Ndola City Council has officially handed over K 2,425,000 to institutions that enrolled students who successfully applied for skills development bursaries under the Chifubu Constituency Development Fund of 2022.
Ndola District Commissioner Joseph Phiri handed over funds as guest of honour during a ceremony at Chifubu Market attended by Chifubu Member of Parliament Lloyd Lubozha, Ndola Mayor Jones Kalyati and Ndola Town Clerk Shilla Songolo.
In his keynote speech, Mr. Phiri revealed that 518 students are benefiting from the 2,425,000 CDF for Chifubu Constituency.
He named the benefiting institutions under the skills development component of the CDF as Northern Polytechnic College, Copperstone University College, Livingstone Institute for Business and Engineering Studies, HandsWorth Institute of Health Sciences and Technology, Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Centre, Enac Driving Institute and Northern Technical College.
“Today we officially witness the handover of funds to institutions that enrolled students who successfully applied for skills development bursaries under the Chifubu constituency development fund of 2022.The handover of these funds follows the approval from the ministry of local government and rural development of the selected beneficiaries. The number of successful applicants is five hundred and eighteen (518). This means that 518 youths of Chifubu constituency have been given an opportunity by the government to study and develop life-long skills. In total, the 518 students are benefiting two million, four hundred and twenty five thousand kwacha. (K2,425,000). This is not a small amount,” Mr. Phiri said.
“I am also aware that the ministry of local government and rural development has also approved three carry-over projects from the last CDF disbursement worth five hundred thousand kwacha (K500, 000). Under the 2022 CDF, 14 projects have been approved worth almost fourteen million kwacha (K13, 915,550.) Some of the community projects are the construction of a police post, a clinic, local court, market shelter and maternity wing. Other community projects are grading and re-graveling of roads, purchasing of desks and tents, street lighting and buying of the constituency motor vehicle. Further, in another joyous development, the ministry of local government has approved the selected ninety eight (98) beneficiaries of empowerment grants worth over one point nine million (K1, 940,000),” Mr. Phiri said.
He said the UPND Government was delivering development as evidenced by the actualisation of CDF.
Mr. Phiri added:”I now wish to caution the students who have been granted bursaries. Take this opportunity seriously by working hard and making your families and the CDF committee proud. In conclusion, the disbursement of these funds is proof that CDF is meant to improve the lives of all Zambians. I wish to urge all of us to take these opportunities seriously and improve our communities.”
Ndola Mayor Jones Kalyati has cautioned stakeholders against abusing Constituency Development Fund (CDF) saying people managing CDF must ensure that it benefits the vulnerable.
Mr. Kalyati said CDF and Ward Development committees must not use the funds to sponsor their logistics for meetings or select their relatives as beneficiaries.
“This money is there to support the vulnerable, to support the under privileged. I do not expect to find the Mayor’s son benefiting from these funds. I do not expect the well to do leaders and business men to be taking these funds,” Mr. Kalyati said.
Chifubu MP Lloyd Lubozha highlighted how Chifubu Constituency is benefiting from CDF.
“Chifubu Constituency is one of the four constituencies that we have in Ndola and among the four constituencies we are the only constituency that has benefited twice from central government. What are our benefits? We are building the first ever district hospital in Ndola that is being constructed in Chifubu, Kawama ward,” he said.
Congratulations. Community development indeed