Rupiah is a joker - Sejani

Rupiah is a joker - Sejani
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 25 June 2010, 04:00 CAT

President Rupiah Banda is a joker who has never been serious about governing the country, UPND Mapatizya member of parliament Ackson Sejani charged yesterday.

And Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata charged that President Banda was in Cape Town for a knee review before he went to Namibia for a three-day state visit.

Commenting on President Banda who was expected in Namibia yesterday when it had earlier been announced last Saturday that he was going for a state visit to that country, Sejani said Zambia was a strange country where people had to look for the President because they did not know about his whereabouts.

“Of course we know that from the very beginning, Rupiah Banda has never been a serious President. Rupiah Banda is a joker. He is a tourist. He is a sightseer, he goes round seeing things. He’s never been serious about governing this country. Never at all,” Sejani said.

“From his trips we have never been told what the benefits have been to this country. He goes out, he comes back, there is no report. But a lot of taxpayers’ money is used.”

Sejani said President Banda’s lifestyle was about maximum enjoyment with friends and relatives and minimum responsibility to the nation.

“He goes round with large delegations. Most of those are totally irrelevant. They have nothing to do with the work of government. They just go there to enjoy themselves. Either their sons, relatives or friends, that is Rupiah Banda’s government, yes, he goes to South Africa and he disappears from the radar. It’s terrible,” Sejani said.

Sejani said Zambians must demand from President Banda why he only arrived in Namibia on Wednesday when he was being expected there on Monday.

“Where has he been? What has he been doing and of what benefit it is to Zambia? I think it’s high time we rose up to hold this President accountable. You know he is not his own person. He was elected to do specific things for Zambia,” said Sejani. “As soon as he lands at the airport he must tell Zambians where he has been and what benefit it is for the Zambians.”

And Sata said President Banda should be very honest to the nation by revealing that he had delayed going to Namibia because of the knee review he had to undergo in South Africa.

“He has gone to the hospital. His knee comes first. The knee comes first than state visit. Do you want our President to be limping when he is visiting? I told you that after watching football on Sunday in South Africa he went to Cape Town for them to attend to the knee. He went to Cape Town for a review of the knee,” he said.

Sata reminded President Banda that he was not a private person and the nation should therefore be made aware of his moves.
He said President Banda had extended his Mfuwe holiday to Cape Town and then Namibia.

“That all goes into the aimless and unproductive travels, including his Vice-President George Kunda who is spending our taxpayers’ money to fly to Serenje for an MMD card renewal exercise. This country, as long as you people stop talking, you will have the Liatos talking, and the George Kundas talking then you are in trouble,” Sata said. “He President Banda can only explain where he went and what he was doing if you put him under pressure. But you are not putting him under pressure. The money they have wasted to go and review his knee, we can plough that money in UTH University Teaching Hospital, Ndola Central or Kitwe Central, or even Chipata Central.”

Sata asked President Banda to spend his own private money if he wanted a lavish lifestyle rather than wasting the hard-earned taxpayers’ money.

“And when I complain chief Madzimawe doesn’t see anything wrong in that. Chief Madzimawe misinterprets and he says I am telling the donors not to give money. All I am asking is for the donors to put pressure on this government to stop stealing and not to withdraw funding,” he said.

On the grading of roads by the government in Chifubu Constituency where there would be a by-election soon, Sata said the MMD was panicking and had now resorted to hoodwinking people by taking temporal development to them.

“The people are seeing for themselves. We don’t need those roads to be graded. We want them to be tarred…the money they have stolen through RDA is being spent on unproductive travels,” said Sata.