Maravi

Nyirongo pleads with Mwanawasa

Nyirongo pleads with Mwanawasa
By Nomusa Michelo
Saturday March 03, 2007 [02:00]

DISMISSED lands minister Reverend Gladys Nyirongo has appealed to President Levy Mwanawasa to ensure that justice prevails in her case. Speaking on arrival from South Africa at the Lusaka International Airport on Thursday night following her dismissal on Wednesday, Rev Nyirongo who was in a sombre mood and reluctant to speak, said she wanted to be given chance to justify herself.

“I have no comment, whatever has happened has happened. I can’t comment until I have appeared before the President (Levy Mwanawasa). Please spare me. I can’t make any comment. All I can appeal from my father, the father of the nation (President Mwanawasa) is justice because others have been heard. That is all,” Rev Nyirongo said. “I am very grateful for this appointment. I am very grateful actually, there is nothing else I can say, nothing. I will stay obedient, that is all I can say. I hope I’m given also my time to justify.” At one point, Rev Nyirongo got upset with photojournalists, saying they had taken enough pictures of her and her family who had done nothing wrong.

“Ti lekeni. Ta chita chani? Monga taba. (Leave us alone. What have we done? As if we have stolen.)” Meanwhile, Transparency International Zambia has commended The Post for exposing scandals at the Ministry of Lands and has welcomed the firing and suspension of Rev Nyirongo and acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Frightone Sichone, respectively. “It is good that the President has acted quickly and with a sense of urgency over this matter. We hope that this will serve as a deterrence measure to all Zambians especially those that hold public office to avoid abusing their official positions for private gain,” Lungu said. “We also wish to commend The Post Newspapers for professionally exposing the scandals that are occurring at the Ministry of Lands. The Post has continued to be ahead of our law enforcement agencies diligently in exposing such matters.”

He said the swift action by government would not have been taken without the gallant approach of investigative journalism of The Post Newspapers. “We, however, wish to express our concern that despite the President having been aware of the alleged abuse of office of the Reverend Nyirongo and Mr Sichone, it had to take a report in The Post for him to take action on the matter,” Lungu said. “We wish to strongly urge him to be more proactive and not reactive to press revelations. The onus and challenge now is on the Anti-Corruption Commission to be also steadfast in investigating and prosecuting Reverend Nyirongo and the Commissioner of Lands.”

Lungu also appealed to President Mwanawasa to extend this approach to the ruling party where senior party officials implicated in corrupt practices have gone scot-free.

Labels: LAND, MINISTERS

posted by MrK @ 11:13 AM