NGOCC attacks K1.5 allocation for first lady

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:10:01 +0000

The Non Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has charged that the K1.5billion allocation to the office of the first lady Dr Christine Kaseba is unconstitutional.

Organisation board chairperson Beatrice Grillo said her organisation was alarmed at parliament’s decision to approve a budget allocation of K1.5 billion to an office that was nonexistent during the 2013 national budget debate.

Ms Grillo said NGOCC was of the view that parliament should have guided the executive over the matter. She wondered how the executive had arrived at such a decision.

“NGOCC is of the view that parliament should have guided the executive over the allocation to the office of the first lady. Further more we have been prompted to question where the executive derived the authority to institute such an allocation to an office which is unconstitutional.

“As women’s movement we believe in transparency and accountability for good governance,” Grillo said.

She said as an organisation it was urging government to uphold tenets of good governance in the allocation and management of all public resources.

The board chairperson maintained that the coordinating council would continue to monitor public resources expenditure for benefit of the Zambian people.

“We will keep our monitoring lenses up to speed and accurate by questioning any unclear decisions that hinder progress in our governing system,” she said.

And Chilufya Tayali of the Zambian Voice also observed that the funds to support the works of Dr Kaseba should not come from the national budget.

Mr Tayali said the executive have abrogated the constitution which was actually unprecedented.

He noted that there were a lot of well wishers who were ready to help her with her day to day duties in that offices after all government pays for all her trips and all those working in her office.

He advised Dr Kaseba to stop commenting on constitutional issues and justifying their existence because she was not a government official.

“The best ba mayo can do is to keep quiet and leave constitutional matters for government officials. We wonder in what capacity is she speaking and if we should respond in what capacity do we speak with her?” he wondered.

She said the allocation should be reconsidered and government should help her come up with means of raising the funds needed.