Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) A Letter of Encouragement to Rupiah Banda

A Letter of Encouragement to Rupiah Banda
January 2, 2009

Dear Rupiah,

Let me start by congratulating you on winning the presidential election. It was a close race I wonder how you pulled that off. Hey, why did you have to rush the inauguration? Two hours after you were declared winner you were being sworn in, don’t you think that was kind of suspicious? Before I get into the details, let me say we have never really met–officially.

However, we did informally meet at Mulungushi during the Independence Eve celebrations in 2007. I am the guy who came to your high table and advised you that next time you host a national event like that you should invite groups from other parts of the country not just Eastern and Northern. Then I didn’t even think you were capable of being the Commander-in Chief.

Well, your job now Mr. President is not to attend parties and babysit diplomats who cannot get an audience with the President. You are actually the President. You get to make very important decisions that drive the twelve million citizens of this nation. You actually hire a team of men and women who are entrusted with the country’s wealth and power. Now that is a lot of responsibility on you and your team. As a leader, you get to supervise these individuals and make sure that they perform accordingly. And if they don’t you get to fire them. Already, you could use these powers on some of those guys you know.

The job of the President is not an easy one. Please stop whining about you having too much work and facing difficult times than any of your predecessors. In fact you have it easy. All you need to do is delegate. Delegate your work to some of the brightest men and women Zambia has. You may have to make a few international calls. But don’t worry the Zambians will pay for the calls. Ask some of these competent men and women in economics, agriculture, banking, medicine, and other disciplines to come help you stir the nation in the right direction. I certainly have a few names I could throw your way. Please don’t hesitate to ask. Remember what Mwanawasa did with Bank of Zambia. He fished Caleb Fundanga out from some foreign country.

In order to leave an indelible mark on the Zambian political scene I suggest you pick a cause you are passionate about. Your predecessor fought against corruption. I suggest you fight against illiteracy. Yes, dedicate your energy and time to fight this deadly disease in our country. Make sure that going to school becomes mandatory for every child in Zambia. In fact, pass a law that forces parents to enroll their children to school when they turn seven. Make education free for everyone. Build more schools in every corner of the country. Trust me the Japanese will gladly offer you a few grants for this project. Upgrade some colleges like Evelyn Hone and NIPA to universities. Talk education and dream education. I certainly don’t mind you napping during meetings as long as you are thinking about education.

When you wage this war against illiteracy you will be amazed what will happen to millions of Zambians. Millions will learn how to survive and create their own opportunities amidst the tough times. They will not look to the government to employ them. That is fewer headaches for you trust me. They will not bother any of you and your buddies in government. And most importantly, you leave a legacy that will be difficult to match.

Well, now you see even amidst what you call “difficulty times” you can create opportunities for yourself as the Commander-in-Chief. As long as you have sharp individuals doing the work for you there will be nothing to worry about. You can travel around the country supervising the school projects and no one will question you. Instead of sugar, please take a few good books and give the pupils—someone’s life could be changed forever. When the opposition sees you working hard like this, they will have no words.

Finally, if after three years the work is too much or you find the literacy campaign isn’t too exciting don’t hesitate to resign the presidency. It is not a sign of failure but a sign of courage. You will actually go down in history. You will have more sympathizers all around the country and continent. You will become the literacy campaign spokesperson of the United Nations. Your services will suddenly be needed in Bolivia, Bangladesh and all over the world. Being a private citizen can be fun and fulfilling after all.

Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.

Sincerely yours,

Wesley Ngwenya

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:42 PM