THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday heard how Mongu Central member of parliament, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, irregularly influenced the awarding of a K452,000 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to an unqualified contractor that failed to carry out the works.
Mongu Municipal Council in 2013 awarded four contracts to three contractors for the construction of staff houses at four schools, namely Lulambo, Mutalaite, Kama and Ndau basic schools.
PAC learnt that the contracts were irregularly awarded in that the contractors did not meet the requirements at the preliminary evaluation stage and therefore did not qualify.
Ministry of Local Government and Housing Director, Thomson Banda, sitting in for the permanent secretary told the PAC that the contracts were awarded to the contractors based on a directive from the area MP.
The PAC heard that the MP allegedly influenced the allocation of the two projects and left the other one to the tender committee to pick the contractor.
“As of January 2014, amounts totaling K452, 184 had been spent and a physical inspection carried out revealed that the construction works had not been completed,” Mr Banda said.
The PAC also heard that one contract was awarded to a company only known as Tibowange, on July 5, 2013 but the company was only registered on July 25, 2013.
Records at the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) also revealed that Tibowange belonged to a councilor in Mongu district.
Mr Banda said the ministry had since severely cautioned the council to desist from delegating its responsibilities of awarding contracts to best bidders.
However, PAC chairperson Vincent Mwale, who is also Chipangali MMD MP, said MPs had no powers to make decisions in the awarding of contracts.
He said it was sad that a councilor was also involved in the irregular awarding of the contract.
“It appears, as others have said before, CDF is now a conduit for taking out money because there is no way a councilor owns a company which was given a contract, 20 days before being registered and the contract was recommended by the area MP,” Mr Mwale said.
Lunte MMD MP Felix Mutati said it was unfortunate that an MP irregularly influenced the awarding of the K452, 000 contract which had since been lost due to the engagement of an unqualified contractor.
And Mr Banda said the ministry regretted the abuse of public funds and would not sit idle but follow up on all outstanding issues.
He said the ministry had since written to the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) to start disciplining local authority controlling officers and other workers that had carried out irregular transactions throughout the country in which Government was losing huge sums of money.
Nathaniel Mubukwanu please step down and go back to your Catholic friends , Caritas. We need another party in Mongu not PF. Come 2016 you will be booted out. After all no MP gets to serve two terms in Mongu Central. Goodbye Nathaniel..
Kono singa Mubukwanu, you thought you were too clever to do such transactions and now you’ve been caught pants down. this disgrace of human kind should indeed step down and go to hell. we r strugling to ensure our Barotseland is in place with the help from the Zambian government ad all he can do is misuse public funds. wena mubukwanu, kanti kin’i sesikuiezisa cwalo? zwaaaaaaaaa uyo shwela kafo. back kwa ma Roma koo nemutwaezi busholi mwa libizo la keleke. masila! nja ya mwa hae haina lubilo. kile uswaleha cwale. setenda sa hao.
Seven councils in southern province.Comment.You were quite yesterday.I dont support this one as well.
Other than talking what is the relevance of PAC. They talk and it ends there.
Hehehehe reporting in Zambia, I bet this reporter has not even taken time to check whether these school building have been completed or not. I was in Zambia recently and I have seen the housing for the teachers and they have actually moved in. In fact the some teacher were fighting about who get which house with the head teacher. The houses have been completed and these schools have never have this type of accommodation before hence why I find this story untrue. If anyone doubts this please travel to the schools in question and check for yourselves rather than believe every story that is in the papers.
@ master- I hv never seen a dull person like yu. It doesn’t matter whether the project is completed or what. If there is irregularity, people behind it shud face the law. In ths case, mubukwanu shud face the law for single sourcing. Don’t just support for sake of supporting. This is tax payer’s money which hs a contribution even frm the poorest person.
My issue Sir is that the story from start is incorrect hence why don’t believe the story. Dull people believe anything they are told without doing research, watch this space about this story. The reporter clearly says the buildings have not been completed, so why should I believe the section about how the contracts were tendered.
Oh yes you have never seen me and if you did am 100% sure you will change your mind. I don’t support the government of the day but everything has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Yes by all means this should be investigated and find out what the truth is Sir