President Edgar Lungu has expressed deep displeasure that a lot of projects have stalled in Lunga, due to inadequate and lack of proper monitoring capacity by leaders to oversee the implementation of the projects that have been initiated by the government in the district.
The Head of State said this in Lunga district earlier yesterday after he visited the area where Lunga Chiefs outlined several challenges being experienced in the region among them, lack of communication connectivity, water channels, education and health infrastructure.
President Edgar Lungu has assured the people of Lunga district in Luapula province that he will ensure all developmental projects that have stalled on the Island are completed.
Lunga district is an island with a population of more than 60,000, lying along the shores of lake Bangweulu and can only be accessed by Water or Air Transport.
Chief Nsamba who spoke on behalf of Senior Chief kalimankonde and Chief Kasoma Lunga, however, expressed extreme happiness that ever since the district experienced disastrous floods last year, government has come to the aid of the people in terms of relief food distributions among others.
“This government has done a lot for this district especially on youth empowerment and relief food distribution after the disaster of floods, also the construction of Nsamba Secondary School, we are just requesting for Teacher’s Houses there. Please similarly open up accessible channels they are our only mean of transport,” Chief Nsamba requested President Lungu.
“In the past we have requested for the creation of the Land and Channel Agency to ultimately manage the transportation sector on the island and we are still waiting,” Chief Nsamba stated.
And President Lungu responded that he is in the district to check on how project implementation is going on in the area.
“I have seen that the major problem in this district is transportation because of its terrain, and perennial floods, but we will ensure that we find a permanent solution to floods by opening of water channels for easy transportation. But I’m not happy with what is happening here, a lot of projects have stalled and this is because leaders here do not push for developmental projects from concerned line ministries,” President Lungu complained.
“If the member of Parliament does not persuasively push for her constituency’s growth, absolutely, the area can rally behind in terms of development, but where the area representative is perpetually lobbying for development, definitely the area will receive development,” he lamented.
A visibly annoyed President Lungu, refused to give chance to area member of Parliament Hon Emmerine Kabanshi when she wanted to explain as to why the area is not connected with network even though the towers have been erected.
“Nooo, you’re not pushing for development, I’m not happy, there must be a proper linkage between an MP and a Minister and my Job is to coordinate and ensure that I make you work,” President Lungu angrily stated.
The Head of State has since directed the Minister of Transport and Communications Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya to ensure that Lunga district’s communication towers are fully operational and the area is promptly connected, saying that there is no way that Lunga is not connected when government has installed One Thousand and Nine communication towers country wide.
And after the Chiefs complained that the area has no District Hospital, President Lungu instructed the Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Chitalu Chilufya to respond.
“Mr President, this area, because of its terrain, a district hospital cannot be accessed by all, we have decided to construct mini-hospitals in each of the four islands and in all these hospitals we have ensured that we deploy qualified health workers,” Hon Chilufya explained.
On Education infrastructure, Minister of General Education Hon Dennis Wanchinga, explained that the Ministry intends to recruit 15,000 Teachers, out of the 44,000 earmarked to be employed, to counter the impact of COVID-19, and that some Teachers will be deployed at Nsamba Secondary School in Lunga.
The Head of State also met Village Headmen in Lunga district and promised to attend to their concerns.
“My government will ensure that we take development to all the corners of this country, because I want when elections come next, I will just be pointing at what I have,” he stated.
President Lungu later, flew to Chief Mponda’s Chiefdom where he distributed food ration among other items to flood victims and visited Chief Bwalya Mponda at his Palace, who expressed excitement to see President Lungu in person.
And the President has promised to improve Chief Bwalya Mponda’s Palace after noticing that it is not in good condition.
President Lungu is in Luapula province for a four-day working visit and he is expected to visit six districts, among them Nchelenge, Chiengi, Samfya, Lunga, Mwense and Chipili.
Yet Bwana Lungu has no displeasure over the long stalled Zambian economy? GDP growth down, forex reserves down, Kwacha value down,exports down,inflation up,debt rating down etc.
What do you mean deep displeasure when you know why project have stopped, the treasury has no money because you are paying back debt interest
Daily track
$1 – K19.20
£1 – K25.28
If your salary is K5’000 it is now worth $260.47 and when the $ was at K15 it would have been worth $333.33, this means you can buy less.
I will do this every day so that you see how the PF government has destroyed this country.
And by December at a rate of $1 – K30 your K5,000 will be worth $167.
What is it that Kabanshi has done to always receive a bashing from ECL. There are a lot of unfinished projects around the country but no one has been lashed at in this manner. The poor woman is the only ever to be suspended for corruption and ACC is doing a good job on her.
C
WAKING UP FROM SLUMBER IN THE 90TH MINUTE AND HOPING TO SCORE 5 GOALS WHEN THE REF ALREADY HAS HIS WHISTLE ON HIS LIPS. DREAM ON, WE ARE MARCHING FORWARD.
Lungu is a late comer, one who leaves everything to the last minute, Commander in Chief of Procrastination. Now when you and you minions have stolen all the money that’s when you want Dr Chilufya to build mini hospitals. Poor Kabanshi maybe had she been given time to explain, she would have exonerated herself. Instead of leaving Dr Chilufya to fight Covid, he takes him on a campaign tour in the middle of a Pandemic.
Proactive hardworking president. He understands that peoples development is more important than his own life hence risking everything during this pandemic ensure our people see the development they deserve. We can assure you heads will roll because we can keep paying people who are not doing the jobs contracted to do.
Election fraud and manipulations are considered pervasive throughout the developing world, giving rise to concerns that they facilitate corruption and inhibit economic growth, as the voters are prevented from holding the elected officials accountable. There are many ways to manipulate elections, including voter intimidation, ballot box stuffing, and changing vote totals after ballots are cast. When election outcomes can be manipulated through fraud, government officials may no longer have an incentive to perform or respond to their constituents’ needs. Worse, elected officials may engage in corrupt behaviour that hinders socio-economic growth. This lack of electoral accountability perhaps explains why, despite the proliferation of democratic institutions across the globe, corruption and…
He has no idea that the country faces a financial crisis. There are no opposition MPs and Tonga provincial permanent secretaries to frustrate the PF’s massive development effort. So why are projects not moving? Zimbabwe here we come to give u company.
‘My government will ensure that we take development to all the corners of this country, because I want when elections come next, I will just be pointing at what I have.’
My goodness! What a selfish reason for doing a job he was elected to do!
How can it all be about the elections? This is like giving water to a beggar because I want to go to heaven and God will see what good I have done. It is an evil motive. We do good because we want to help people even if they never thank us.
No wonder we are in this mess!
Gayzar Zulu, indeed heads should roll: yours and that of thieving Edgar China Lungu. This is a PF district and even there no hospital, no communication, no tarred roads, nothing!
So if the mp was opposition the answer would have been they are trying to bring him down that’s y the place is not developed but this goes to show that u don’t have ears on the ground to tell you what’s on ground. Your job boss is to know the only problem u pay attention when we are close to elections….
WHEN YOU HAVE FAILED YOU HAVE FAILED. IF IT WAS IN UPND STRONGHOLDS THE BLAME SHIFT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON UPND MPs. NOW THAT THIS IS AN INDICATION OF NOT HAVING MONEY IN THE TREASURY, LUNGU HAS SHIFTED BLAME ON NO SUPERVISORY ISSUE.
KOSWE MWITUMBA ONCE SAID A POOR CARPENTER BLAMES HIS TOOLS.
@Simlindo … Spot on! ECL is just waking up in the 90th minute and hoping to perform miracles.
It means he has not been in full control. A man who only wants to take control of the Economy when it’s already dead lacks seriousness. Miraculously, what has sustained him is the weak Zambian minds that keep cheering him on in his blind blundering! Zambians will suffer alone. Someone already has mansions outside Zambia and can conveniently run away! It’s Dununa reloaded!
the same rubbish all the time…he has an office in State House that oversees these projects who is he cheating
Do people have to beg government to provide them with basic services.? Why? Governments are there to meet the needs of people, water, medical, schools, we are paying tax every month not to provide salaries for Lusambo and Chilufya. Read these wankers the riot act and throw them out.
The truth of the matter is that the projects were awarded to pf cadres or ministers. And all of they have already been paid in full for there abandoned projects. And more tax payers moneys will be paid to another pf to do a rough job of finishing each.
When a company fails to function ,the chief executive has to take some responsibility for the failures . You are simply not good enough for Zambia that is why we are where we are now because of you .The country is in such a mess from the economy , Judiciary ,health etc because of utu saka twandalama which you have got for yourselves and left non for the poor . Where have you been all along ?
When will MP’s rid themselves of the bashing on taking development to their constituencies when it is not their core role! It is the responsibility of the executive to see to it that development projects are equitably distributed and prioritized! In one breath you hear Lungu saying areas that have no representation of a Member of Parliament (MP) from his party will not see any development projects then turns and says MP’s need to lobby for projects in their constituencies! MP’s legislate and when strictly adhered to have no authority to start lobbying for financing because they are not supposed to initiate developmental projects! Is it the MP’s job to lobby for a health center, police post or post office? The lazy executive has abrogated its role transferring it to the legislative who…
THE RONALD REAGAN TEST: Are you better off today than you were in 2011?
50 years ago the UNIP government began the nationalisation of major industries and the mines and created INDECO and ZIMCO. Kaunda became the de facto Chief Executive through his surrogate appointees. The mines were producing 750,000 tons of copper per year. Zambia had no money to pay the mine owners so it negotiated a payment over 10 years. A couple of years or so later, we entered the One Party state and government now did not care. 25 years later, copper production slumped to 250,000 tons. We reversed the nationalisation and in 2020, production is back to 750,000. History is about to repeat. INDECO is back under PF. ZIMCO will be ZCCM-IH. If Lungu gets a big majority in 2021 parliament, be rest assured a One Party…
one party state is on the cards.
Luke 14:28-30
28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
This is the problem with PF… You borrow the money and expect to finish projects! are you serious! Wrong priorities for Zambia.. Dont ask questions that confirm that your head is cut off! How do you expect projects to be completed without a plan? Most incompetent president in living memory!
There are various scenarios’ here that we have seen over the years 1) Money being ‘chewed’ because of lack of accountability 2) Money running out because you are broke 3) ‘Projects’ awarded to people who have no means to ‘construct’ 4) No coordinated policy on what needs to be prioritized for ‘development’ and where 5) Spending the very money needed for ‘development’ on unnecessary leader emoluments, tours, campaigns and sitting allowances
In deed President Lungu is indeed
Caring for this nation, it’s just that opposition leaders only see the bad things in him.
Ok