VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott has said that the Government is undertaking massive development projects in North-Western Province aimed at uplifting the living standards of the people.
Dr Scott said his Government was carrying out explorations of natural resources in sectors such as mining to utilise the potential of the province in mineral deposits.
He said in Zambezi yesterday when he graced the 56th annual Likumbi Lya Mizee cultural festival of the Bakachinyama that the Government was aware of the challenges faced by the province.
He said the Patriotic Front administration was undertaking the rural electrification project to connect the districts in the province such as Zambezi to the national power grid.
“We don’t want to see this province to remain a Cinderella, our main interest is to promote agriculture and many other development projects,” he said.
Dr Scott said the Government was this year targeting K54,000 small-scale farmers in the province to benefit from the provision of the subsidised inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).
The Government is also taking keen interest in the creation of massive job employment opportunities in the province as well as other parts of the country.
Dr Scott out-lined a number of programmes in the areas of education, health, agriculture and infrastructure the Government was implementing to ensure development of North-Western Province.
“Some programmes are underway like in energy sector, we want the use of thermo generators to be done away with and the project to connect the province to the national grid is underway and already the exercise for clearing bushes has started,” Dr Scott said.
He cited the project for tarring the Mutanda-Chavuma Road, which had reached an advanced stage as something that should give the people of North-Western Province increased hope for further economic development of the area.
Dr Scott, however, said the challenge to create sustainable development in the country was not for Government alone but for everyone.
“The challenge to create sustainable development is a challenge for all and not the Patriotic Front (PF) Government alone and so let you the people of Zambezi work hard to ensure sustainable development of the country,” Dr Scott said.
He also pleaded with the people to give Government time as it addressed youth unemployment, which he said was not only rife in Zambia but the world over.
The Vice-president commended the people of Zambezi and North-Western Province as a whole for contributing to last year’s crop bumper harvest by producing 2.5 million bags of maize and urged the people not to fall prey to briefcase buyers especially from the neighbouring Congo DR who were allegedly sneaking in to exploit farmers by buying the crop at a cheaper price.
Dr Scott also commended Chief Ndungu for preserving the Likumbi Lya Mize cultural ceremony and called for unity and core-existence among the different ethnic groups of North-Western Province.
“Once there was Luvale empire and Lunda but these empires no longer exist as political entities because Zambia is one country,” Dr Scott said.
Senior Chief Ndungu of the Luvale people appealed to the Government to construct a bridge across the Zambezi River where people are currently using a pontoon.
In a speech read for him by his representative, Patrick Fumbelo, the traditional leader said the province was faced with numerous challenges that the former MMD administration failed to address.
He was, however, happy with the distribution of the translated copies of Draft Constitution.
He also commended President Michael Sata for working on fulfilling the PF campaign promises by fostering various development projects in the country.
The Vice-President was accompanied by Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Steven Masumba, Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Belinda Kawandami, Mines Deputy Minister Elijah Muchima and North-Western Province Minister Josephine Limata.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
We are sory we are not babys to fool,your promises are fake goverment of CNP,wait 2016 you will see. Here only HH for president.
With Wily Crazy Banda as a vice President right????? my a..s.s
More and more of the more promises. One wonders when the old ppromises will be fulfilled..
Thats the way forward
‘Government was this year targeting K54,000 small-scale farmers’ what does this mean Ba LT. Please proof read your articles before posting them.It is embarrassing to say the least.
There’s no massive development in NWP. Scott is lying. PF has not initiated anything. He just wants votes for PF next year.
Zambians with your negative altitude towards everything you will never achieve your place on this planet,, you talk too much and so impatient its sad so sad, i wish you knew how negatively your talked about. change your way of thinking.
Good observation! Note that it is mainly the economic refugees abroad making the senseless noise!
Twanaka nobufi bwaba Pf mwe NW province has vast resources which has been given to corn men on a silver plate like that, this is the least developed province despite the fact that it has numerous minerals and has conducive rain pattern for agriculture, but nothing happens in this province. It is a forgotten land, scott was agric minister mwa chiluba what did he do to improve agric? Only God will redeem this nation, not man.
Bauze Guy scot, but the reporting sure k54,000 is another unit for counting people in zambia?
Talk is cheap iwe Van persie
Are we going to continuously dig up the north-west? The province already contributes the most to Zambia’s GDP. Build a university instead and build a large hospital.
stop blaming MMD that same chola boy veep was also in MMD..
Love your style as always Hon Guy Scott. Keep up the good work.
Let not these crooks lie to us anymore. Tudikwani wejima wetu, A Lunda, Luvale, Luchazi, Kaonde, Chokwe, Lamba and Lunda Kazembez, we have the same blood. Let us build a better Zambia for all rather than be used by a small self interested people for self gain. True Bembas are nice and honest and wise people, the criminals are also using them. Let us unite.
Government does not undertaken exploration as far as i know. They give licences to private companies to do that so the VEEP needs to be clear on that instead of misleading people. he should tell the nation what infrastructure projects they are doing
i once spent 3 months in zambezi town in 1997,and its almost 15 years since i left that place,the tarring of that road to mufumbwe was 30 miles,15 years later the road has not reached chavuma,something is serously wrong with these politicians,and u voted for them with a notion of developing zed in 90 days.if sata can just try to fulfill 10% of his campaign promises that will be better.
GUY SCOT JUST SHUT UP
I like Guy Scott, because he’s the least tribal of the current politicians right now.
Not a Cinderella?? What does that mean??