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Rupiah wants to move Chriticles to Luapula - Sakeni

Rupiah wants to move Chriticles to Luapula - Sakeni
By George Chellah and Ernest Chanda
Tue 28 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT

RUPIAH wants to move Chriticles Mwansa to Luapula as permanent secretary, says Luapula province PF chairman Kennedy Sakeni. In an interview, Sakeni said President Banda intends to effect further changes at the provincial administration in Luapula. He said the changes were aimed at boosting the MMD’s performance in Luapula Province in next year’s elections.

“We know that Rupiah wants to bring my young brother Chriticles to Luapula Province. In fact, the plan is that they want to bring Chriticles here so that he can identify a constituency, preferably Mansa Central, where he will contest on the MMD ticket next year. Chriticles is my young brother and we will welcome him, but MMD should be ready for a political showdown,” Sakeni said.

“They think with the recent appointment of Besa Chimbaka, it would also be a good idea to transfer the young man Chriticles from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training to Luapula so that the two can coordinate in ensuring that the provincial administration is used for Rupiah’s political campaigns. But they are just cheating themselves because PF is rock solid in Luapula and they will see it for themselves next year.”

He said President Banda would be shocked with the results that would emerge from Luapula in 2011 because the people have made up their minds.

“Let them find time to visit the province and they will see that those rebels have been cheating them all along,” Sakeni said. “With or without Chriticle’s involvement in the provincial administration, ahead of the elections next year, those rebels will not retain their parliamentary seats.”

He said President Banda, who recently moved Dr Borniface Kawimbe from Luapula Province as provincial minister, also planned to transfer Jazzman Chikwakwa to the Copperbelt in the same capacity.

“It’s well known in the MMD circles that Chikwakwa has expressed interest to contest one of the parliamentary seats in Lambaland so they also want to take him to the Copperbelt,” he said.

But Mwansa who first laughed when contacted, expressed ignorance about the whole arrangement.

“I don’t think I even have any close contact with Mr Sakeni. For now I will leave him to speculate. I think I’m serving the nation very well where I am and I’ll continue to do that. So, let him continue speculating,” said Mwansa.

Recently, Mwansa was Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) commissioner general before he was transferred to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training as permanent secretary.

Earlier this year, President Banda promised the traditional leadership in Luapula Province that he would appoint Mwansa as Republican vice-president if they delivered the province to MMD in the 2011 presidential and general elections.

“During his last visit to Luapula Province, the President had a closed-door meeting with Mwata Kazembe and we are told Chriticles was also there although he kept on going in and out of the meeting. What you need to understand is that President Banda is so desperate and if there is a province that worries him most, it's Luapula because he knows that it's a serious PF stronghold,” a source revealed. “That's why he has promised the traditional leadership that he will make Chriticles vice-president once they assist him and deliver Luapula Province to the MMD and himself in particular.

Of course, we all know who is at the centre of these schemes, it's Frederick Chiluba. The President wants to involve the chiefs in the province with the hope of turning the tables. He thinks that just because Chriticles has a history with the Umutomboko Ceremony...his involvement with the organising committee then he is a serious factor in Luapula politics, which is not the case. People know that Chriticles has no firm ground or serious interactions with the grassroot in the province.”

Labels: CHRITICLES MWANSA, KENNEDY SAKENI, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:42 AM