Tag: MoFA
Opinion: President Museveni praises Equatorial Guinea for it’s rampant Oil-Corruption; wants to learn his tricks!
In these days the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the Republic of Uganda are on a state visit in Malabo, visiting and learning tricks from the Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Nguema Obiang, who has used the oil to enrich himself and his loyal subjects. Not build a welfare state, but make sure the family of Obiang get wealthy. Certainly, Uganda is preparing for their own oil production in the Lake Albertine basin, as the pipeline building from the production to the Port Tanga in Tanzania.
This is why President Museveni are visiting Equatorial Guinea to learn the tricks of the trade, as the state of Uganda are still in the dark of the oil-deals between the international companies and the state. We can wonder how the funds will be spoiled and how Museveni plans to use the oil funds for personal gains. If so, he wouldn’t praise President Obiang, who has his whole career to spend the oil profits from his republic. This is what Museveni wants to learn, since his career has been tricking out all sorts of play from Ugandan republic. The petroleum profits can be misspent and hidden just like in the republic of Obiang. Take a look!
President Museveni’s praise:
“We are therefore in Equatorial Guinea for two things: looking at how to support prosperity of one another and how to push for our strategic security. I also congratulate Equatorial Guinea for using it’s oil and gas very well. When I was last here for the AU Summit, I noticed gaps between the airport and the city centre. Today, all these gaps were gone. In their place are new, well-planned buildings. And I see the city is refurbished. Some people say oil is a curse but in Equatorial Guinea it is a blessing” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 26.08.2017)
Business in Equatorial Guinea:
“Since the discovery of the offshore oil deposits, many investors have shown great interest in the country. Foreign direct investment inflows into the country had thus been consistently high for the past years. Nevertheless, in 2016 the FDI inflow amounted to USD 54 million, a sharp decrease from USD 233 million recorded the previous year (and the historical peak of USD 2.73 billion in 2010) . The total stock of FDI in the country is currently at USD 13.4 billion” (…) “Corruption in particular is problematic. In addition, the business climate of the country remains rather unfavourable for investment. Cumbersome procedures and high compliance costs slow licensing and make starting a business more difficult. Weak regulatory and judicial systems may discourage foreign investment as well, along with high credit costs and limited access to financing. The government controls long-term lending through the state-owned development bank. Equatorial Guinea ranked 178th out of 190 countries in the 2017 Doing Business report published by the World Bank, losing three spots compared to the previous year” (Santander Trade, 2017).
Son of the President on trial:
“The corruption trial of Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, ended in Paris on 6 July with the prosecution calling for a three-year jail term, a €30 million (US$34 million) fine and the confiscation of assets. The Tribunal will return a verdict on 27 October. The 48-year-old vice-president of Equatorial Guinea was not in court to hear the prosecution’s claim that he used money stolen from his country’s treasury and laundered through a shell company to fund a lavish lifestyle in France” (Transparency International, 2017).
This was what that is well-known of the Equatorial Guinea corruption and the son of President has also had challenging cases in the United States. Now the son is also having alleged fraud and criminal charges in France. Clearly, the Ugandan President has already known for corruption behavior. Therefore, even a state agency of PPDA has some words, that the government needs strict regulations before procurement and infrastructure development. This will be clearly important when it comes to petroleum industry. Take a look!
PPDA strict regulation on public procurement:
“Public procurement is a key pillar of the public financial management system. The country’s budget and plans are translated into actual services to our people through the public procurement system. It is also the link between the public sector and the private sector as it is the medium through which the private sector does business with Government. Public procurement therefore involves large sums of money and as our budget grows with the priorities of Government remaining infrastructure development, the proportion of the budget earmarked for public procurement remains significant and therefore calls for strict regulation” (PPDA, 2017).
“Audits and investigations by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets indicate that corruption in the procurement process manifests more in the evaluation of bids, reported to be at 58%. PPDA’s Manager Capacity Building Ronald Tumuhairwe says such corrupt practices lead to awarding of contracts to incompetent individuals hence shoddy works in several government projects” (…) “He adds that the second process where corruption manifests is awarding of contracts at 12.5%, followed by receipt and opening of bids, reviewing evaluation of bids, advertising and signing of contracts” (Sebunya, 2017).
President Museveni clearly has own agencies saying it is important with strict regulations on procurement and infrastructure developments like the ones needed for oil industry in the republic. The regulation of oil industry is lax, to make sure the state isn’t transparent with its profits and taxation of the industry. This is what Museveni wants, that the state and the public doesn’t know the contracts or the agreements between the parties involved. That is something President Obiang surely have the capacity to teach Museveni. And how to make sure his family is earning from the state resource, instead of the public and the state itself. Peace.
Reference:
Transparency International – ‘ON TRIAL FOR CORRUPTION: FRENCH PROSECUTORS DEMAND JAIL TERM AND €30 MILLION FINE FOR OBIANG’ (11.07.2017) link: https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/on_trial_for_corruption_french_prosecutors_demand_jail_term_and_30_million
Santander Trade – ‘EQUATORIAL GUINEA: FOREIGN INVESTMENT’ (August 2017) link: https://en.portal.santandertrade.com/establish-overseas/equatorial-guinea/investing-3
Sebunya, Wycliffe – ‘Corruption manifests most in the procurement process – IG’ (25.08.2017) link:http://radioonefm90.com/corruption-manifests-most-in-the-procurement-process-ig/
PPDA – ‘EVALUATING INNOVATIVE ANTI CORRUPTION POLICIES IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT IN UGANDA’ (02.08.2017) link: https://www.ppda.go.ug/evaluating-innovative-anti-corruption-policies-in-public-procurement-in-uganda/
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Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Equatorial Guinea Declares Candidature For Chairperson Of African Union (Youtube-Clip)
“African Ambassadors to Nigeria have expressed solidarity to the unity of African Countries that will actualize the security, growth and prosperity of the continent. The Ambassadors stated this while playing host to the Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Equatorial Guinea, Agapito Mba Mokuy who also declared his candidature for the chairperson of the African Union ” (NTA News, 2016).
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This might be the reason for the delayed return of VP Dr. Riek Machar, as there reports of how the tension was created in Juba before President Kiir let him back into the Capital of South Sudan.
There here is certain report that was in sent in between the Kenyan Embassy in the South Sudan and their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As the stories and taking time to get Dr. Riek Machar the leader of SPLM in Opposition instated again as Vice President of South Sudan. That took time and was speculation already, and the commentary was at the size of the guns and the amount of men that the SPLM-IO was allowed to enter the Capital. This here reports shed some lights into the tension of the capital before he returned and to what state of affairs.
That the Government we’re prepared and even decided to put up a military barrack besides an UN POC site proves the levels of tension in the country as the steps of movement before the returning of planned TGoNU or the Government of National Unity.
Information from insider memo in February:
That the President Salva Kiir decree of making 28 states in South Sudan is initially a move that violate the newly signed peace agreement.
The Formation of the TGoNU:
The Formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity will nominate 16 ministers, 10 SPLM-IO, two former detainees becoming ministers and also two minsters from other political parties. The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) will have President Kiir decree that nominated 50 SPLM/A-IO to the TNLA, with this will expand the ARCSS to 400 MPs with the SPLM-IO getting 50 seats, and one seat of a former detainee and also 17 seats nominated from other Political Parties.
The Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement and Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM):
Have set up a centre in Juba as a Joint Operation Centre there with the South Sudanese National Police Service; but the level forces and demilitarization have slowed down the progress as the lack of resources to function.
This is reports from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya 15th April:
That the SPLM-IO had been travelling in civilian clothes into Juba and under UN protection sites located in Juba. SPLM-IO is believed to have 40,000 civilians/soldiers hiding at the UN POC sites with their weapons. These have prompted the Government to have a Military Base 300 meters away. They have also deployed artillery pieces and helicopter gunships around the Jebel Hill. This intended to be close to where the SPLM-IO is located.
As well as the Tiger Battalion from the Western Barh El Ghazal State transported in to Juba on the 10th April, which was 10,000 strong. This is something that SPLA have confirmed.
With tense situations before the re-entering of Riek Machar the Juba capital was reported that the Government army was walking in civilian around the town; either as change of the uniforms of the armed men; this in the style of Prison officers, Police Officers and Wildlife Officers. But they are all heavy armed.
These reports together with Public remark of SPLA Chief of General Gen. Paul Mahong, that he would never allow Dr. Riek Machar to become President of South Sudan and that if he provokes them again he would kill him. That was reported to worsen the tense situation in the capital in other parts of the country.
Afterthought:
As much as we can see the militarized politics is clear and the levels of tension create between the friction of President Kiir and VP Machar. These have to play with care especially if they are playing each other. This because South Sudan needs peace and need stability as the inflation is over 200% right now; the government need to be structured and save haven for rule of law. That is since the civil war between the leaders needs to rest and build the new country. Just as the country become a new member of the East African Community and have the ability to prosper if it gives itself peace and its citizen’s stability to build and regenerate the country. Peace.
MinBane 