The United Party for National Development (UPND) has engaged in selective bidding which they condemned and attacked while in opposition to give business to their friends in the auditing of the defence forces, its former vice president Canisius Banda has said.
Dr Banda said that there is nothing wrong with auditing Zambia’s defense forces but that the manner the new dawn administration is doing it is wrong.
Dr Banda said although President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration’s motive for carrying out audits raises suspicion, they are right to do that but, lack the requisite probity for such an exercise.
Dr Banda said any Republican President, through delegated responsibility, should engage in such pursuit meant to foster accountability, transparency and fiscal discipline in how public resources are utilised.
The President, having not declared his assets and liabilities at the start of his presidency, his conduct now is itself an affront to the very principles upon which auditing is founded. It speaks of double standards,” said Dr Banda.
He said the Head of State used to be a senior partner in Grant Thornton, one of the firms picked to carry out the audit of the defence forces through corruption-prone, selective bidding.
Dr Banda also alleged that PriceCoopersWaterhouse, the other firm engaged to examine military books is a ‘‘sister company’’ of Grant Thornton.
Dr Banda said the conduct by Mr Hichilema and his administration has the potential to expose national security secrets to private eyes that can easily translate these secrets into saleable commodities to Zambia’s foes.
Dr Banda said by engaging private firms to audit the defence, there is an indication that the Hichilema administration has no confidence in the current auditor general.
“The fear might be that Dick Sichembe and his band of national auditors, as they audit the defence forces, might actually bury instead of unearthing the very evidence he needs in order to convict his choicest suspects, primarily politically exposed and now vulnerable citizens such as ECL,” he said.
He said the new dawn government lacks the required sophistication for leadership and that one of their major weaknesses lies in announcing to the targets of his hunt that he is coming for them even before he embarks on the hunt.
“This represents a classic case of lack of professionalism, where arrests are promised and announced before the evidence is gathered. This is more a malicious wish than the required national forensic inquiry,” said Dr Banda.
Disjointed , Incoherent, gibberish by CB………..
Canisius is talking loudly but saying nothing!
CB is part of Zambia’s headache
My young man Canissius is contradicting himself. He starts well when he acknowledges that there is nothing wrong in auditing the defence forces but then gets muddled up when he tries to exculpate the PF politically exposed persons who may be found wanting from this exercise. Let us dissect the matter as we would do in an Anatomy lesson. Do the defence and security sectors need to be audited? YES. Everyone knows that graft is done under defence and security contracts. The colour of the cat is not important as long as it catches the rats. In fact, the cost of this audit is minimal. I could pay for it from my pocket!
For our good Dr’s information, Zambia’s military strength is already public information https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=zambia You can even see that we have ZERO attack helicopters!
Nothing special to hide about Zambia’s military capabilities! Its all about trying to hide what the PF did MoD as thought it can never be audited by competent companies. Besides these companies are Zambian and are run by Zambians.
Mfiti has popped up
Last time I heard from this luny was when he was asking HH to explain what HH had planted in ECL;s house after the tvs theft,PF thieves were arrested and he disapeared from public view.Now he is shamelessly back with this drivel.Please,like Munir Zulu,go shave
Well said Dr. Banda. I cannot add more.
Pilgrim still reminiscent of what could have been……
Come out of the woods Banda we need such caliber before …………………………….