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Mpombo questions Philips’ 25m euro deal with govt

Mpombo questions Philips’ 25m euro deal with govt
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 12 July 2010, 04:00 CAT

GEORGE Mpombo yesterday questioned the government’s decision to award Philips a 25 million euro contract to cover the upgrade and maintenance of equipment in 71 government hospitals nationwide.

And Mpombo described President Rupiah Banda’s statement to Brazilian President Inacio Luiz Lula da Silva that even someone who was not educated but focused could become President as hypocrisy of the worst kind.

Commenting on the signing of the five-year contract between Philips and the Ministry of Health, Mpombo, who is Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament and former defence minister, challenged the government to explain the procurement procedures used in awarding Philips the contract.

“It has got strong connection to State House. So we would want to know the procurement system, was it followed? Was it single-sourcing?” Mpombo asked. “We want to challenge them; tell us whether the procedures were followed, or was it single-sourcing?”
Mpombo said the deal was suspect.

Mpombo said such happenings usually led to the loss of public confidence in those who governed the country.
The renewed collaboration between Philips and the Ministry of Health was announced at the kick-off of the Lusaka leg of Philips’ Cairo-to-Cape Town tour, which ends on July 20.

During a Philips media roundtable at Pamodzi Hotel on June 15, 2010, Philips healthcare senior director JJ van Dongen said the agreement would include the training and education of healthcare workers on advanced medical treatments using modern technologies to improve the quality of care.

JJ van Dongen said the 25 million Euro project included the installation and maintenance of diagnostic imaging equipment including mobile X-ray, fluoroscopy, ultrasound scanners, operating theatres and dental treatment systems.

And on President Banda’s statement to President Lula that even someone who was not educated but focused could lead the country, Mpombo said that was hypocrisy of the worst kind.
Mpombo said the attempts to introduce the degree clause in the Constitution were meant to bar some aspirants from vying for the Republican presidency.

“Why did he sponsor that particular arrangement and lobbied so heavily? The government lobbied so heavily to have that provision adopted. So in my view it has exposed the real intentions,” Mpombo said. “He just said that to please Lula. He just wanted to gain some mileage out of it. In Brazil, the visit to Zambia was billed as a private visit. Here in Zambia, he said it’s a state visit. The man was just passing, just stopping by. His major trip was to go to South Africa and just stop over here. But you could see the excitement in Mr Banda.”

On Thursday, President Banda said even without education, a person who is focused could succeed in leading a country.

During the Zambia-Brazil Business Forum at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka, President Banda praised President Lula for ascending to the Presidency despite his humble education.

“The problem with some of us, especially those of us who were colonised and educated by the British, is that we think education is everything,” President Banda said. “This man President Lula never went to university and yet he learnt a lot of things through life. What this is teaching us is that you can grow big if you are focused. This Lula is the only President without a university degree and yet he has built more universities than any other President.”

On tourism minister Catherine Namugala’s statement that Zambian politics were too dirty, especially for women, Mpombo said politics were not a game for the feeble-minded but an assessment of people’s capacities.

“It is not true that women shun politics because of what Catherine is talking about. It is not true. You can see the women in UPND, PF members in Lusaka and also elsewhere. So it is a negative statement which must be treated with the contempt it deserves,” he said.
Mpombo said some women should blame themselves over the attacks they received.
He cited education minister Dora Siliya’s conduct on the privatisation of Zamtel.

Mpombo said people who were attacking President Banda were not after his blood, but that they were doing so because he was a servant of the people, who was expected to do right.
“Catherine must use her closeness to Rupiah Banda even to advise him on his frequent foreign trips because you see the President is becoming adventurous as Marco Pollo was,” Mpombo said. “Rupiah Banda has got it all wrong. The work of the President is not to personally go and woo investors, you have ministers of commerce, and you have ambassadors.”

Mpombo bemoaned President Banda’s “mis-governance.”
“Recently, he went with businessmen to Mfuwe to talk about tourism, and he was accompanied by Catherine Namugala, no civil servant was there; and we don’t know who was paying accommodation for those foreigners who came. If there is a problem, which side do you think Rupiah Banda will take?” Mpombo asked. “That is a conflict of interest. There is no way the President is going to Mfuwe with business colleagues. That is the work of the permanent secretaries, the minister. But when the President is getting physically involved, then you have a problem.”

On Saturday, Namugala said Zambian politics were dirty, especially for women.
“Yes, that also character assassination you know, when you talk about political debate, I expect that a country like Zambia will be talking about ‘how do we educate more of our people? How do we ensure poverty levels go down? How do we ensure that the natural resources are not depleted, the wealth of the country remains in the hands of the local people?’” Namugala said.

“Those are the issues one expects political leadership to be addressing. Not to be talking about an individual, ‘how many wives they have for instance. Who said they are stupid? Who said that they don’t have a degree?’ You know, those things that are irrelevant, that don’t add value to the lives of a person in Muyombe.”

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, LULA DA SILVA

posted by MrK @ 3:49 AM