Dear Editor,
A RARE phone call the President made to a higher ranking Government official regarding the stalled project in Copperbelt rural has a profound meaning and illustrates the grassroot oriented approach that drives President Edgar Lungu’s leadership style.
On the other hand, the serial political rivals of President Lungu have constantly accused him of carrying premature campaigns in his tour of duty to inspect Government projects.
Instead, President Lungu is keen to see that the projects are implemented in line with the vows he made in 2016 when he sought to be en-trusted with the fiduciary authority as a custodian of all public affairs in the land.
The President will not betray the trust of Zambians for fear of being accused of campaigning for his second term of office.
As ardent believers of President Lungu’s practical problem solving approach we have always maintained that his quest to have the eye witness’s perspective of the projects countrywide is meant to safeguard the superior interests of Zambians to see to it that their hard earned taxes are prudently used.
He is in charge and God is in control therefore he is justified to inspect any project he deems fit. President Lungu’s trip to the Copperbelt and more especially the abrupt phone call he made to the Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba on the stalled projects is a vindication that the Head of State is on firm ground with the path he has taken. His critiques take pleasure when the civil servants entrusted with the respon-sibility to implement Government projects expresses complacence and somehow frustrates the presidential efforts.
They do not mean well and they only want the President to confine himself in the comfort of his office believing all the doctored reports (by some uncaring civil servants who only have interest to safeguard their jobs even at the expense of President Lungu) and perhaps the failure would increase the chances of Zambians detesting the PF led Government.
To their disappointment, President Lungu has established himself to be the grassroots-oriented leader who is not insulated from the elec-torates. His ears, eyes and feet are craving to touch every corner of Zambian so that he identify which officials are undermine the ambitious projects the Government has launched.
Arguably, President Lungu is the fastest project completer and he needs our unflinching support to realise his dream of having an industri-alized Zambia.
Through his tour, President Lungu has exposed the pilferage of Government resources especially that some of the implementing agencies engaged in malpractices thereby necessitating the attention of the Head of State.
In other instances, the personal attendances of the projects has enabled the President to appreciate the implementation of Government poli-cies such as the 20 percent sub-contracting policies to local contractors.
The proactive approach of the President has been replicated by the cabinet Ministers, PF MPs and the party officials who usually spend their weekends out of Lusaka. It is also at such times that the President, his ministers, MPs and party officials take an opportunity to listen to the common citizens.
Therefore, the accusations of premature political campaigns are neither here nor there instead it is the monitoring of projects that brings the leadership closer to its people. President Lungu is such a user friendly Head of State who is accessible to the electorates and this in turn becomes an opportunity to conduct an appraisal of the implementing entities of the various Government projects.
MARVIN CHANDA MBERI,
Youth Rights Activist.
Lusaka.
Author
