Rupiah is a liar – Mpombo
Rupiah is a liar – MpomboBy George Chellah
Mon 14 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
FORMER defence minister George Mpombo yesterday said President Rupiah Banda is a liar and his lies are lowering the integrity of the office of the President.
And Mpombo said a revolt is brewing within Cabinet because most ministers have realised that President Banda has become very unpopular and subsequently a liability to their political careers.
Reacting to President Banda’s denial that he instructed the payment of US $5.9 million as compensation to Lusaka lawyer Dr Rodger Chongwe for the 1997 Kabwe shooting, Mpombo said Zambians would not accept the misuse of power to that extent.
“The President…he should not build his presidency on the web of deceit and lies because he will be caught up in a cobweb. People expect very high standards of performance from State House especially the President,” Mpombo said.
“It’s not convincing, Zambians know that the President is not telling the truth. By lying he is lowering the integrity of the office of the presidency and that’s totally unacceptable.”
He said Dr Chongwe’s statement gave a detailed account of events concerning the compensation claim.
“His President Banda statement on Dr Chongwe’s issue contains loopholes through which a herd of elephants would be pushed through very easily. There is incontrovertible evidence which has emerged from Dr Chongwe that this had the scheme of the President,” Mpombo said.
“In his Dr Chongwe letter, he said he met the President and Vice-President. But as usual the President is trying to be slippery and resort to political gimmickry.”
Mpombo insisted that Dr Chongwe’s account is the truth.
“State House should have challenged Dr Chongwe’s statement because it was a loaded statement. State House should have handled the matter in a firm way initially,” Mpombo said. “Zambians can’t be cheated by what the President is saying. Even home affairs minister Lameck Mangani his own minister talks about it.”
He wondered why State House is always on the spotlight for wrong things.
“This country must be moving forward in terms of good governance. Why is State House always caught up in wrong things, deals and initiating transactions? We wanted the President to put the matter Dr Chongwe’s compensation claim to rest by putting a water tight statement,” Mpombo said. “But his statement has given more room to speculation. It’s not good that State House should be lurching from one crisis to another.”
He also maintained that there were Cabinet ministers who are unhappy with President Banda’s leadership.
“There is a revolt brewing. Most ministers are not happy with his tribal appointments. The people are not happy and he knows that and I want to remind him of what happened in 1991 and tell him that you can’t intimidate ministers because they also have a political future,” said Mpombo.
“He must remember what happened in 1991 when cabinet ministers around KK were just leaving one by one openly. The President has become very unpopular and a liability to the political careers of most of the ministers and they know that.”
Officiating at the 10th anniversary celebrations of Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA) at Kitwe’s City Square on Friday, President Banda said he was not mad to have instructed Chongwe’s payment from public funds.
“I am sure many of you were curious to see me in real life after everyday I hit headlines ‘Rupiah this’, ‘Rupiah that’, ‘Rupiah has given US $5 million to so and so’. Do you think I am a mad person, I can just take public money and give it to someone?” President Banda wondered.
“I am a well-balanced person; if you come to my office and you ask for money, I’ll take you to the minister responsible so he can evaluate your request. So please believe me; I am not that easy to cheat. That is why a lot of people don’t like me because when they come they find that I know the direction in which this country should go.”
Last week on Monday, Dr Chongwe justified his compensation claim stating that he was happy that the Zambian government would implement the decision and that President Rupiah Banda played a part in the matter.
Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, ROGER CHONGWE, RUPIAH BANDA
posted by MrK @ 5:49 PM
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