GOVERNMENT has urged the law enforcement agencies to carry out investigations to establish whether the oil tender awarded to two foreign firms to supply and deliver petroleum was done in a corrupt manner.
The reaction comes in view of newly elected MMD party president Nevers Mumba who said during his inauguration ceremony on Friday that the MMD had information on how the tenders had been corruptly awarded.
Dr Mumba said at Mulungushi International Conference Centre that the Gunvor and Trafigula oil scandal would soon bring the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to its knees.
“This oil saga will soon surface and we advise the Minister of Energy to ignore any political interference in this deal and reverse the unfortunate development.
“This singular act will result in the Zambian tax payer loosing US$43 million per year without adding the subsidy on pump price,” Dr Mumba said then.
Two foreign firms Guvnor Company and Trafigula Oil Company were last week picked by the Government as preferred bidders for supply and delivery of petroleum feed stock and two varieties of finished products.
On May 24, this year, the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) allowed the Mines, Energy and Water Development Ministry to start negotiations with preferred bidders following a long evaluation process.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry George Zulu said the Anti-Corruption Commission and other law investigative wings should probe any suspected corrupt deals in the oil tender as alleged by Dr Mumba.
He said contrary to Dr Mumba’s allegations, the oil tender procedure involved many stakeholders among others ZPPA, Energy Regulation Board and Indeni who carefully deliberated on the tenders.
Mr Zulu wondered how his ministry politically influenced the tenders when many key issues such as oil pricing and security of selected bidders were checked before any awards.
“The PF Government is fighting corruption in all angles. The oil tender is a purely government and public matter which was done transparently without being influenced by any political motive.
“There were 23 applicants (bidders) altogether but only two oil firms were successfully recognised. This process involved experts who don’t just advise by word of mouth but by putting things in writing and advised us before we arrived at any decision,” he said.
Mr Zulu said ACC and other law enforcement agencies should take keen interest and investigate such alarming allegations from some politicians who wanted to mislead Zambians.
“By acting in best of our country, I am prepared to die for this because no politics from PF, UPND or MMD influenced any officer on this oil tender. I am fully responsible as a controlling officer of what was done because the process was purely transparent,” he said.
He said Trafigula Oil Company which runs Puma Filling stations in Zambia was brought in by the previous MMD regime and the opposition party was aware about the company’s operations.
He said President Michael Sata should not be associated with corrupt transactions because the Government was working diligently to cleanse perceived corrupt practices in the country.
He said the PF Government reinstated ACC bill on abuse of authority of office which was removed by MMD so that the PF could be answerable to Zambians on corrupt transactions hence President Sata’s fight against the vice.
Gunvor Company was selected to supply and deliver 1.4 million tonnes of crude petroleum feedstock while Trafigula Oil Company would supply the 216,920,000 litres of diesel and 21,230,000 litres of unleaded petrol.
Mr Zulu urged the media to continue being a watchdog of members of the public and report objectively to inform and educate them on issues of public concerns.
Dr Mumba you are they for us tell them
Every bidder had oiled some hand somewhere. Just drop ’em o!
Looks like Nevers is checking and balancing ka.
What happened in the previous security scrutiny which cleared these companies?…If there was corruption then the security chaps are either incompetent or they were also bought!
@ #4 CASSAVA REPUBLIC – You are bang on my money! In the interest of transparency, let the government release the previous security scrutiny reports, so that we know if the probe they are asking for this time will make any diference and what that difference is. The truth is that this government is the most useless since independence, are clueless and EVEN WORSE, THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO LIE !!! That is just how dull they are… I thought even fools can be wise, but NO — not in this government, they are so incompetent they can’t even lie intelligently.!! It would therefore do them some good if they just say the truth every time, including when they are lying!!
Investigate the envestigating wings which cleared the deal…..then investigate those who cleared the investigators….then….
checks en balances???keep ur eyes open zed we will one day have a clear zed it getting more democratic kaa!!
Government must develop habit of publishing information of public concern in a timely manner. If transparency is only known by few people, then there is no transparency. We don’t need to start shouting before we are told.
What is corruption anyway?Depositing GRZ money in your personal account for three months is that not corruption? Infact the late Chiluba did a reverse cycle by using GRZ account for his personal use, what is the difference?
Hahaha naikosa ba PF every move you make people blows a whistle, it is now very hard for anyone to steal or do some corrupt practices coz eyes are open now..Just work in good faith and clean hands guys
ok?
IT APPEARS NO ONE WANTS TO HANDLE THE BULL BY ITS HORNS. THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE. NO WONDER THERE WERE DELAYS TO AWARD THE TENDER SO THAT AS TO CREATE PANIC AND THATS FERTILE GROUND FOR UNDER HAND METHODS. NO ONE IS TELING THE TRUTH.
arrest them soon..
my argument with all these whistle blowers (Nevers/Watchdog/UPND) if there is corruption and U have hard evidence (facts) put it forward names, amount, dates etc facts speak for themselves!!! can we quit speculating and just suggesting the true will come out soon WHEN?? provide the proof now name and same them! Its not enough to ask GRZ reverse the transaction we need to weed out these corrupt elements and jail them or else they will just find another way to rape us!
Dr Nevers as a child of God you should learn to speak the truth you will soon be exposed .
PF just do your work rather than react to hotheads like Nevers. He collected lots of tithe and failed to build a church in Kitwe. George if your hand are found to be clean sue the chap for slander.
Let the ant corruption investigate this issue, should they find nothing, let this boy called Nevers be prosecuted for alarming the country without prove.
People should be made to pay for telling lies about government activities. To be a politician does not mean peddling lies. Politicians should be people with good moral, there should be no malice in them.
We want a Commission of Inquiry.
Where are people like The Coachez who were suggesting that those who were supportive of UPND’s Mweetwa’s assertion that this was the worst Govt, were marely portaging their hatred for Sata.
PS Zulu, which security agencies, the same compromised Police, DEC, ACC that cleared the deals in the first place and need their jobs? Come on PS, we were not born yesterday. Maybe try the “independent” Malawian security services! kikikikiki
elo yakosa nomba…. Infact we are expecting the pump price to come down since your loud mouths yapped that our pump prices are high due to RB and his Sons involvement in fuel procurements and if it remains the same then as usual ninshi nimwe mulelyamo… A word of caution though to the powers that be; George ‘Kanyamula’ Zulu (PS) needs to be watched or else MMD will have a field day on fuel procurements remember the tender to transport fuel to Malawi? Who single sourced Karen Motors? Even this scam I have no doubt its his Making watch this space….
Ba Nevers please bring facts when u doing your checks and balances dont just speculate or bring allegation, such issues are very sensitive to zambian public and can turnish zambian name internationally. Lets protect our country by talking the truth not jst politicking propagandas.
The trouble is the pastor has never enganged even in a simple business transaction like buying a house for himself. He is homeless’- Trafigul a is a reputable oil company with branches in nearly all SADC COUNTRIES like SA. Before we engage anyone in a business transaction we ask for his CV or busisess profile complete with references.
PF government is a total failure we do not need to wait for 5 years before booting these guys out. It is evident that they do not have a road map or plan for developing the country. Time for talk is over start delivering.
This govt is attractive to corruption. How can someone even say there was no political interference when the likes of Willie Sanda were part of the Committee evaluating these tenders. Such is a sign that PF has influence on the matter. What happened to Deputy Minister under defence? He only lost his position as a result of reporting suspected corruption to the chief who is allergic to such reports and not the acts as most of these are small.
Nevers at it again! Provide facts and stop speculating. You were voted to head the doomed party intelligently but as usual you have started peddling lies! These are the same companies that supplied the “juice” under MMD reign and where were you? Why didn’t you cry foul at that time? Elyo ku canada tamwalelomba indalama kuma bosses? With internet you will never escape? If you have nothing to say limo limo it’s better ukwala tondolo like your friend Felix!
How I wish people were not anornimous on this blog! Some people are coming up with brilliant ideas and comments but they hide their names into something which is not even a nickname. But why the fear to state your name and say what you truly mean to say? Who do they fear? I wish they were like me who don’t fear anybody, anybody because anyone is just a simple soul that will live on this earth for a limited period of time, if lucky 80 years or there about and if unlucky way below that. Why do we fear people knowing us the way we are. So fear God so much that they shrink, but God is their father who has given them anything they are and do. So stop fearing God but trust God. Now if you stop fearing God who else should you fear. Let us know you its a good thing to be known.
The minister has said too much. Is he afraid of something?