A contractor engaged to construct Kapamba, Kopa and Chewe Shimfwamba Day Secondary Schools in three Chiefdoms in Mpika district has abandoned
the project.
The contract was awarded to Heros Construction Company in August, 2011 by the then MMD government and was expected to be handed over to government in December, 2013, but is behind the agreed timeframe.
This came to light when Permanent Secretary for Muchinga Province, Bwalya Ng’andu, who was accompanied by the Provincial Education Officer, Jobbicks Kalumba during a familiarisation tour of Mpika district.
The three day schools, whose infrastructures such classrooms, libraries, tuck shops, laboratories and teachers’ houses have reached different levels will be turned into white elephants if government will not consider allocating more resources to complete the four projects.
Provincial Education Officer for Muchinga, Jobbicks Kalumba, told the PS that the total cost for each project varies but on average was K18,350 but inconsistent funding from the Ministry of
Education has frustrated the contractor.
Mr Kalumba feared that if the Ministry of Education will not come to the rescue of the abandoned capital projects which his office had less control over, it will create a serious effect on pupils’ enrolment especially the grade ten classes looking at the pace at which Mpika district population is growing and appealed to the ministry to look into the matter urgently.
He added that there are four similar day secondary schools under construction in Mpika district in different chiefdoms namely; Luchembe, Kopa, Mpepo and Chikwanda, adding that the challenges that the contractor was facing were similar.
The PEO highlighted the effects of not having the four schools completed saying it will work against the PF manifesto on education to phase out basic schools and reintroduce the secondary and primary schools separately.
And Muchinga Permanent Secretary, Bwalya Ng’andu, said government cannot afford to lose both the infrastructure and money at the level the projects have reached and called the Ministry of Education to look into the issues critically.
Dr Ng’andu promised to make follow-ups with the Ministry of Education.
And both Senior chief Kopa and chief Luchembe expressed similar worries over the abandoned secondary schools in their chiefdoms.
The two chiefs, who made calls on separate incidences when the PS paid a courtesy call on them, said pupils are walking long distances to school which has resulted in the increase in school dropouts.
Senior chief Kopa added that it is becoming difficult to fight early marriages as parents are posing a challenge to the traditional leaders to push for a secondary schools near the people.
Efforts to get a comment from the Heros Construction company Director, Henry Bwalya proved futile as his mobile phone went un answered.
We knw, funds must be thr somewhr unfortunatly thy’v bn budgeted for buyn ama lexus @ the xpense of people frm mpk. Unless we stop r selfishness we shall not develop as country….dis is CNP @ its bst. On the constitution huge somes of money wr spnt bt no results evn thoz schz pose th sem threat, let us make sure evry ngwe spnt yields results, dt way we’l not evn luk 4wrd to inreasin r borrowin rates …lets put r country 1st n our egos as last as possible…….twalumba(•_•)wise blogr
Exactly what I have been telling these PF useful Id.ots who always overlook the real issues being debated and embark on praising Sata and PF on construction projects which have either been abandoned or just lunched on the hoof without proper financial backing. I commend LT for exposing their back side with this latest abandoned project right in Sata ‘s home village.
If he can fail to complete any projects in his home village what more in other provinces where he does not come from? Sata and his PF are just full of lies . All the projects he announces are just hot air, better classified as castles in the in air.
Only fo.ols take Sata serious!
I can’t wait for him to be shown the door out of state house like his UKRAINIAN counterpart.
Zambians must rise against this useless…
Sata and his PF have borrowed left right and centre and yet the projects they have borrowed money have either been abandoned or not funded at all. This latest project abandonment begs the question; where is the money they are busy borrowing in the name of projects?
To be honest with you fellow Zambians , I strongly think Sata and PF are just using construction projects to borrow more money as a scapegoat for more money in their pockets and and for vote buying during induced by elections.
Sata and his PF are just a bunch of thugs in government to steal big time.
This is the cost of politics of appeasement!
PF thought they were gods to think they talk things into existence.
A systematic approach to project management is what is lacking.
No wonder they cannot desist from reckless borrowing lest we say they have failed!
The truth is that they may have the best of intentions but they need to cut their cloth according to the size of revenue at their disposal!
There are too many projects that cannot be sustained by the current revenue levels hence the appetite for more borrowing. We need mid-term elections as an objective way to gauge the performance of the incumbent administration and send a strong message for change. We need to manage our projects within our means. Posterity will curse us if the only inheritance we leave them is a huge debt!
@wanzelu you should read the article well,it says MMD projects most Of them were not completed,funds where diverted before elections,come on its common sense,please don’t mix the two, all projects the PF embacked on are well funded and on schedule. Be mindful of what you wish for lets wait for 2016 don’t excited like our young man Anthony mukwita.
Since its in Muchinga, money from other provinces will be quickly mobilised to sort out the problem
Chumbu always has money for bye elections not projects..
Here is a typical example of MMD projects initiated long before PF declared that region as Muchinga province, MMD economic strategy was development in the entire country. Schools, hospitals, road network and railway lines were already in motion. Critical analysis will conclude that PF government has never brought anything new in form of development strategy. Dr Guy Scott is on record that PF has no manifesto for development except that of MMD. These schools in Muchinga province lack funding because they were initiated by MMD and out of shame PF govt do not want to complete them quickly as lies as PF projects to the public will not stick. This is the sama with KKI airport and Link 800 road network began by MMD. These projects will benefit Zambia and not PF party and Sata.
What kind of name is Jobbicks? Anyway, it appears our government is incapable of budgeting for projects. Projects are started with no proper budgetary allocations. It reminds me of how Kaunda’s government bulldozed Dag Hammarskjold stadium in Ndola to make way for a new stadium. Only one small problem – there was no money! It seems things have not improved.
money should be found to complete the schools
Let us wish our president a very long life to see the change next government will bring and how his children will be caged in the zoo while he lives all alone in a shanty compound. All his stolen suits and ties will be consficated.