By OLIVER SAMBOKO
ZAMBIANS expect that as President Hakainde Hichilema will be addressing the press today, he will use the opportunity to explain the $50 million fertiliser scandal, New Congress Party (NCP) leader, Peter Chanda, has said.
He said if President Hichilema is serious with the fight against corruption, he should ensure that the corruption fight is not only concentrated on the historic corruption but also on the people serving in his administration.
Pastor Chanda said Zambians have not forgotten the $50m deal in which alleged caked and underweight fertiliser was procured for FISP at high cost of $1, 4 07 per tonne when the price obtaining in the country is below $1, 000 per tonne.
He said the issue of fertiliser that was supplied to Southern and some parts of Western provinces is of national interest which the president should not ignore.
“The people want to know the truth and if there are people who could have benefitted from any deal, the President should tell us what action will be taken so that this does not happen again,” he said.
Pastor Chanda also said President Hichilema should tackle pertinent issues raised by Lusaka Catholic Archbishop Dr Alick Banda during his homily for Easter Vigil mass at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka.
He said Dr Banda’s counsel to the UPND that they should take responsibility for their failures and stop blaming the harsh living conditions on the previous regime, was on point.
Pastor Chanda said Mr Hichilema and his administration should quickly resolve the high cost of living as per his campaign promise under which the people voted his party into power.
He warned that failure to tackle the cost of living will not only make Mr Hichilema a very unpopular President since independence but also make Zambians lose hope in national elections.
