Maravi

Road construction a conduit of corruption – Sata

Road construction a conduit of corruption – Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 17 Apr. 2010, 03:40 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday observed that the road construction sector under President Rupiah Banda has become a corrupt venture aimed at stealing money from Zambians.

Reacting to information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha’s description as myopic his and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s criticism of President Banda’s instruction to immediately source funds for the main roads, including the Mutanda-Chavuma road in North Western Province, Sata challenged the government to release the Auditor General’s report on roads, which they were currently holding on to, to protect criminals.

He said instead of criticising him, Shikapwasha should avail the Auditor General’s report to the public.

“I challenge Shikapwasha to tell us more, why have they not released the Auditor General’s report on the money they have stolen on the roads? Can they release the Auditor General’s report,” Sata asked.

“The whole road construction in this Rupiah Banda government is a corrupt venture, a conduit of corruption. Tell Mr. Shikapwasha, there is nothing he is telling us. Mr Shikapwasha is not impressing us at all; let him first release the report.”

Sata said the Road Development Agency should be dissolved because it had also become a conduit for stealing money. He said a lot had gone wrong in the construction of roads in the country because while there was little to show for in terms of delivery on the roads, people were becoming richer.

Sata observed that the construction of roads in the country was shrouded in corruption. He asked Shikapwasha to avoid being a bootlicker. Sata said he understood Shikapwasha’s arguments because he had always been a failure in life.

“Shikapwasha has never ever organised anything in his life. When former president Frederick Chiluba made him commander of the Air Force, instead of making the Air Force grow, he brought the Air Force down. And that man failed to organise Heritage Party. He ran to a party which was already organised by Michael Sata,” Sata said.

He maintained his statement that President Banda’s directive to finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane to immediately mobilise extra funds for main roads like the Mutanda-Chavuma was part of official systematic rigging.

“But as far as Shikapwasha is concerned, he doesn’t see it. All he wants to be is a bootlicker. Can they give us a list of the roads which they want to do,” Sata said.

President Banda has instructed Dr Musokotwane to immediately mobilise extra money from bilateral and multilateral institutions, specifically for the road sector.

He also directed works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti to mobilise contracts to ensure that the construction of key roads in the country was completed this year.

President Banda said he specifically wanted to see the completion of the Mutanda-Chavuma, Choma-Chitongo-Namwala roads in Southern Province and the Kasama-Luwingu road in Northern Province.

And Sata said this was the same Shikapwasha who attacked FDD president Edith Nawakwi when she made revelations on the crisis in the health sector, where women were being asked to carry buckets to the hospital to be used for the disposal of waste.

He challenged Shikapwasha to tell the nation why President Banda had fired Dr Velepi Mtonga as Ministry of Health permanent secretary and transferred her to Cabinet Office for re-deployment.

“Permanent secretaries are never deployed by Cabinet Office. Permanent secretaries are deployed by the President because Cabinet does not assign permanent secretaries,” said Sata.

Labels: AUDITOR GENERAL, CORRUPTION, ROADS, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 5:27 PM