GBM urges Northeners to keep supporting PF
By Francis Lungu in Kasama
Tue 29 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT

DEFENCE minister Geoffrey Mwamba has urged the people of Northern Province to continue supporting the PF because they played a pivotal role in the party's formation in 2001 and ushered it into office 10 years later.

Mwamba said people in the province played an influential role in enabling the PF to form government and that it was befitting for them to be resolute in standing with the government as it was working to fulfil its campaign promises.

Mwamba, who is also Kasama Central member of parliament, was speaking on Sunday when he addressed a gathering in Kasama at Chishimba Primary School where he was commissioning the Chishimba/Musa II grid extension power project.

"The Northern Province played an instrumental role in the formation of the PF government and it is important for the people to continue supporting the government they helped to form for continued development. The PF government is now fulfilling most of its campaign promises of ensuring rural areas receive development," Mwamba said.

Meanwhile, Mwamba said it was shameful for rural areas to only be receiving electricity after 49 years of Independence.

He however said the government was transforming people's lives in rural areas by providing them with electricity through the Rural Electrification Programme.

"Is it not a shame that this area is only receiving electricity after 49 years of Independence?" Mwamba asked. "I want to assure you that the Patriotic Front government, which is working so tirelessly, shares with you in the joy and excitement you are experiencing today. It is exciting that the facilities in this area which have never had electricity such as schools and the trading centre are now connected to the national grid for the first time," Mwamba said.

He said access to electricity by rural communities would not only increase economic growth but would help fight poverty and reduce income inequality between the urban rich and the rural poor.

According to REA corporate affairs manager Justin Mukosa, the Chishimba/Musa II grid extension project was also part of the K2.9million funding that included the Mungwi grid extension.

Mukosa said the project was undertaken under lot 14 of the final scopes of work for the 2012 project package involving construction of 840 metres of 11KV overhead lines.

And Zesco regional manager Cephas Lungu thanked the REA for the completion of the project and called on people in the area to apply to the power company for connectivity.

The project was carried out by a local company, M and E Trading and Construction.