Maravi

IFCC urges Rupiah to focus on alleviating national problems

IFCC urges Rupiah to focus on alleviating national problems
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Friday, March 20, 2009 2:39:06 AM

THE International Fellowship of Christian Churches (IFCC) has said President Rupiah Banda must not concentrate on how he will finish off The Post but how to alleviate the many problems affecting Zambians. In a media statement issued in Lusaka, IFCC president Bishop Simon Chihana stated that The Post was the only print media of the masses that President Banda might need one day.

"IFCC has been compelled to speak on The Post and President Rupiah Banda saga because it seems it is taking the attention from the President to focus on real issues that are affecting the Zambian people at large," Bishop Chihana observed. "We want to say that any leader must know that he or she will receive opposing views contrary to his expectations and leadership. If a leader cannot acknowledge the fact that there are other people with opposing views to his, this can be a great nightmare."

He stated that any leader must understand and agree that he was just a human being like everybody, bound to make mistakes and if corrected they must swallow their pride and admit by addressing the problem.

"We solemnly believe that the media neither have enemies nor friends but work according to the weather patterns of things that are happening on the ground in the nation and in a given environment. Therefore, we want to encourage the President to have his emotions restrained against The Post newspaper because it just seems that it is only he and The Post in the land," Bishop Chihana stated. "We realize that our people are facing many difficulties and challenges in terms of how they can afford food, how they can get jobs and protect their jobs, how they can receive adequate medical attention, how they can have their children attain better education."

He observed that the controlling of mealie-meal prices was one of the biggest issues that the government needed to look at, than the fight against The Post.

Bishop Chihana further stated that IFCC believed that President Banda's government must continue curbing and fight corruption in all government institutions.

Bishop Chihana also advised President Banda not to be disclosing confidential materials that he found at State House or in government.

"It is extremely important for presidents also to understand that it is not a right attitude to be disclosing every secret they find documented in State House. People are looking to our dear President to provide leadership in sorting out the situation we are in right now and not the [other] way round," Bishop Chihana stated. "The President must not be overtaken on how he can deal and finish The Post newspaper but how he can work out a programme to alleviate the many problems being faced by the Zambian people because bread on the table shall not come by quarrelling with the newspapers. Agriculture, health and education sectors shall not improve by spitting in the face of [Post editor] Fred M'membe."

He advised President Banda not to preoccupy himself with plans to close The Post.

"In a good time of our democracy, The Post is the only print media that has stood the test of time to allow readers have a choice from the government newspapers and effectively covering the whole Zambia and outside," stated Bishop Chihana. "The Post is the only print media of the masses that President Banda might need one day and therefore trying to remove it is of no use at all."

In the recent past, President Banda has repeatedly issued threats against The Post over the newspaper's critical coverage of his misdeeds and those of his government.

Addressing MMD cadres at State House recently, President Banda declared: "I will ensure that they [The Post] close down by the debt they owe the Zambian people, if they don't pay back soon."

A week later, President Banda told demonstrating students at State House that The Post stole US$30 million from the Zambian people.

Labels: IFCC, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 2:38 AM