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Onus to stamp out corruption in road sector is with govt - Sata

Onus to stamp out corruption in road sector is with govt - Sata
By Bright Mukwasa
Sat 19 Nov. 2011, 12:30 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata says the onus to stamp out corruption in the road sector is with government as it is the one responsible for awarding contracts.

And President Sata has urged citizens to start preparing themselves to make submissions to the newly-appointed 20-member technical committee tasked to formulate the new national constitution.

President Sata made the remarks at State House yesterday when he swore-in Patricia Daka Jere and Francis Kamanga as permanent secretaries for the Ministry of Justice in-charge Drafting and Works, Supply, Transport and Communications respectively ministry.

"There is so much corruption in Road Development Agency because we are blaming the people we are giving contracts that they are doing shoddy work when it is us who are awarding contracts and there are specifications. You as permanent secretary don't leave it to RDA; it is your task to travel the whole country, inspect all these projects including the projects which your relative (former president Rupiah Banda) left, the Mfuwe road," President Sata said.

"We have never seen a road like our Kasama-Luwingu-Mansa road which is 12 years, up to now they have not gone anywhere and we don't know what people of Mporokoso have done; up to now they have never seen a tarred road. So you look at all those things. And among other things which you have to do almost immediately, I want all rural aerodromes upgraded to tar standard. I wanted to fly to Isoka, somebody tells me you can't land in Isoka, Sir. Why shouldn't I land in Isoka? Because the previous people preferred to go to England, America and everywhere else and not Zambia."

President Sata advised the new works and supply ministry permanent secretary to utilise the services of the Zambia National Service in fixing road infrastructure saying it was created for that function.

"I went to see the Mongu-Kalabo road, there's nothing going on.You can't blame the China man who is doing that because the China man may have greeted somebody from RDA nicely. So please you have seen this job in the army, you have seen this job in Zambia, you have seen this job in Botswana. Let's add where UNIP left because without UNIP I don't know what we will do. Because all the tar roads that you have in Zambia today were done by UNIP, MMD did not do anything."

President Sata also said it was difficult to balance appointments based on tribe.

"By coincidence you all come from Eastern Province. You are going to get some professional critics like Mr. Sondashi who wants to be balanced, but you don't balance human beings, you balance the integrity and human brains," he added.

"I think our colleagues had delayed, they should have been complaining but they have not complained so we decided on their behalf, this lady you are seeing there she might not walk, she might not run but that little head of hers, the entire government, the entire judiciary, the entire police depends on her. If she can't write and draft laws it will be very difficult for lawyers like Charity Mwansa to interpret but we thought we should recognise her," said President Sata in reference to the appointment Patricia Daka Jere, who is disabled.

Later in an interview, Daka-Jere said she was elated at the appointment and pledged to work diligently.
And President Sata said those people who were serious about the constitution-making process were free to submit their views to the technical committee.

"People are talking about balancing, the majority of people on that committee are ‘born again' (Christians) so I don't know why that man from Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia is complaining. We have more than 11 Catholic Bishops, the man who was complaining is the only bishop in that EFZ so if you are the only Bishop and you want to bamba zonke (get everything)," he said.

"So what we do is there are more ‘born agains' on that committee and if those people are serious about the constitution let them submit, even individuals who are serious, you the press what you think don't just start sing stories we want Information bill, what Information bill? Let's see what you can write about Information bill."

Labels: MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 7:20 PM