Why Buluma will not be fired as HRDC urges ACB to probe Nocma’s K45 billion fuel loss
Despite her ‘personal liaisons’ with National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) acting Chief Executive Officer Helen Buluma, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eisenhower Mkaka has said he cannot go against President Lazarus Chakwera instructions to “address the anomaly” of appointing Buluma as acting CEO and it has been releaved that she will not be sacked because she gave a ‘good contract’ to Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Zangazanga Chikhosi.
Mkaka wrote on his Facebook page: “Who am I to go against the President?”
But then Nyasa Times has been offered information that Buluma offered Chikhosi US$10 per barrel of fuel that Nocma will be importing into the country and SPC agreed.
“This is why even though President Chakwera directed Chikhosi to fire Buluma, she will not be fired, that will not happen. Chikhosi as board chairman of Nocma will do anything to protect his interests,” said the top source.
Buluma was made acting CEO after Nocma boss Gift Dulla was suspended pending investigations into some financial mismanagement at State-owned company. Both Dulla and Buluma were just hand-picked by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regime to be bosses at Nocma, they never underwent any competitive interviews.
President Chakwera fumed last week over Buluma’s appointment as Acting CEO at Nocma and directed Chikhosi to ‘address the anomaly’ but Chikhosi has not been moved an inch.
On Friday, Human Rights Defenders Commission (HRDC) has asked the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate allegations in which fuel amounting to K45 billion evaporated at Nocma.
HRDC Chairperson Gift Trapence told reporters at a news conference that it was absurd to lose huge sums worth of fuel costing due to rampant corrupt practices which has engulfed Nocma.
“The President was specific with his instructions that also the acting Director of NOCMA should be relieved from duties after a public outcry on her performance but that has not happened as of now.
“There are also concerns from management and staff which requires urgent attention from the government as most of the staff are not working and this might blow a heavy impact on our economy,” he said.
Trapence lamented that foreign companies transport almost 80% of the fuel used in Malawi and as such he urged NOCMA to use local companies when transporting the commodity.
“We want NOCMA to utilize our own local companies when transporting fuel. It is our wish that 80% of the companies should be local companies while 20% of the remaining companies should be international,” he added.
HRDC executive member, Reverend Macdonald Sembereka, concurred with Trapence, saying NOCMA should suspend the current tenders that companies have already bid to supply fuel.
“We are aware that the Director of Finance was suspended, so currently there is no management. We are imploring the board of NOCMA and government in particular the Ministry of Energy to ensure they suspend current float tender.
“Actually, the tendering process of transportation should not be allocated to individual bidders but awarded to those who come as a block so that at least the risk is spread, rather than dumping a risk in one company,” said Sembereka.
He said NOCMA Board should make sure that the tendering process is re-advertised at the earliest time possible once there is clear set management at NOCMA.
Sembereka further talked about the way fuel is procured whereby there is Duty Delivered Unpaid, where the supplier uses on transport to deliver fuel and Extant whereby fuel is paid according to how it is consumed at a particular time.
He highlighted that Extant process of buying fuel is the best as the level of consuming fuel depends on availability of money of the one purchasing the fuel.
Meanwhile, Malawi News has reported that the country is losing about $16.2 million (about K12 billion) annually through importing fuel using the Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) system being used Nocma.
The paper said its investigations conducted from the start of 2020 have revealed that by opting for the DDU system, the country’s transporters are being suffocated of $21 million (about K15.75 billion) worth of business which goes to foreign transporters.
According to a DDU Commercial Invoice from Sahara Energy Resources DMCC to Nocma dated March 15, 2020 cited by the paper, the supplier was charging $260.93 per tonne of diesel to Blantyre via the Beira route which is $85.93 higher per tonne.
Sahara was also charging $310.66 per tonne to supply diesel to Lilongwe via the Dar es Salaam route which was $100.66 higher than ex-tank.
That is to say, DDU was seen to be higher than an average of about $90 per tonne.
With Nocma importing an average of 180,000 metric tonnes of fuel per annum, the analysis revealed that Malawi was paying $16.2 million more per annum or K12 billion for opting DDU.
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K45 billion?! How many Debonairs pizzas can that buy?
The fact of the matter is Mkaka is in a love relationship with Buluma and Zangazanga wants a slice too with a share of the deal
Chikhosi if what’s being said is true your days are numbered – how can you be pocketing $10 a barrel on the expense of poor Malawians
You seem not to take. Serious the directive from the President just to fill your pockets . You will surly go down together with those that surround you
We are watching you closely
Inside NOCMA there are other Corrupt officers as they are appointing Clearing and Forwarding Agents who claim Miilions from NOCMA and NOCMA gives Contracts without proper Advertising and Review to some Specific Clearing and Forwaeding Agents who Bribe the Higher Officers at NOCMA like Town Link and Manica and Trans Maritime Ltd
ACB and HRDC should also Question and Get clarified these issues with NOCMA and ACB should check thoroughly the Payments made to these Clearing and Forwarding Agents
We no longer know which is the rubble. It’s interesting to see rubble clearing rubble.
Let’s admit it. Buluma is good looking and no doubt Chikhosi is spending sleepless nights.It will be interesting to know what Chakwera will do about it.
National Interest is Paramount here. Buluma is ka bullet, fine. Lest we forget, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A mkaka ndi achikohisi behold that prettiness BUT not our expense needless to mention the disgruntled staff at Nocma. Dr. President if these two men are negatively obsessed with her beauty hire a blind person who will fire that Jezebel. Aaaati beauty, minus makeup, minus mesh kwatsala ciani. Taona ma natural beauty in osati za upgrading zi. Dr President remove SPC, mkakayo nfi bulumayo pakamozi…on a successful farm there are no sacred cows baba.
Ma rubbish basi
I feel sorry for myself that I used my hard earned millions to employ people to campaign against the DPP government of which Buluma was part of. But see what is happening now. The same people who made us use our hard earned cash are the ones who are still enjoying. Tiwona mmene mudzapangire campaign 2025.
Wanyera. Walira chokweza. Kupusa. How can you use your money in such a reckless way for a business endeavor that’s too risky and has no capital returns? What were you investing in? Kumaganiza. Gwape.
I dont understand. You say the CEO and Director of Finance were suspended. Are you saying in the absence of these two Buluma was able to give Zangzanga a contract of $10 per barrel and he accepted? Isnt there conflict of interest?
Mufuna kunena kuti chifukwa Chikhosi ndi SPC ndi chairman wa NOCMA nde kuti ali ndi mphamvu kuposa a pulezidenti nde mukunama. A Chikhosi asakule mtima. Iwowo ndi gulu la rubble lufunika kuchotsedwa lija nde limeneli. Mu ma Board wangozazitsa anzake ndi azibale ake. Fufuzani bwinobwino.
A Chikhosi, akuzulani pampando umenewu posachedwapa. Mukupupuluma. Chifukwa muwalepheretsa a president kugwira bwino ntchito. Monga a bwana sakukudziwani mbiri yanu yonyatsa ija mumagoneka anthu ku office ndi yonyenganyenga ku Finance, Agriculture, Education? Komatu akuyendetsa dzikoli ndi abusa, musawalakwitse