President Rupiah Banda has expressed his deep sadness over the bombings in Abuja Friday as Nigeria celebrated 50 years of independence.

Mr Banda said he delivered his condolences to Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan at State House Saturday morning when the two leaders met.

According to the Zambia National Broadcasting Services (ZNBC) website he said he told President Jonathan that the Nigerians would pull through even in the face of many challenges.

Mr Banda was speaking to reporters at the Mnandi Azikiwe international airport Saturday shortly before leaving Abuja for Lusaka.

Mr Banda said it is sad that the bombings took place on a happy day.

And President Banda said he is sure that the ties between Zambia and Nigeria would continue to grow.

He also praised the business people who have helped to market Zambia in Nigeria.

Meanwhile Reuters reports that the death toll from car bombs that exploded near a parade marking Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence rose to 12 today.Authorities admitted they had been warned of the attack.

Jimoh Moshoo, police spokesman in the capital, Abuja, said 17 people were wounded in Friday’s blasts, which went off about an hour after an emailed bomb threat from a rebel group in the oil-producing Niger delta.

Nigerian paper This Day, citing presidency sources, said British intelligence had got wind of a plot and passed on a warning to Abuja. Britain’s Duke of Gloucester, who was due to represent Queen Elizabeth II at the event, pulled out.

The secret service in Africa’s most populous nation confirmed it had received foreign tip-offs and had stepped up security accordingly, including towing 65 vehicles from the streets and cordoning off roads leading to the parade ground.

“If we had ignored them the situation could have perhaps been worse than what happened,” State Security Service spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said.

News outlets including Reuters received an emailed bomb warning about an hour before the explosions, signed by Jomo Gbomo, principal spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

Ogar said Henry Okah, a senior member of MEND, had been arrested in South Africa. Police there declined to comment.

MEND has been fighting for years for a greater share of oil revenues for the delta, home to Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry, but signed an amnesty with the government last year.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who faces an election next year and who is from the impoverished delta region, has condemned the attacks and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
[ZNBC,Reuters]

Zambia Direct Democracy Movement National Coordinator Edwin Sakala has charged that the Church in the country has failed to provide the much needed leadership.

And Mr Sakala has accused pastors, Bishops and priests of preaching hatred in this country instead of uniting the Zambians a scenario he described as unfortunate.

In a press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr Sakala accused the Clergy for taking sides with the secular leadership at the expense of preaching the word of God as well as praying for peace in the country.

ZANIS reports that Mr Sakala said the Zambia Direct Democracy Movement would always support a crop of God fearing and Charismatic leaders to occupy various leadership positions in society to liberate Zambia from demonic forces that he noted had taken toll on people’s minds.

He said Zambians must be helped to understand that the Church, Government and Citizens were all part of one living organism called Zambia and that the Movement did not understand why some priests have decided to take sides with people in political circles.

He advised some priests in the country to take up the role of uniting than politically dividing the nation as the 2011 general and tripartite elections were imminent.

Mr Sakala has further charged that Multi -Party Politics maybe good for developing countries but not for countries like Zambia.

He observed that multi-party politics were dividing the people on tribal political groupings adding that this had been identified as a source of ethnic violence and poverty in many African Countries.

He further charged that multi-party politics in Zambia had become a dividing factor and for the ordinary citizens, they could not help noticing that Church leaders of the seven big religious organisations were siding with their tribesmen.
Without disclosing the churches he was referring to, Mr Sakala added that tribalism was a product from hell because tribe had nothing to do with one’s personality.

Mr Sakala called on all peace loving Zambians to condemn all those priests and church leaders busy preaching hatred at the expense of uniting the nation.

[ ZANIS ]

Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala has called on the private sector in Zambia to partner with Government in establishing privately- owned game ranches across the country.

And Ms Namugala has further disclosed that the Tourism industry in Zambia had created many jobs for the citizens describing the sector as second in terms of driving the country’s economy from Agriculture.

ZANIS reports that speaking during the official Launch of the Wild Life Association of Zambia Open day at Lilayi Lodge in Lusaka today, Ms Namugala said so far, there were over 126 privately- owned game ranches throughout the country saying the number was not enough and had since called for more from the private sector.

She said that Government was geared to ensuring that innovative ways in the tourism sector were encouraged by venturing in non-traditional areas such as game ranching for the country’s development.

The tourism Minister also revealed that Government was reviewing the Wildlife Act to make it more inclusive and more viable for economic growth adding that there was hope that more private entrepreneurs would partner with Government in the sector.

She urged participants in the first ever open day to seriously look into challenges game management was facing in the country.

Mrs Namugala lamented that Government valued the preservation of Wildlife in the country, if the tourism sector was to flourish to profitable levels.

She also implored experts from the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to work hand in hand with the private game owners in game ranching adding that Government would give necessary support in game management.

ZANIS

First Lady Thandiwe Banda has paid tribute to SOS Children’s Villages Zambia for supplementing Government efforts in the provision of quality health care and education to children.

Mrs Banda who is also SOS Zambia Ambassador called for enhanced partnerships between Government and stakeholders in programmes that aims at uplifting the welfare of children in the country

ZANIS reports that the First Lady said this when she graced the SOS Children’s Villages Zambia, fundraising musical concert by Lee John and the Imagination Band from the United Kingdom in Lusaka.

Mrs Banda said it’s the duty of citizens to look after children as Government alone cannot manage due to meagre resources.

Earlier, SOS Children’s Villages Zambia National Director Florence Phiri said the village is currently supporting over 6 000 children at its three villages in Lusaka, Livingstone and Kitwe.

Mrs Phiri said the village has diversified its parameters by reaching out to other children in poorer communities surrounding the villages.

And speaking at the same function, SOS Children’s Villages Zambia Board Chairperson, Lucie Kasanda said plans are also underway to construct another children’s village in North-Western Province.

Ms Kasanda said this is in line with the village’s programme of targeting 16 000 children to be at its villages by the year 2016.

Proceeds from the fundraising will go towards the construction of the children’s village in Chipata, Eastern Province which is being funded by SOS-UK.

The Chipata Village will be home to 180 children and offer support to over 1 000 beneficiaries in the surrounding community.

ZANIS