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Paying NCC delegates hefty allowances is the worst plunder, says Fr Mi

Paying NCC delegates hefty allowances is the worst plunder, says Fr Mi
By Zumani Katasefa
Monday December 17, 2007 [03:00]

MISSION Press director Father Miha Drevensky has said the paying of hefty allowances to delegates attending the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) is the worst plunder of resources by the Mwanawasa government. And Fr Miha has urged politicians not to use God’s name as they debate in the NCC.

In an interview yesterday, Fr Miha said it was unfortunate that President Mwanawasa’s government had decided to spend colossal sums of money on the NCC when the majority of Zambians were wallowing in poverty.

“NCC is not going to give Zambians a constitution, it is going to give President Mwanawasa a constitution. It is very unfortunate that those MPs, who have decided to go there, are just going there for their pockets, not for the people. They have been hooked by Mwanawasa,’’ he said.

“It is very disgraceful that they have accepted to attend NCC just for their pockets. They should have gone there out of their patriotism and be there free of charge,’’ he added.

He said it was disgraceful that leaders accepted to get hefty allowances when the social, education and health sectors were in a bad state.

Fr Miha wondered why initially President Mwanawasa was against the constituent assembly saying it would require huge sums of money, when he was going to even spend more on the NCC.

“This is the worst plunder of national resources by the Mwanawasa government. I fully agree with Michael Sata to expel his MPs who have gone to the NCC,’’ he said.

He also said it was unfortunate that the country was also not benefiting from its mineral resources and that Zambia ’s copper was going out of the country free of charge at the expense of poor Zambians.

Fr Miha also advised politicians not to use the name of God when debating the NCC.
Reacting to home affairs minister Ronnie Shikapwasha who said Sata was fighting God when he threatened to expel members who had defied the party directives not to attend the NCC, Fr Miha said politicians should leave out the name of God in such issues.

Labels: ALLOWANCES, NCC

posted by MrK @ 11:34 AM