Sat, 14 Jan 2017 12:34:00 +0000
By NATION REPORTER
THE long arm of the law will soon catch up with Saviour Chishimba for misappropriating public resources when he was given an opportunity to serve at the Commonwealth Youth Programme, Home Affairs Minister Steven Kampyongo has revealed.
Mr Kampyongo has disclosed that Dr. Chishimba, who is president of the United People’s Progressive Party (UPP), has been mentioned in the Auditor General’s report for misappropriation of funds meant for the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
And Mr Kampyongo has charged that Dr. Chishimba almost spoiled Patriotic Front (PF) youths’ opportunities to serve in Government because of his propensity to pursue personal agendas and interests at the expense of national building.
Mr Kampyongo said in an interview yesterday that president Sata had given Dr. Chishimba to serve as Northern Province Minister but the UPP leader lamentably failed to the extent that the youths revolted against his leadership.
He has warned Dr. Chishimba to immediately desist from dragging his (Kampyongo) name in the mud by false claims that the Home Affairs Minister had hijacked the Public and Private Drivers Association of Zambia (PPDAZ) meant to empower the youths in the country.
Mr Kampyongo said the PPDAZ was a programme meant to empower youths and that it was a partnership between Government and Higer Buses who had contributed 60 percent of the financing while Government had put in 40 percent.
He explained that Dr. Chishimba was ill-informed about the PPDAZ as the programme was designed to empower youths and that his (Kampyongo) interest was to make sure it succeeded.
“I have spared my energy from engaging in baseless conversations with political failures like a man called Saviour Chishimba who has been ranting about things he has little or no understanding about at all. He has been having his name in some newspapers defaming and scandalising me that I am on the pay roll of an empowerment youth programme called PPDAZ. This is the man whose name is appearing in the Auditor General’s report for having misappropriated money when he was at the Commonwealth Youth Programme and soon the long arm of the law will catch up with him for his pitfalls,” Mr Kampyongo said.
The PPDAZ was piloted by Colonel Panji Kaunda when he served as deputy minister of Works and Supply and the programme was moved to the ministry of Youth and Sports when the need to expand it arose.
Mr Kampyongo said Mr Chishimba should have reported him to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) if he had the facts that the Home Affairs Minister was receiving money from the youth empowerment programme.
He said his lawyers would be studying Dr. Chishimba’s allegations that he (Kampyongo) was receiving money from PPDAZ and that the UPP leader would have to substantiate his claims in the courts of law.
