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| National |
| State House rejects Muluzi security bill |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 19 July 2004
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13:05:13
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State House has refused to settle a K22 million ($203,704) bill of accumulated allowance arrears for security personnel of the former president Bakili Muluzi.
Chief of Staff Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, confirming the development on Sunday, said the bill has since been pushed to Treasury to “see how to square it”, explaining that the new administration wants to start afresh.
“My brother, there was total mismanagement. Sometimes this place would run out of fuel, and that was bad for the President,” said the free-speaking Ng’oma. “And we will not allow it this time around.”
Ng’oma said the bill was accumulated through unregulated movements of security personnel.
“These people just used to move each other like a circus, and ended up attracting lots of money in allowances,” said Ng’oma, disclosing that sometimes State House used to spend close to K8 million a month through such loose movements.
“This problem started way back during the time of the first president (late Kamuzu Banda) and was not solved during the previous administration, but we sorted it out in a minute,” boasted Ng’oma.
He said State House will not have to be moving presidential security personnel anyhow to cut costs.
“What we are saying is that people must be stationed at one place and not move like a circus. If, for example, there is a base in Mzuzu, Zomba or Dedza, why move people around?” he questioned.
Ng’oma said State House will only be allocating K10,000 station allowances to each security personnel per month.
“There are about 52 security personnel and we will therefore be spending K520,000 per month, making a saving of K7 million. Is that not beautiful?” said Ng’oma.
He said State House is determined to open a new leaf.
“We have started very well and the banks are very happy because State House is no longer bouncing cheques,” he said.
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