Ndilowe says no crisis but CCJP, MCCI think OPC is joking

The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has said it sees no crisis in reports of financial plunder and public servants being arrested in possession of unexplained sums of money because it is a breakthrough, Chief Secretary to Malawi Government Hawa Ndilowe told the media in Lilongwe Saturday.

But her comments attracted condemnation from the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) which have described the statements as an insult to Malawians.

According to Ndilowe, a crisis would be “when you are taken by surprise on something big.

“When you are deliberately attacking something and getting results and you are in control of it, that’s why I am not calling it a crisis but a breakthrough,” she argued.

‘It’s a breakthrough’

Speaking for the first time publicly at a news conference in the capital, Ndilowe said all this is a result of numerous efforts government has put in place to fight pilferage resulting from loopholes in the suspended Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).

“These arrests are a result of the work we are doing. These arrests are not a result of magic or somebody acting from the blues,” she argued.

Her reaction follows numerous calls from opposition parties, civil society, the private sector and ordinary citizens for tangible answers on the ground to explain questions arising from recent arrests of public officers suspected to have been siphoning public funds.

According to Ndilowe, government has put in place measures to stop continued pilferage which include the suspension of IFMIS to “stop the bleeding.”

“For a long time, we had information yes, but this time around we have an opportunity of some useful information that has helped in this fight. These results are coming because of political will to make sure that responsible agencies work without interference,” she said.

Ironically, while there is “no crisis,” OPC has instituted a forensic audit into the mess which Ndilowe said has been going on over a period mainly because of IFMIS.

“A major forensic audit is being arranged. This will analyse major transactions not for a few days or a few months but few years back because we know this stealing has been happening for years,” said Ndilowe.

On his part, Accountant General David Kandoje said all the measures, including the audit, will include all government departments, State House inclusive.

“We believe that this will give us the information we need to understand what has been happening and give us information to bring to book those who have done wrong,” said Ndilowe.

‘People abuse the system’

She said the control measures will also include screening into the current personnel linked to the financial management system.

“We are also looking at the human factor because we know that while the system has loopholes, but it is the people who abuse the system and, therefore, we’ll be looking at various measures to deal with the human factor,” she said.

Currently, almost the suspects arrested in connection with the matter have been from the Accounts Department at the Accountant General’s Office, including a signatory to government cheques, a Roosevelt Ndovi, who was found with K13 million cash.

“Number four, we are making sure that we provide necessary resources to the relevant agencies so that they do their work diligently,” said Ndilowe.

She argued the President is in control even if she is outside the country.

“Everything we are doing the President knows.

“The structure of governance is very clean, with the Vice-President in the country,” said Ndilowe.

The news conference comes amid calls for the President to return home immediately to deal with the crisis that has befallen the nation.

Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera last week called on the President to summon an emergency meeting of Parliament to deal with the matter.

‘Things are working’

He also called for the resignation of Ndilowe, the Finance Minister and Secretary to the Treasury Radson Mwadiwa.

But Ndilowe on Saturday said: “I see no reason for resigning when I know things are working.”

Reacting to Ndilowe’s remarks, MCCCI chief executive officer Chancellor Kaferapanjira said:

“She is being political in her statements. What she is saying is totally unconvincing to the private sector. It’s like they are trying to cover themselves which is not acceptable.

“Yes, there was corruption in the civil service in the past, but not at the scale it is happening now. Corruption has increased to this extent under her leadership.

“The private sector cannot be convinced by that kind of reasoning. We don’t want our taxes to end up in people’s pockets.”

CCJP national coordinator Chris Chisoni described Ndilowe’s remarks that the financial mess at Capital Hill is not a crisis as a ‘joke.’

“What is happening right now has not been exposed by any work of government. It has been discovered because somebody was shot and people are now divided at Capital Hill.

“Those who did not benefit from the looting are now revealing the ones who have been stealing public funds. What the Chief Secretary is saying is like adding salt to wounds. By staying outside the country without any material significance, the President is saying that she doesn’t care about what is happening in the country,” said Chisoni.

—Additional reporting by Phillip Pemba