| Bola Tinubu: Nigeria President elect |
The president-elect, Bola Tinubu emerged through a highly contested presidential election and he is expected to be sworn in as the 16th president of Nigeria.
The former Lagos State governor emerged despite several polls by different organizations that wrote him off. Also, the naira redesigning policy almost torpedoed his presidential ambition at the last minute but barring any court pronouncement, he will be sworn in as president on 29 May.
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| Chakwera (right shaking hands): In Qatar |
Upon arrival yesterday, the Malawi leader was welcomed by Malawi Envoy to the State of Qatar Roy Kachale, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo, Minister of Natural resources, Dr Michael Usi and Minister of Trade and Industry, Simplex Chithyola as well as State of Qatar officials.
Chakwera will attend the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Development Countries Conference in his capacity as Global Chairperson for the grouping.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo said the President is expected to participate in a number of high-level meetings scheduled to take place at the Qatar National Convention Centre from March 4 to 9.
She said the President has been the Chair for the organ and that this conference would mark the conclusion of Malawi’s Chairmanship of the grouping hence the need to participate.
‘’This is not the time for speeches but action, it is a great opportunity for Malawi after three year term to discuss progress made in all the eight priority areas as well as the six focus areas of the Doha Programme of Action,’’ Tembo added.
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Sam Kawale
Civil society organisations (CSOs) have asked government and Members of Parliament to consider an overhaul of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) amid challenges that marred the programme in the 2022-23 farming season.
In a statement reacting to President Lazarus Chakwera’s State of the Nation Address and the 2023-24 National Budget presented by the Minister of Finance on Thursday, the CSOs — Oxfam Malawi, Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn), Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen), and Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet) — want Parliament to discuss this matter.
“Oxfam and partners recommend through the clusters that the 2023-2024 national budget supports an overhaul of the programme,” reads the statement.
They recommend capacitating and using cooperatives with smallholder purchasing power, and fully supporting and investing in the mega farms initiative.
They say these farms have the potential to become the game changer to food security, commercial farming and growth of the country’s agro-based economy.
Further, the CSOs are calling for a national budget that is revolutionary and departs from the norm of business as usual.
“Oxfam and partners expect that the budget balances consumption and development on one hand and adequately supports the fight against corruption and pilferage.
“We, therefore, appeal that the 2023-2024 national budget should demonstrate the drive to embark on a journey to transformation. Thus, Oxfam and partners recommend a budget that demonstrates a mission to fight inequality and to end poverty and injustice,” it reads.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee Sameer Suleiman said the 2022-23 AIP was the worst in the history of the farm input subsidy programmes.
“We have been saying for a long time that AIP needs an overhaul; better yet abolishment. It certainly does not achieve its intended purpose. If it is not network challenges it is fraud involved and this year was just the worst as from the onset, money meant for the programme was misappropriated.
“So I agree with those sentiments. We have time to plan until the next farming season. Such mistakes should not keep happening in a programme that is planned for and even budgeted for,” he said.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said plans are already in the pipeline to overhaul AIP.
“They [MP’s] can do that but we [government] have already made plans to overhaul it. We will hear what they will say. This coming season will be different,” he said.
On Thursday Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe presented a K3.87 trillion budget titled ‘Sacrificing Today for a Better Tomorrow: Regaining Macroeconomic Stability and Growth through Collective Responsibility for Our Shared Future’.
The agriculture sector has been allocated K455.1 billion meant for wages and salaries, AIP and other projects.
The AIP has been allocated K117 billion.
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| Gwengwe: Match into August House |
The 2023/24 national budget is pegged at K3.87 trillion, the finance minister said.
He says overall deficit is seen at K1.32 trillion.
To address the deficit, government will borrow K1.19 trillion from the domestic front and the rest will be foreign borrowing.
Gwengwe has announced an 8 percent salary increment and introduction of a transport allowance for civil servants.
Government has also doubled the honorarium of all chiefs under the payroll.
Paramount chiefs will be allowed to import at least one vehicle duty-free.
Government has set aside K8.9 billion for recruitment of primary school teachers.
Interest repayment on government debt is seen at K986 billion.
The Education and Skills Development Sector has been allocated K603.36 billion. According to Gwengwe, government plans to start constructing six schools of excellence in the financial year.
The Agricultural Sector has been allocated K455.1 billion meant for wages and salaries, AIP and other projects. K117 billion has been allocated towards AIP.
Government has allocated K330.18 billion to the Health Sector. The funds will cater for, among others, construction of Cancer Centre and 55 health posts.
Energy, Industry and Tourism has K51.83 billion for wages and salaries as well as energy projects like Mpatamanga Hydro Electric Power Project.
Ministry of Trade has been allocated K1 billion to coordinate anti-smuggling efforts.
Government has allocated resources towards mineral laboratories to ensure that testing of minerals is done in Malawi.
K488 billion has been allocated towards local councils. The funds will go towards recurrent and development budgets.
The funds include K19.3 billion for Constituency Development Fund.
Government has also moved to encourage production of electric vehicles by incentivising importation of materials used for production of electric vehicles in Malawi.
It has also removed taxes on the importation of electric motor vehicles and electrical vehicle charging equipment.
Attendance of both parliamentarians and other stakeholders was not impressive, with many seats, especially on the opposition side and galleries for other stakeholders, vacant.
Among those from the diplomatic community that were in attendance were the European Union Ambassador Rune Skinnebach, Japanese Head of Economic Cooperation Shima Naoyuki and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malawi Rebecca Adda-Dontoh.
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| Kampondeni |
Kampondeni has made the announcement this afternoon during the Quarterly State House Brief which he hosted art Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Addressing the media towards the end of the briefing, Kampondeni said today’s briefing is his last as the Director of Communications as the President will soon appoint a new Director of Communications at State House.
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| RV. Muthali |
Munthali on March 1, 2023, resigned as MCP national publicity and Chakwera’s advisor on unity.
MCP observes that Munthali’s evidence will help Tonse government fight corruption.
In a press statement dated March 2, 2023, signed by MCP Acting National Publicity Secretary, Ezekiel Ching’oma states that Munthali should bring evidence of alleged corruption which he indicated in his resignation letter.
Ng’oma said MCP as democratic political entity upholds freedom of expression and impliedly dissociation.
“We refer to Rev Munthali’s resignation letter dated 1st March 2023, which we have seen on social media. As the Malawi Congress Party, we are deeply saddened to hear that Rev. Maurice Munthali has resigned from his position as the National Publicity Secretary for the Party as well as Presidential Advisor on Peace, Reconciliation and National Unity. Rev. Munthali has been an asset to our team, and we are grateful for the contributions he has made over the years.
“In his two separate letters of resignation, Rev Munthali cites governance challenges and alleged corruption as a basis for his resignation,” reads MCP statement.
Added, “As per His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s commitment to the fight against corruption, we urge Rev Munthali to bring forward any evidence of alleged corruption to relevant institutions to help fight the vice. As a democratic institution, MCP upholds freedom of association (and impliedly dissociation).
“The party would like to thank Rev. Munthali for his service in both capacities as National Publicity Secretary and Presidential Advisor and wish him success in his future endeavors”.
Munthali is yet to comment again on MCP reaction on his resignation and corruption allegation.Political analysts have described the resignation of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) publicity secretary Maurice Munthali from the position and that of presidential adviser as a sign that the country’s leadership is failing to fight corruption.
In an interview Wednesday, MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka said, as presidential adviser, Munthali was supposed to play his part in advising President Lazarus Chakwera on the issues he has raised.
In giving up his position as Chakwera’s adviser on national unity, peace and reconciliation, Munthali said persistent reports of corruption and related scandals had pushed him to the decision.
“Despite the great gains we have made so far against some external forces beyond our control, I personally feel that, as a government, we have not provided the type of leadership and/or direction that would meet the hopes of Malawians for better life in the foreseeable future,” Munthali’s letter, addressed to Secretary to the President and Cabinet, reads.
In another letter, on his resignation as MCP spokesperson, Munthali cited similar reasons.
He claims that the prevailing circumstances do not sit well with his divine calling as “a man of faith” and the intentions he had when accepting the roles.
While confirming that he had resigned, Munthali refused to comment further on the matter.
George Phiri: Political Analyst
However political analyst George Phiri has said the resignation depicts how Munthali perceives the future of the party and the Tonse Alliance administration, “which has recently been involved in alleged corruption at political and national levels”.
“The fight against corruption has been debated in all forums in the country but it seems authorities do not fully accept that we have a problem.
“Munthali is not the first person to resign. This means that the Tonse Alliance administration has failed to lead the country in fighting corruption,” Phiri said.
Political communication lecturer at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Chimwemwe Tsitsi, said Munthali’s resignation should act as a wake-up call for MCP and the alliance to honestly gauge what is there on the ground.
Tsitsi urged the party and Chakwera to find ways of addressing the challenges that are forcing some people out of the alliance.
“The leadership should do some research, evaluate style and see what new measures they can take to regain the confidence of Malawians and people that are resigning,” he said.
However, Mkaka said he had not received Munthali’s letter.
He was quick to say MCP’s constitution guarantees freedom of association.
“If it is true that he has resigned, then he had all the reasons to change things using his position,” Mkaka said.
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| Daudi Chikwanje |
Member of Parliament for Machinga Central East Daudi Chikwanje wants Government to increase the honoraria which chiefs receive.
The MP made the remarks in Parliament when he was responding to the State of the Nation Address which was presented by President Lazarus Chakwera in parliament.
Chikwanje said after the devaluation of Kwacha Chiefs are struggling to sustain their families with the honoraria, they receive which is too little.
“In fact, I was emphasizing on the depreciation of Kwacha. People are struggling to sustain their families more especially the Chiefs, they are unable to sustain their families for a month. For example, a Senior chief is getting K30,000 per month which is very little for them to sustain their families and I thought it wise that I should ask the President to consider increasing the Honorarium of Chiefs in this year’s budget,” said Chikwanje.
According to Chikwanje, the Chiefs are doing quite a lot in the communities in terms of development, and they are the ones who go to councils to make follow-ups on development projects.
“So, these Chiefs, despite their hard work in our communities, are facing a lot of challenges most of them are failing to even buy a bicycle and other resources for their families,” he said.
He added that chiefs also get their honoraria through banks, and this means that they spend money in order to access their honoraria.
“Most of our chiefs stay in very remote areas and so for them to access their honoraria in banks it is very difficult. Banks are very far away, and they spend more money just for transport and with the little money they get, they spend all the honoraria for transport which is not good. So, Government should consider increasing their honoraria,” explained Chikwanje.
On Tuesday, President Lazarus Chakwera told Parliament that his government will look into the issue of chiefs’ honoraria.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs is expected to present the 2023/2024 budget statement today in Parliament.
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| Chakwera: Taking on questions |
Chakwera started by poking fun at Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa for apparently failing to keep track of current affairs in his response to the State of the Nation Address (Sona).
In his response to the Sona, Nankhumwa demanded details on what the President was doing to arrest the scourge of cholera in the country.
Commenting on Nankhumwa’s response, Chakwera said authorities have done a lot, including launching the Tithetse Cholera Campaign.
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| Chakwera meets Chizuma |
Other participants included Minister of Justice Hon. Titus Mvalo, the Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Masauko Chamkakala.
According to Chakwera, the meeting aimed at consolidating the efforts of his administration in fighting corruption.
“The cordial engagement among these critical institutions further cements our resolve to deal with corruption with a seamless approach that bears fruits.
“I have prompted the institutional heads to collaboratively undertake their noble duty guided only by the sovereign administrative and legal statutes above anything else,” the president wrote on his Facebook page.
The meeting comes weeks after Zamba, on 31 January, suspended Chizuma from exercising her duties as Anti-Corruption Bureau chief because she was facing charges related to remarks she made in a leaked audio.
It was reported that the decision to suspend Chizuma was made after a government official lied to Chakwera that the ACB had obtained a warrant of arrest against First Lady Monica Chakwera.
The interdiction of Chizuma led to a court battle as Malawi Law Society (MLS) obtained an injunction against Chizuma’s criminal charges and interdiction. The government through Attorney General Nyirenda unsuccessfully challenged the injunction at the High Court before going to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
However, DPP Chamkakala stepped in by dropping the charges against Chizuma and this forced the Attorney General to withdraw the interdiction case at the Supreme Court and Zamba to cancel the interdiction.
Zamba is the subject of corruption allegations made by former National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) chief executive officer Helen Buluma who told Parliament last year that Zamba attempted to influence awarding of fuel supply contracts at NOCMA.
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| Bola Tenubu: Nigeria President elect |
The major opposition parties have complained of irregularities and rejected the result as fraudulent. There have been reports of violence and intimidation, although not on the scale of previous elections.
Here are details of the election process and votes tallied.
WHO WERE THE MAIN CANDIDATES?
HOW WERE THE VOTES TALLIED?
Candidates were running for president but only three were seen as having a realistic chance. They were Tinubu from the governing All Progressives Congress party (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the smaller Labour Party (LP).
A fourth contender, Rabiu Kwankwaso, of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP), received votes in parts of the north.
According to final Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) tallies from all 36 states and the federal capital Abuja, Tinubu garnered about 36.6% or 8.79 million of valid votes counted from the weekend election, while Atiku trailed behind with 29.1% or 6.98 million of valid votes.
Obi received 25.4%, or about 6.1 million votes.
Results from 176,846 polling stations were counted manually and were then to be relayed electronically to the INEC headquarters in Abuja, for posting on its website.
The results were also tallied at the ward, local government and state level. A returning officer from each state was to travel to Abuja with a tally sheet, to be compared against results sent directly by polling stations to the national collation centre.
To win the presidential election, a candidate needed a simple majority, and have at least a quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states and Abuja, which Tinubu did.
But on the other hand, Nigerian opposition party has said it will launch a legal challenge after Bola Ahmed Tinubu was declared the winner of Nigerian election
Tinubu, 70, represents the ruling All Progressives Congress party, which received close to 8.8 million votes -- about 36.6% of the total, according to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Mahmood Yakubu.
He defeated vice president Atiku Abubakar of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), and a third leading candidate Peter Obi, who gained popularity among young people with his lesser-known Labour Party.
"We won this election as Labour Party, we are going to claim our mandate as Labour Party," said Datti-Baba Ahmad, the party's Vice Presidential candidate.
Obi is yet to comment on the official results.
However, Ndi Kato, Labour Party's presidential campaign spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday: "We are defiant. The elections were rigged."
in his acceptance speech, Tinubu struck a conciliatory tone, asking his opponents "to team up together."
"It (Nigeria) is the only nation we have. It is one country, and we must build together. Let's work together to put broken pieces together," he said.
Tinubu also thanked voters and said he was "profoundly humbled."
"This is a shining moment in the life of any man and an affirmation of our democratic existence," he said. "I represent a promise and with your support, I know that promise will be fulfilled."
Videos from the capital Abuja showed Tinubu's supporters cheering and celebrating the win.
Chakwera: Speaking on the fifth UN least developed countries conference P resident Lazarus Chakwera splash a warning to the world’s 46 poor...
