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Impeach Banda, Lukuku urges MPs

Impeach Banda, Lukuku urges MPs
Written by Mutale Kapekele
Saturday, February 21, 2009 6:51:33 AM

MEMBERS of parliament should impeach President Rupiah Banda for condoning corruption, former New Revolution Party (NRP) secretary general James Lukuku has said.

In an interview yesterday, Lukuku said it was clear from the events that happened during last year's presidential campaigns and the recent developments in the Ministry of Communications and Transport that President Banda condoned corruption.

"I was the first person to come out in the open to expose corrupt activities that President Banda and his campaign team were involved in during the run up to the presidential elections last year and I did warn the nation that this government was not going to be transparent and corruption-free," Lukuku said.

"From the way President Banda is supporting Dora Siliya, it is clear that he does not take corruption seriously and it is high time that Zambians passed a vote of no confidence in him and his government. My appeal is to the members of parliament to impeach President Banda and come up with a transitional government to run the country until 2011."

He said when President Banda supported Siliya in the Zamtel and RP Capital Partners deal, without considering the advice from the Attorney General, he supported corruption and should therefore be impeached.

"President Banda has demonstrated gross misconduct by supporting the Minister of Communication and Transport [Siliya], even when it is clear that there was corruption and abuse of authority involved," Lukuku said. "That is solid ground for the President to be impeached."

He said Zambians in the civil service would not allow corrupt leaders to take them for granted and he appealed to those with information about corrupt activities and abuse of authority to come out and tell the nation.

"From what has happened at FRA [Food Reserve Agency where GMO maize was imported in the country], at Zamtel and National Airports, it is clear that not all Zambians in the civil service condone corruption and they are becoming responsible by exposing corrupt vices," Lukuku said.

"We don't know what is happening in other ministries and I am urging civil servants to come out with information because it is clear that we are in a mess and we need to restore leadership of integrity to the nation."

He recalled that President Banda said it would be difficult for him to rule this country in his inaugural speech because he knew that Zambians would not just sit and watch the government do wrong things.

"President Banda acknowledged that it would be difficult for him to rule this country because he knows that Zambians no longer condone wrong things," Lukuku said.

"Everything is going wrong in the country now. We don't know the future of the kwacha, jobs are being lost every day and we are not hearing a strong voice from the government as to what they are doing about all this. To make matters worse, our President is always going out of the country as if issues wherever he goes are more important than what is happening here."

And Lukuku disclosed that he was approached by suspected government agents to fabricate stories against The Post.

"The government is always looking for a way of sorting out The Post and I can confirm that they have formed what they are calling the Lukuku factor," he said.

"I was approached by a man, who I suspect is from the system, and he told me that I could make a lot of money if I agreed to work against The Post. He told me to go to the media and claim that The Post paid me money to speak against President Banda and Mike Mulongoti during last year's presidential campaigns. We talked for a long time but in the end I refused to take up the offer because I was looking at the future and not just financial gains."

Lukuku said the government wanted to use the fabricated stories to discredit The Post and compel them to join the Media Ethics Council of Zambia (MECOZ).

Last year prior to the presidential elections, Lukuku revealed that President Banda had given the NRP K15 million for them to endorse his candidature for the elections. However, President Banda denied the allegation but on the same day, his campaign manager then and now works and supply minister Mulongoti said the money given to NRP was just a donation from the big brother party. After the elections, Lukuku was arrested more than once on charges he claimed were politically motivated.

Labels: IMPEACHMENT, JAMES LUKUKU, NRP, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:51 AM