CCM MPs turn tail in Dodoma

Last week some MPs seethed with rage and vowed that this year’s Budget, tabled by Finance Minister, Mustafa Mkulo, will never see the light of day.

But now we know that it was drama all along. The MP for Ilemela in Mwanza Region, Tony Diallo told Braza Mkulo that he and his mates were going to dissolve the Bunge. “You are in trouble, brother.” He fumed, adding that Braza Mkulo was favouring his constituency and fishing to the Prez by building fancy two-way lanes from Msata nowhere. Then Tony marched out in a huff.

Nzega MP, Luke Selelii also foamed in the mouth and without mincing words said that the entire cabinet should be cursed for selfishness and an anti-people stance.

At least the Kobondo MPs, Kitonsi Mporogonyi, was more forthright AND HONEST. He accused Braza Mkulo of getting a cut in the cooking oil tax exemption. But he went even further and suggested that the MPs should get have their palms greased too. Which made sense to me – elongate the gravy-train.

Some stood up and took note to the high theatre. But some of us have been in the game for quite awhile. We called their bluff. The MPs were simply playing the cameras So it was eyeball-to-eyeball between Braza Mkulo and the tough talking MPs.

The nation held its breath. When the curtains were raised in Dodoma on Thursday the CCM tough talkers blinked, turned tail and chickened out of the debate.

The Speaker, Sam Six, had earlier warned that MPs that if they were opposed to the budget the Bunge would be dissolved and that would be that.. Not one MP from the CCM said fyoko! All of them said ‘aye’. Some of them reportedly suddenly developed strategic bouts of diarrhoea and did not show up at the Bunge at all!

Braza Mkulo airily brushed the MPs away and told them that they can go and jump in high hell and he is not even considering resigning from his prime post.

One thing I know in Bongo is that the calls for ministers resign are just MPs playing the cameras. In the United Republic of Tanzania, ministers and other personages of high consequence never resign. They are sacked, pure and simple.

Reason? You see to resign from the job of, say minister of finance, is to attract instant poverty. Which fool will do that? It’s like the tough talking MPs themselves. They figured that if the Bunge was going to be dissolved, then they were never sure if they will ever be voted back. So it was simply a question of money. Mshiko. Why risk your pay cheque?

I had hidden making my decision armed with an observation by an American scribe. He summed it all up: “Politicians are people who say a lot of words without saying anything.” He said.

He said if you believe them, you will believe anything. You are a goner. Umefulia!