PRESIDENT Hage Geingob has emphasised his stance on issues of good governance, transparency and corruption.
His statement yesterday sets the tone for his second year in office as he looks to deliver on his promise to be an inclusive President.
Geingob announced during his keynote address at the independence celebrations yesterday that business people and entrepreneurs will no longer be allowed to negotiate tenders or business with him as head of state, but they should approach the responsible ministries instead.
He declared that 2016 will be a year of implementation.
“Along with our declaration of war against poverty, we have also declared war on corruption and its root causes,” said the President, adding that he is committed to transparency.
“I would like to inform all business people and entrepreneurs from inside and outside of the country – don’t try to negotiate with me on tenders and deals,” Geingob said bluntly, emphasising that business people will have no leeway for negotiating business deals, contracts or tenders with him.
“Business people should adhere to the policy of approaching the respective line ministers in order to submit their proposals, and allow our multi-layered decision-making process to take effect,” stressed the President.
Geingob added that government has now worked on a new Public Procurement Bill, which will ensure that the public procurement system is transparent and efficient.
This comes at a time when government has been openly accusing the media of unfairly targeting Geingob with negative publicity.
Media reports since before he took office last year have linked the President to a number of business people who have been beneficiaries of large and lucrative government contracts.
Some of the business people who have been reported about are known to be Geingob’s personal friends, some of whom even paid for his medical bills before he took office, while others funded his overseas trips.
The trip to the 2014 soccer world cup finals in Brazil is one such example, where his businessmen friends funded the then- Prime Minister to attend the extravaganza.
Last year, the President also publicly lashed out at those who used his name, without his consent, to promote their events.
Geingob was specifically peeved by controversial businessman and founder of the Kora Africa Music Awards, Ernest Adjovi.
Adjovi has been the subject of recent media reports for allegedly swindling the government out of N$21 million, while missing deadlines to host the awards.
This money was allegedly for the Namibia Tourism Board’s purchase of promotional packages to promote this country as a tourism destination during the screening of the awards.
The Namibian has also reported that before Geingob took over as President, a number of Cabinet ministers bitterly complained that he was only surrounded by his business friends, and was inaccessible to Cabinet colleagues.
His statement is seen as a signal that he is distancing himself from his these friends and the perception that they might have undue influence in his decisions.
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