meal.
This statement advises men to leave these young girls and children to grow into adulthood rather than rushing to rape a small girl whose sexual organs are not even ready for that. It is a shame that things like this continue to happen and sexually abusing a child is tantamount to slapping him or her with a death sentence. The child will live to remember the abuse that will affect the rest of hi or her life.
Some men have turned into animals by sexually abusing children, what is shocking most is that some of them abuse young boys. I am not saying that only girls should be abused but, what I am alluding to is the point that they will be doing what the whole nation was up against, Sodomy. Daggers were drawn last week when the British PM suggested that we include it in our laws.
I don’t know why we are not complaining with the same intensity, when children are sodomised and at the same time little girls are raped. More should be done to protect these children so that they have a better tomorrow. Many stories of men raping or abusing children have been awash in our media and, although we know that the law usually take its course, the increase in these cases is worrying.
Let these children grow to become adults before you can think of touching them. When they grow up, they will be independent and wise enough to make their own decisions. The society should unite in fighting child abuse. Whether the abuser is the mother, father, relative or stranger to the child deterrent measures should be taken. Let’s get rid of child abusers and make this country a better place.
bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Michael Jackson doctor found guilty of manslaughter
Los Angeles
Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray was hauled off to jail in handcuffs last night as he was found guilty of killing the star.
Grim-faced Murray (58), sat unblinking as the jury of seven men and five women returned a unanimous verdict on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
They decided after nine hours of deliberations and a six-week trial that he killed Jacko (50), with a massive dose of hospital anaesthetic propofol. The Jackson family were jubilant. Inside the Los Angeles courtroom the star's sister La Toya let out a yelp of "Yes!" as the verdict was read at 9.17pm. Outside, hundreds of banner-waving Jacko fans cheered and whooped in delight.
Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor refused bail and remanded Murray in custody for sentencing in three weeks. He faces up to four years.
The judge told him: "The public should be protected. This is a crime that ended in the death of a human being." The killer doctor, in smart grey pinstripe suit, was immediately surrounded by three uniformed officers who pulled his arms behind his back and cuffed him. His lawyer Ed Chernoff looked tearful as the verdict sunk in.
The Jackson family - dad Joe, mum Katherine, and siblings Randy, Jermaine, Rebbie and La Toya - were in court. Jermaine said: "Justice was served. Michael is with us."
La Toya (55), said she was "overjoyed", and added: "Thank you America. Thank all the fans. Thank you the prosecuting team. Michael loves everybody and we love him. He was in that courtroom and that's why victory was served."
It was believed Jacko's children Prince (14), Paris (13), and Blanket (9), were told not to watch the verdict on TV at home so their grandmother could break the news to them in person later. The court had heard how Murray administered the dangerous sedative in the singer's bedroom on June 25, 2009, before abandoning him. The doctor claimed Jacko injected the drug himself. As Murray was led out of the court he looked at his mother, who whispered: "I love you".
Guilty doctor Conrad Murray took £96 000 a month to care for Michael Jackson - but ended up killing him. He shamefully claimed the troubled "Thriller" star caused his own death by overdosing on a powerful anaesthetic.
But a jury saw through his lies - and decided Murray pumped the King of Pop with such a massive amount of propofol he was certain to die.
The 58-year-old physician - convicted last night of involuntary manslaughter - was so distracted by his tangled love life that he disgracefully neglected his duty of care to his world-famous patient.
On the morning of the tragedy, Murray gave 50-year-old Jacko a 100ml dose of propofol. That amount is only used in hospital to knock out patients before major surgery - and was FOUR TIMES the dose that Murray admitted administering. The lusting medic then left the singer alone to speak to THREE lovers.
Jurors at Murray's Los Angeles trial were told he spent 45 minutes on the phone to cocktail waitress Sade Anding (25), before he realised Jacko was in trouble and raised the alarm.
He had texted Spearmint Rhino stripper Michelle Bella earlier that morning - and took a call from another mistress, Bridgette Morgan, at around the same time. The playboy physician was living with Nicole Alvarez (29), mother of his young son, at the time.
Murray made three other calls as the lethal dose coursed through Jackson's body. He even messaged insurers to insist the star's health was fine. Prosecutor David Walgren told the court: "He left this vulnerable man, abandoned him, to fend for himself. It violates not only standards of care, but decency from one human being to another".
Murray, who had been treating Jackson for six weeks, was still on the phone to Sade when he found the singer slumped on his bed at his Holmby Hills home at 11.56am on June 25, 2009. As Jacko's children Prince and Paris looked on in horror, Murray yelled: "Does anyone know CPR?"
After cardiac resuscitation failed, the doctor rang the star's PA Michael Amir Williams at 12.12pm. Murray told him: "Get here right away - Mr Jackson had a bad reaction."
Astonishingly, Murray waited until 12.20pm - 24 minutes after he first found Jackson's body - before asking security guard Alberto Alvarez to call the 911 emergency number.
Paramedics arrived in six minutes but Jacko was already dead. Murray failed to tell the emergency crew he had given the star propofol. He also insisted he had only left Jackson "a minute".
Jacko was taken to the UCLA medical centre where he was officially declared dead at 2.26pm. LA Deputy District Attorney Mr Walgren revealed Jacko's body was full of drugs, including relaxant valium and the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.
An autopsy revealed traces of propofol in his heart, liver, stomach and even his EYEBALLS. Murray had ordered an extraordinary 155 000mg of the drug - just over four gallons - between April and June 2009.
The court heard a slurring Jacko on a recording found on Murray's iPhone. It was disturbing evidence of the singer's drug-addled state.
Good pal Kenny Ortega - co-director of Jacko's planned This Is It tour - testified to the star's "rambling and obsessing" manner in the days before he died. Bodyguard Alvarez's tearful evidence also painted a picture of Murray's blind panic in the moments after Jacko's death.
He described how he saw the doctor rip an intravenous tube from Jackson's leg and take a vial filled with a "milky white substance" from the bedroom. Prosecutors said Murray was trying to remove propofol from the scene. - The Sun.
Violence rock Liberia polls
Polling stations closed in Liberia, yesterday, after a presidential runoff in which incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is poised to win a second term after her closest rival boycotted the vote, citing fraud concerns.
"There were no incidents reported from the various polling places and all have already closed at 6pm (18GMT)," Joseph Yassiah, spokesman of the electoral commission, said on yesterday.
Yassiah said he could not yet comment on the voter turnout, but news agencies had reported earlier that the effect of the boycott by Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) was evident in the visibly reduced voter queues.
Some polling stations had no more than a dozen people waiting to cast their ballots.
Some polling stations closed before the published time on Tuesday evening, when it became clear that no more voters would show up.
At four polling stations in the West Point area of the capital, the turnout was devastatingly low - with only 83 ballots cast out of 383 registered voters at one, for example, representing just 21 percent voter turnout.
Human rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday called for an independent and impartial investigation into possible human rights abuses during the election period after several people died in clashes between police and opposition supporters in Monrovia.
"There were no incidents reported from the various polling places and all have already closed at 6pm (18GMT)," Joseph Yassiah, spokesman of the electoral commission, said on yesterday.
Yassiah said he could not yet comment on the voter turnout, but news agencies had reported earlier that the effect of the boycott by Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) was evident in the visibly reduced voter queues.
Some polling stations had no more than a dozen people waiting to cast their ballots.
Some polling stations closed before the published time on Tuesday evening, when it became clear that no more voters would show up.
At four polling stations in the West Point area of the capital, the turnout was devastatingly low - with only 83 ballots cast out of 383 registered voters at one, for example, representing just 21 percent voter turnout.
Human rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday called for an independent and impartial investigation into possible human rights abuses during the election period after several people died in clashes between police and opposition supporters in Monrovia.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Homosexuality: It’s better to remain hungry than eat a poisoned carrot
This world never ceases to amaze me. Strange happenings continue gripping this country and this might be signaling the end of the world. So many prophecies have been made concerning the end of the world and in as far as I know they were all false.
Basing on religious scriptures, many people have tried to calculate the end of the world but in vain. On top of the list is a Christian broadcaster, who incorrectly predicted that the world would end in May this year.
Harold Camping, 90, stated that Judgment Day would take place on May 21, when Jesus would return to Earth and the "righteous" would be taken up to Heaven. Despite the fact that May 21 came and went, the US evangelist went ahead and unleashed another shocker when he claimed that Friday, October 21, will be the actual Apocalypse.
Mr Camping, who runs Christian broadcast channel Family Radio, was reportedly "flabbergasted" when no one was "raptured" on that date. However, he maintains that "God accomplished exactly what he wanted to happen" and that a "spiritual judgment" had occurred in May to make way for the "physical destruction" in October.
But, despite all his predictions, nothing happened, we are over a month now since his prediction and we are still to witness the end of the world. Never mind these false prophets because the holy book points out that no one knows the day nor the hour. It goes on to say that even Jesus Himself does not know but only the Father.
The strange happenings, however, might be sending a warning that we are now living in the last days. I am not trying to intimidate you dear reader but just pointing out the realities of life. A certain traditional healer in Morogoro was last week sentenced to 10 years after she was found in possession of remains of human beings including a skull and human skin. When the news broke out, that a traditional healer had been arrested after being found in possession of the strange objects, it was not only a surprise but sent shocking waves within the community she resides.
There are so many questions that remain unanswered in as far as the body parts are concerned. The origin of the bones and the skin remain shrouded but shows how cunning witches are.
When growing up, I heard stories of witches who feed on people’s flesh but I could not believe it. The world of witchcraft is said to be complex and I remember being told that witches have the power to travel long distances during the night using strange objects as their transport. They are also said to have the powers to open graves and eat the remains of our loved one we would have buried in the cemetery.
These witches are also said to possess the power to enter into people’s houses without them being noticed. And, something that can be closer and might provide answers to the Morogoro incident is that the witches are said to have the power to take the body of the dead before it is buried and replace it with a log.
It is said that the ordinary eye will never see the changes and will go ahead and bury the log because in the actual sense they will be seeing their relative. This means that after taking the body, they will go and eat freely; enough about witches.
A strange child was born at Olturumet hospital in Arumeru District, Arusha Region leaving the medical profession gasping for answers. In most cases when such a child is born, we always blame witches for it. And, as expected, all the relatives who had accompanied the mother to hospital deserted her soon after the child was born saying it was an abomination.
The strange child is said to have four male sexual organs and two anuses. While one of the anuses is located at the right position, the other one is said to be at the back, just below the shoulders. The medical personnel are said to be examining the child to determine if there is anything that could be done to save the child; strange indeed.
Another shocking incident happened recently in Dar es Salaam, when a man died while washing cars in Urafiki Kilimani area, Kinondoni District. He is said to have collapsed while working and died on the spot. Investigations are said to be going on.
These are some of the strange things that have been gripping this country in the past week or so. And, as if this was not enough, another bombshell came straight from Britain, where the prime minister there hinted that his country will consider cutting aid to those countries that don’t endorse gay marriages.
Homosexuality, lesbianism, same sex marriages, ushoga or what ever name it might be called is a social disorder that people like Cameroon should think first before trying to use their financial acumen to impose upon countries with weaker economies. Same sex marriages are not only a taboo in Africa but also brings with them serious reproaches from the community.
We all know that in Uganda, there was a controversial bill that advocated death sentences on all those found to be gay. In Malawi, a gay couple that had married was thrown into jail before being relegated to the scam of the society. Many African countries have made it crystal clear that gay marriages are not acceptable.
And, of late, many countries did not take Cameroon’s statements lightly and have made it clear that its better they remain poor than be forced to adopt something that is against their beliefs. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Tanzania just but to mention a few denounced the practice.
Speaking to Journalists during a news conference said; “Our position on this matter is crystal clear. Our moral values and culture will always prevail even if we remain poor. We understand the issue is UK’s Conservative Party policy but we will not bow down to their pressure,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bernard Membe.
Same sex marriages are a shame and I believe it is only the religionless people who advocate them. This is because all the religions I know, be it Christianity, Muslim and even African traditional religion don’t approve the same sex thing. We can’t allow people to impose their religionless practices on us simply because they are dangling a carrot in the name of aid. It is better we remain hungry than to eat a poisoned carrot.
If Cameroon decides to cut aid because of that then that’s it. We are a sovereign country and us being poor does not mean that the rich will have to detect how we run our own affairs. Homosexuality is a disease that is worse than the dreaded HIV/AIDS and it should not be given room to spread.
In the Bible God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah using fire because of this and accepting it now is tantamount to turning our country into a Sodom and Gomorrah. I commend our leaders for standing firm for the sake of their followers. Homosexuality has no place in this country and Cameroon together with his fellow gays should know that. They either respect us, our culture, norms and values or they stay with their aid.
bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300
Basing on religious scriptures, many people have tried to calculate the end of the world but in vain. On top of the list is a Christian broadcaster, who incorrectly predicted that the world would end in May this year.
Harold Camping, 90, stated that Judgment Day would take place on May 21, when Jesus would return to Earth and the "righteous" would be taken up to Heaven. Despite the fact that May 21 came and went, the US evangelist went ahead and unleashed another shocker when he claimed that Friday, October 21, will be the actual Apocalypse.
Mr Camping, who runs Christian broadcast channel Family Radio, was reportedly "flabbergasted" when no one was "raptured" on that date. However, he maintains that "God accomplished exactly what he wanted to happen" and that a "spiritual judgment" had occurred in May to make way for the "physical destruction" in October.
But, despite all his predictions, nothing happened, we are over a month now since his prediction and we are still to witness the end of the world. Never mind these false prophets because the holy book points out that no one knows the day nor the hour. It goes on to say that even Jesus Himself does not know but only the Father.
The strange happenings, however, might be sending a warning that we are now living in the last days. I am not trying to intimidate you dear reader but just pointing out the realities of life. A certain traditional healer in Morogoro was last week sentenced to 10 years after she was found in possession of remains of human beings including a skull and human skin. When the news broke out, that a traditional healer had been arrested after being found in possession of the strange objects, it was not only a surprise but sent shocking waves within the community she resides.
There are so many questions that remain unanswered in as far as the body parts are concerned. The origin of the bones and the skin remain shrouded but shows how cunning witches are.
When growing up, I heard stories of witches who feed on people’s flesh but I could not believe it. The world of witchcraft is said to be complex and I remember being told that witches have the power to travel long distances during the night using strange objects as their transport. They are also said to have the powers to open graves and eat the remains of our loved one we would have buried in the cemetery.
These witches are also said to possess the power to enter into people’s houses without them being noticed. And, something that can be closer and might provide answers to the Morogoro incident is that the witches are said to have the power to take the body of the dead before it is buried and replace it with a log.
It is said that the ordinary eye will never see the changes and will go ahead and bury the log because in the actual sense they will be seeing their relative. This means that after taking the body, they will go and eat freely; enough about witches.
A strange child was born at Olturumet hospital in Arumeru District, Arusha Region leaving the medical profession gasping for answers. In most cases when such a child is born, we always blame witches for it. And, as expected, all the relatives who had accompanied the mother to hospital deserted her soon after the child was born saying it was an abomination.
The strange child is said to have four male sexual organs and two anuses. While one of the anuses is located at the right position, the other one is said to be at the back, just below the shoulders. The medical personnel are said to be examining the child to determine if there is anything that could be done to save the child; strange indeed.
Another shocking incident happened recently in Dar es Salaam, when a man died while washing cars in Urafiki Kilimani area, Kinondoni District. He is said to have collapsed while working and died on the spot. Investigations are said to be going on.
These are some of the strange things that have been gripping this country in the past week or so. And, as if this was not enough, another bombshell came straight from Britain, where the prime minister there hinted that his country will consider cutting aid to those countries that don’t endorse gay marriages.
Homosexuality, lesbianism, same sex marriages, ushoga or what ever name it might be called is a social disorder that people like Cameroon should think first before trying to use their financial acumen to impose upon countries with weaker economies. Same sex marriages are not only a taboo in Africa but also brings with them serious reproaches from the community.
We all know that in Uganda, there was a controversial bill that advocated death sentences on all those found to be gay. In Malawi, a gay couple that had married was thrown into jail before being relegated to the scam of the society. Many African countries have made it crystal clear that gay marriages are not acceptable.
And, of late, many countries did not take Cameroon’s statements lightly and have made it clear that its better they remain poor than be forced to adopt something that is against their beliefs. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Tanzania just but to mention a few denounced the practice.
Speaking to Journalists during a news conference said; “Our position on this matter is crystal clear. Our moral values and culture will always prevail even if we remain poor. We understand the issue is UK’s Conservative Party policy but we will not bow down to their pressure,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bernard Membe.
Same sex marriages are a shame and I believe it is only the religionless people who advocate them. This is because all the religions I know, be it Christianity, Muslim and even African traditional religion don’t approve the same sex thing. We can’t allow people to impose their religionless practices on us simply because they are dangling a carrot in the name of aid. It is better we remain hungry than to eat a poisoned carrot.
If Cameroon decides to cut aid because of that then that’s it. We are a sovereign country and us being poor does not mean that the rich will have to detect how we run our own affairs. Homosexuality is a disease that is worse than the dreaded HIV/AIDS and it should not be given room to spread.
In the Bible God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah using fire because of this and accepting it now is tantamount to turning our country into a Sodom and Gomorrah. I commend our leaders for standing firm for the sake of their followers. Homosexuality has no place in this country and Cameroon together with his fellow gays should know that. They either respect us, our culture, norms and values or they stay with their aid.
bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300
Friday, November 4, 2011
Engaged couple discover they are brother and sister when their parents meet just before wedding
An engaged couple who dated for five years have been left in turmoil after their families met and they discovered they were brother and sister.
The woman, who is due to give birth next month, is devastated by the discovery that the father of her child is her brother.
The couple, who met at university, had decided they wanted to introduce their single parent families to each other before they got married.
My fiance is my brother: The unnamed couple had been together five years before they discovered, days before their wedding, they were siblings
Bombshell: The unnamed couple had been together for five years before they discovered, just before their wedding, that they are siblings
But at the meeting it emerged they were brother and sister who had been separated as small children.
The unnamed South African couple are still in shock after making the discovery last Saturday.
The country's Sowetan newspaper reported that the siblings had been raised separately after their mother and father went through an acrimonious divorce.
It reported: 'Their parents separated when the woman was eight months old and the man was two years old.
'The man's father said he dumped his wife in 1983 because she was cheating on him. The girl was raised by her mother, while her brother was raised by his father.
'Neither of them knew they had a sibling.'
The Sowetan reported that the children grew up separately with their single parents near the towns of Nelspruit and Bushbuckbridge, which lie 50 miles apart in South Africa's eastern Mpumalanga province.
They reportedly met again at university in 2007 and fell in love.
Their two families did not meet throughout their five-year relationship, until they were brought together last week to discuss wedding arrangements.
In many African cultures it is traditional for the family of a male partner to pay a lobola, or 'bride price', to that of his fiancée.
In doing so, the two families normally arrange a summit at which they are formally introduced and able to conduct the negotiations.
But the couple's plans were derailed when their parents came face to face and revealed their bombshell.
The woman told the Sowetan she was devastated by the revelation.
She said: 'It was love at first sight. We were studying together at Tshwane University of Technology in Nelspruit.
'When I first saw him, we connected. We fell in love and since that day, we never looked back.
'All we wanted to do was just to have a family and many kids.
'So you can imagine how shocked we were when they broke the news. We are going to have a child together. We do not know what we will tell him when he grows up.'
The couple said they had decided to split after hearing the news and were discussing how to handle the shock with their separated parents.
The man added: 'We can't think straight at the moment and will just take everything one step at a time.'
Incest remains one of society's last taboos and is an unthinkable concept to most people.
Yet research by the British Medical Journal showed that half of those separated from relatives at a young age experience strong sexual feelings when they are reunited.
Psychiatrists believe the natural repulsion brothers and sisters feel growing up together as children acts as an inhibitor to incest.
But those who miss out on this time can develop powerful, obsessive feelings for their sibling in adulthood.
The woman, who is due to give birth next month, is devastated by the discovery that the father of her child is her brother.
The couple, who met at university, had decided they wanted to introduce their single parent families to each other before they got married.
My fiance is my brother: The unnamed couple had been together five years before they discovered, days before their wedding, they were siblings
Bombshell: The unnamed couple had been together for five years before they discovered, just before their wedding, that they are siblings
But at the meeting it emerged they were brother and sister who had been separated as small children.
The unnamed South African couple are still in shock after making the discovery last Saturday.
The country's Sowetan newspaper reported that the siblings had been raised separately after their mother and father went through an acrimonious divorce.
It reported: 'Their parents separated when the woman was eight months old and the man was two years old.
'The man's father said he dumped his wife in 1983 because she was cheating on him. The girl was raised by her mother, while her brother was raised by his father.
'Neither of them knew they had a sibling.'
The Sowetan reported that the children grew up separately with their single parents near the towns of Nelspruit and Bushbuckbridge, which lie 50 miles apart in South Africa's eastern Mpumalanga province.
They reportedly met again at university in 2007 and fell in love.
Their two families did not meet throughout their five-year relationship, until they were brought together last week to discuss wedding arrangements.
In many African cultures it is traditional for the family of a male partner to pay a lobola, or 'bride price', to that of his fiancée.
In doing so, the two families normally arrange a summit at which they are formally introduced and able to conduct the negotiations.
But the couple's plans were derailed when their parents came face to face and revealed their bombshell.
The woman told the Sowetan she was devastated by the revelation.
She said: 'It was love at first sight. We were studying together at Tshwane University of Technology in Nelspruit.
'When I first saw him, we connected. We fell in love and since that day, we never looked back.
'All we wanted to do was just to have a family and many kids.
'So you can imagine how shocked we were when they broke the news. We are going to have a child together. We do not know what we will tell him when he grows up.'
The couple said they had decided to split after hearing the news and were discussing how to handle the shock with their separated parents.
The man added: 'We can't think straight at the moment and will just take everything one step at a time.'
Incest remains one of society's last taboos and is an unthinkable concept to most people.
Yet research by the British Medical Journal showed that half of those separated from relatives at a young age experience strong sexual feelings when they are reunited.
Psychiatrists believe the natural repulsion brothers and sisters feel growing up together as children acts as an inhibitor to incest.
But those who miss out on this time can develop powerful, obsessive feelings for their sibling in adulthood.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
1-month-old baby on Nigerian payroll
KANO
A 1-month-old baby, said to hold a diploma, was on the Nigerian government payroll, officials have discovered, exposing the levels to which corruption runs in Africa's most populous country.
The name of the infant was recently found on the payment voucher of a local government council in northern Nigeria during an exercise to fish out ghost employees from a bloated workforce, Garba Gajam, justice commissioner for Zamfara State told AFP late on Wednesday.
"In the on-going verification exercise of the payrolls ... in the state we discovered that a month-old baby was among the employees of one local government who is paid a salary," Gajam said.
"What is even more astonishing is that it was indicated in the payroll that the infant holds an ordinary national diploma," said Gajam, revealing that the discovery is a "widespread trend in the local government service where senior officials stuff payrolls with the names of their wives and children".
In August the name of a 5-month-old baby was found on the payroll of another local municipality, prompting an investigation.
"And we have been receiving amazing revelations which point to the rot and abysmal level of corruption at the local government level," Gajam said.
Perpetrators will have to refund the siphoned funds and face prosecution for misappropriating public funds.
Zamfara is one of the 12 predominantly Muslim states in northern Nigeria that adopted the sharia law which imposes amputation of a wrist for theft.
So far no-one has been tried for corruption in a sharia court in the state since the re-introduction of the penal code in 1999.
In 2001, two cattle rustlers had their right wrists amputated in separate sentences, drawing local and international outrage.
Source: News24
A 1-month-old baby, said to hold a diploma, was on the Nigerian government payroll, officials have discovered, exposing the levels to which corruption runs in Africa's most populous country.
The name of the infant was recently found on the payment voucher of a local government council in northern Nigeria during an exercise to fish out ghost employees from a bloated workforce, Garba Gajam, justice commissioner for Zamfara State told AFP late on Wednesday.
"In the on-going verification exercise of the payrolls ... in the state we discovered that a month-old baby was among the employees of one local government who is paid a salary," Gajam said.
"What is even more astonishing is that it was indicated in the payroll that the infant holds an ordinary national diploma," said Gajam, revealing that the discovery is a "widespread trend in the local government service where senior officials stuff payrolls with the names of their wives and children".
In August the name of a 5-month-old baby was found on the payroll of another local municipality, prompting an investigation.
"And we have been receiving amazing revelations which point to the rot and abysmal level of corruption at the local government level," Gajam said.
Perpetrators will have to refund the siphoned funds and face prosecution for misappropriating public funds.
Zamfara is one of the 12 predominantly Muslim states in northern Nigeria that adopted the sharia law which imposes amputation of a wrist for theft.
So far no-one has been tried for corruption in a sharia court in the state since the re-introduction of the penal code in 1999.
In 2001, two cattle rustlers had their right wrists amputated in separate sentences, drawing local and international outrage.
Source: News24
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