Rupiah led a rotten government, says chief Naluama

Rupiah led a rotten government, says chief Naluama
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Thu 24 May 2012, 12:58 CAT

RUPIAH Banda led a rotten government, says chief Naluama of Mazabuka district. Chief Naluama told Southern Province minister Obvious Mwaliteta when he visited him at his palace that he would not want to see a repetition of the MMD corruption in the PF government.

He said he was happy that a crooked and corrupt government led by Banda was removed from office.

He accused Banda of having led a rotten government whose leadership was only interested in enriching their families and not addressing the many problems the country was going through.

Chief Naluama said Zambians hate corruption.

He also complained that the farmer input support programme was highly abused by the previous government as authority was given to conmen to handle it.

He further lamented that because corruption had permeated all government ministries, the poor suffered as they did not benefit from the programme which was initially intended to assist the poor but viable farmers.

Chief Naluama said he had no doubt that the PF government would ensure poor farmers benefitted from the subsidised inputs.

He also complained of hunger affecting most households due to poor harvest caused by the drought that had hit the chiefdom in the last rainy season.

He said people are starving and needed relief food.

He also complained of livestock diseases and urged the government to intervene.

Chief Naluama also informed the minister that he will support the PF government in order to foster development in the chiefdom.

He assured the minister that his silence and failure to appear in the newspaper does not mean he is not in support of the new government.

And responding to concerns raised by the traditional ruler, Mwaliteta assured him that the government would not allow people to die of hunger.

He said the government would move in swiftly to cushion and provide relief food supplies to all the affected villagers after a crop assessment was done.

He also assured the chief that currently the government was vaccinating cattle
against livestock diseases that had continued to decimate the cattle population in most districts including Mazabuka.

Mwaliteta also informed the chief that the government would not interfere in the identification of the district boundary for the newly-established district but allow stakeholders to decide the location of the administration centre.