‘HH dissolution of ACC board a ruse´— Harry Kalaba
…time for the President to declare assets
18.07.24
President Hichilema´s action to dissolve the ACC board is a ruse aimed at covering up a bigger crime, not fighting corruption says Citizens First president Harry Kalaba.
Kalaba said if the ACC is as ´ rotten ´ as President Hichilema believes to the extent that it warrants total dissolution, it must say a lot about the character of the President himself since it falls under his office.
“When Mr Hichilema assumed the presidency, he acted with haste to place the ACC and DEC among other crucial offices under his direct supervision,” Kalaba said, “the reason he did so was to ensure total clean oversight so if the institutions are corrupt, it means the President is either corrupt himself or complicit to the corruption.”
Kalaba said he is certain, “nothing happens, goes in and out of ACC or DEC, without President Hichilema knowing. Therefore, forcing the DG Thom Shamakamba to quit and dissolving the Musa Mwenye led board is cosmetic and grandstanding perhaps he is hiding something.”
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zambia said, “If President Hichilema wants to prove to Zambians that he is serious about fighting corruption he must do the following in three simple words—declare his assets.”
Kalaba said short of ´declaring his assets´ as called for by the citizens and the US embassy at an ACC event last December in Livingstone, the head of state is paying lip service to the corruption fight. Mr Hichilema is playing to the gallery.
“There is NO way Mr Hichilema will fight corruption without declaring his assets and opening himself up to greater checks and balances…it’s a total mockery to tell Zambians and the western donor community that you are fighting graft when you are hiding your assets.
” Man up and declare your assets,” Kalaba urges HH.
The CF President expressed suspicion that Mr Hichilema decided to sack the only ´whistleblowing´ board which sends fears to other oversight bodies such as DEC that they will be dissolved if they blow the whistle.
He said constituting a new board is like, “covering bandage on a festering wound, it doesn’t treat the wound and in this case without declaring his assets, Mr. Hichilema is like the wound himself.”
Kalaba said the graft that has been exposed in ACC is but a tip of the ice berg that reflects the leadership of the office of the president because the commission falls under him.
He added that in terms of diversion and saving face, the cosmetic dissolution of the board is effective but does not fool many astute and intelligent Zambians. Why dissolve a ´whistle blowing board?´.
Why throw Dr. O´Brien Kaaba under the bus instead of giving him a medal? What message is the President sending to whistle-blowers?
Signed: Harry Kalaba
President.
Citizens First