Maravi

Sikasote, Chibombamilimo differ again

Sikasote, Chibombamilimo differ again
By Mutuna Chanda
Monday June 30, 2008 [04:00]

NORTHERN Province MMD chairman Griver Sikasote has accused provincial minister Lameck Chibomba-milimo of destabilising the party in the area. But Chibombamilimo branded Sikasote as a noisemaker who was fighting him to seek a job from President Levy Mwanawasa. And MMD national secretary Dr Katele Kalumba pleaded with ministers and members of parliament in the party that did not hold party positions to follow the correct channels in addressing their concerns.

Sikasote said the MMD in the province was extremely disappointed with Chibombamilimo for issuing a statement on Radio Mano in Kasama on June 18, calling for the dissolution of the MMD provincial executive committee.

Sikasote said Chibombamilimo issued another statement banning Cabinet ministers campaigning for the MMD presidency from visiting the Northern Province.

"The provincial minister, Northern Province Hon L Chibombamilimo, MP is on record for issuing a statement on radio, banning Cabinet ministers from visiting Northern Province by giving false reasons that they were campaigning for MMD party presidency," Sikasote said. "Cabinet ministers are appointed by the Republican President and authorised to travel to the Northern Province by the President. The question which should be asked is how can Northern Province develop if the Cabinet ministers are prevented from the Northern Province by the provincial minister who is a junior minister?"

Sikasote said Chibombamilimo had been confusing the people of Northern Province with his statements.

"The provincial minister is on record for criticising Cabinet ministers appointed by the President from Northern Province at provincial meetings in Kasama without facts; sending a signal of confusion and disorder to the people of Northern Province," Sikasote said.

"Honourable Kapembwa Simbao, Minister of Works and Supply has especially been a constant victim of these criticisms by Honourable Chibombamilimo at these provincial meetings."

Sikasote said Chibombamilimo had failed to tour all districts in the Northern Province and had instead focused on destabilising MMD in Kasama and Mpulungu districts using a few party officials.
"The provincial minister has been an embarrassment to the MMD in the Northern Province," he said.

Sikasote said the people of Northern Province were tired of petty politics, which ended up bringing division.

But Chibombamilimo charged that there were camps in the Northern Province that were working against the government provincial administration to gain recognition.

Chibombamilimo said Sikasote's attacks on him were personal and they started way before the 2006 elections.

He said the attacks Sikasote had mounted against him meant that he would have to suspend his inspection of government works to defend himself.

"Sikasote has become personal. It's just between him and me. It's a power struggle. I seem to be a threat. In actual fact I am a threat and whatever I do they want to shut it down," he said. "When some MMD and other government officials met me to discuss development in the province, Sikasote heard that and it angered him. He twisted the story and started making accusations. That is when I humbly requested the President to dissolve PEC because they were failing to work with the government provincial office. There's a lot of money in the province for the building of a high school, hospital and other projects, there is no way a province can work in isolation we need to work together. But they don't want that and it's not the entire PEC it's just Sikasote and a few other officials."

Chibombamilimo said he did not ban ministers from travelling to Northern Province.
However, he maintained that he knew that there were Cabinet ministers who were campaigning for the MMD presidency at the expense of delivering development to the rural population.

"I said that the people of Northern Province should ask ministers who are campaigning for the presidency, the things they have done for them to warrant their campaigns for the presidency," Chibombamilimo said. "There are so many who are campaigning for the presidency and I being Northern Province minister, I have my ears on the ground.

I am informed of those ministers who come here and what they come to do. When they give gifts to two or three people, it is no longer a secret. Those people they give gifts come to tell me, we still have until 2011 and if we start campaigning for the presidency now, we'll divert attention from development."

And when asked on why he had targeted Simbao in his criticism, Chibombamilimo said the works and supply minister held a key position but that there was nothing to write home about in Northern Province.

"If things are not happening I have to say that things are not happening. We have been talking about roads and bridges," said Chibombamilimo. "I can't see anything tangible. I'm not attacking him I'm encouraging him to do more. I talked about Mbesuma bridge last year. The government spent K4.5 billion on a contractor and not a load of sand has been delivered.

This year K600 million has been released for a feasibility study of the same bridge. I don't see any sense. How many feasibility studies are we going to have? I would be happy if that K600 million went to start the construction of Mbesuma bridge. The minister of works came to tour works with a government delegation last year in Northern Province and this year he came back. Some of the money they are spending to tour the same projects where works are not moving could be used to do something like mending potholes."

But MMD national secretary Dr Katele Kalumba pleaded with ministers and members of parliament in the party that do not hold party positions to follow the correct channels in addressing their concerns.

Dr Kalumba said ministers or members of parliament that did not hold party positions could address misunderstandings that arose through the parliamentary liaison committee or party branches to which they belonged.

He said much as ministers and members of parliament were important, the 'small men and women' who held party positions deserved respect.

"Northern Province is an important and delicate political base for MMD. We don't want a divided Northern Province behind MMD. Last time, we barely survived," said Dr Kalumba. "In 2001 we ended up with MMD splitting up. The current leadership has done a lot in tolerance, listening and mediation and Northern Province has been a beneficiary of that. We have ministers like honourable Mulongoti and honourable Tetamashimba who hold party positions who can execute both party and government functions but those who do not hold party positions, let them execute government functions and programmes for now."

Dr Kalumba said those ministers or members of parliament that wanted to hold party positions should be patient as the MMD had already started holding elections in the lower organs of the party.

Labels: MMD

posted by MrK @ 3:44 AM