Kampyongo rubbishes NRC scam
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
INSINUATIONS that the PF regime issued National Registration Cards (NRCs) to underage children last year, are fabricated lies aimed at discrediting the previous administration, former Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo has said.
Mr Kampyongo, who is PF chief whip, said as far as he was concerned, only citizens who had attained the age of 16 and above were allowed to obtain NRCs and voters’ card when he was Minister of Home Affairs.
He said in an interview that the arrest of former Petauke District Commissioner, Velenesi Moyo and PF Kaumbwe constituency chairperson Goodson Lungu was a political witch-hunt aimed at maligning and intimidating PF members and former government officials.
Mr Kampyongo who was reluctant to comment further on the arrest of Ms Moyo and Mr Lungu said he would make a comprehensive statement once he was briefed what exactly transpired because he never micromanaged the ministry. He was however quick to mention that it was not possible to issue NRCs to children and challenged those making such alarming allegations to substantiate their claims.
“That is a lie. It’s not possible, they will need to parade those children and demonstrate how they obtained both vital documents, NRC and voter’s cards.
“But I don’t want to comment further for now. I need to hear what transpired because I know it’s just a fabrication. It is not possible to issue an NRC to children and allow them to cast votes. That is a total fabrication,” Mr Kampyongo said.
He explained that in 2020, Government, through the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, under the Ministry of Home Affairs conducted mobile registration in all the provinces in a two-phased approach to issue 1, 500, 000 NRCs.
Mr Kampyongo said the 2020 mobile issuance of NRCs was intended to provide increased access to the acquisition of NRCs by citizens who had attained the age of 16 and above, especially those who could not easily reach district national registration offices.
He said the exercise was meant not only to empower citizens with NRCs to enable them to participate in the economic activities and electoral processes of the country, but to also as an identity document used for all services such as employment, opening up of bank accounts and registration as students.
He however, said it was disheartening to note that some people, particularly those in power now, have been insinuating that ineligible persons were obtaining NRCs when not, just to scandalise the former regime.
On Thursday, Police in Petauke charged and arrested former Ms Moyoaged 44 of plot number one Mayadi area and Mr Lungu aged 50 of Nyansimbo Village Chief Mwanjawantu for alleged abuse of authority of office and for intent to deceive, respectively.
A statement by police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga confirmed that the duo were charged and arrested at Petauke police station for allegedly having aided more than 1, 000 under age children ranging between five and 15 years to obtain NRCS, and subsequently obtained voter’s cards.
