CONFERRING FRIENDS WITH NATIONAL AWARDS IS ABUSE OF PRESIDENTIAL PRIVILEGES
Saturday , 16th July, 2022
On 14th July, 2022, President Hakainde Hichilema conferred The Order of the Eagle of Zambia 1st Div to three former Presidents namely Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia and Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone.
The Order of the Eagle of Zambia 1st Div is presented to individuals who have made meritorious contributions to the growth and national interests of our nation.
The question that begs an answer is, what exactly have Obasanjo, Sirleaf-Johnson and Koroma done for Zambia that merits them the right to be awarded such solemn honour and awards? They have been honoured and awarded purely for being board members of the Brenthurst Foundation to which President Hichilema is a member too.
The Brenthurst Foundation is a Johannesburg-based organisation established by the Oppenheimer family, the founders of Ango-American Plc which has very strong links with the UPND since that Party’s inception in 1998.
President Hichilema is abusing state authority to appease his friends and colleagues at the Brenthurst Foundation who have taken control of his Government’s economic policy direction with intent to milk and enrich themselves off our state resources especially our minerals and wildlife.
This explains why Obasanjo overshadowed everyone including Heads of State at the inauguration ceremony of President Hichilema. It further explains why Obasanjo has been a regular visitor and permanent feature of the UPND Government; this is to do the bidding on behalf of the Brenthurst Foundation.
Apart from being an elections observer (for which he was paid handsomely), what contributions has Bai Koroma made to Zambia? It is now absolutely clear that the only reason Bai Koroma engineered his election observer status in Zambia’s last general elections was to advance the interests of Brenthurst Foundation and the personal interests of his board member, Hakainde Hichilema.
This should actually serve as a wake-up call to the Electoral Commission of Zambia that they should endeavour to do due diligence before accrediting people as elections observers or elections monitors because characters like Bai Koroma should not have been allowed anywhere near our electoral processes in last year’s elections.
Again, apart from being a fellow board member of the Brenthurst Foundation with Mr. Hichilema, what contributions has Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson made to Zambia for her to deserve such national honour and award?
This is an act of a President who is abusing state authority and state institutions to reward personal companions and as Patriotic Front we wish to condemn in the strongest terms the wanton abuse of state power by President Hakainde Hichilema for awarding unmerited individuals such high national awards. The conduct of the President must be condemned by all well-meaning Zambians.
Issued by
Hon Given Lubinda
Acting President
Patriotic Front
