By Nyasa Times Published: April 22, 2010
Deputy Minister in the Office of President and Cabinet, Nicholas Dausi was a marvel to listen to when he was guest on popular in-depth-interview Straight Talk programme on Capital Radio when he used his verbiage.
The Mwanza Central legislator praised the Bingu administration for being far much better than the previous Bakili Muluzi regime in terms of economic development.
"When it comes to development, when it comes to moving away from mere pediatrics of empty promises, mere political rhetoric, when it comes to real government, financial discipline, fiscal prudence, food security, water and sanitation, then this Bingu administration has far much performed," said Dausi in his long-winded style of speech.
Asked what his job was at OPC as deputy minister, he said: ""It's not something that is extraordinaire per se but it's a position that is in the office of the president therefore it is something that day to day you have to make sure that you are within the confines that the president would want to perform."
Pressed to explain, he said: “Government is big business. It is the fine of the finest arts, trick of the trickest business, there is no question of laying bare of what is happening in the corridors of government."
Presenter of Straight Talk Brian Banda further pressed Dausi to explain his job as deputy minister in OPC.
"Making sure you members of the media get correct version of how government is operating without creating some unnecessary stories. Making sure that facts are put in the right perspective," he said of his job, adding "Helping members of the press not to distort facts."
Put to him that it was the duty of the Minister of Information and Civic Education to be the government's spokesman and spin doctor, Dausi said: "We don't run government on the paper or on the air, it's an administration.
"You can't expect, really Brian, you can't expect the whole issues of how things happen in administrative and statecraft to be put to public bare , I don't think that's how things work."
"When the President appoints you mainly in the Office of President and Cabinet he wants somebody who he can trust with various issues as regards issues of statecraft and I will do that to the best of my ability."
Asked that President Mutharika appointed him to help promote his successor in 2014, Dausi said: "Those are mere political tantrums, unfounded. Those are things of something illogical, incorrect perception.
"Even you when you are telling me, your face show hullabaloos."
Dausi said he was thankful to God for being a Member of Parliament and President Mutharika for exercising his prerogative right to appoint him deputy minister.
"I wanted to be an MP, now I am MP and now it has pleased the President to appoint me deputy minister. I think I can thank God but surely my whole intention was, I think, to be in parliament and say 'Mr. Speaker Sir!'"
On the country's economy, Dausi said Malawi is the fastest developing economy according to the World Bank.
"This time Malawians are now having the spirit of self-sufficiency. Working hard in whatever we do. There is no question of sitting idle and expect manna will fall from heaven.
"His Excellency Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika would want this country to develop by us Malawians to work hard in the field and Malawians have taken head of his advice."
"People have everything in this country, they have food and money. Hard work and discipline makes the country to develop."
But responding to a question that local people claim there is poor circulation of money, he said "that is mere psychological tantrums."
"In fact, you are peddling unfair comment on behalf of the people," Dausi told the presenter.
He praised President Mutharika farm input subsidy programme saying it is one way of making people make money through hard work in their gardens.
"Let's create Malawi that people should work hard," said Dausi who said Mutharika is now African Union chairman due to his pragmatic leadership.
"Malawi is now a paragon of honourary government," he said.
On the controversial education quota system which has annoyed people from the Northern region, glib Dausi said he could not comment on "factionalism and tribalism."
"What is good for North should be good for the South. What is the good for the Centre should be good for [any one of the other two regions]," said the deputy minister and then quoted the preamble of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dausi blames the media for bringing tribal divisions in Malawi.
"It is members of the press who are diving the country because you are giving people wrong information. Malawi as a country we must be united as country, we must avoid any politician, any church leader to look at individuals as where they come from."
Dausi also pointed out that President Mutharika promotes existence of NGO and the civil society saying they form an integral part of democracy.
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Source: Malawi news | NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malaw
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