By Daily Star Reporter
Patriotic Front (PF) Chairperson for Information and Publicity Raphael Nakacinda has demanded that President Hakainde Hichilema should move into State House.
Nakacinda says not only is the President’s continued stay in his Community House costly but also inconveniencing to a lot of people with the police officers inclusive.
He added that the cost government has incurred in trying to make his private residence habitable for a Head of State is abuse of public resources.
“I think it’s long overdue that President Hakainde Hichilema moves to State House. First of all, the abuse that the police personnel have endured for the past five years due to the demand of route-lining sometimes more than twice a day….several times a day,” he said.
“The cost associated with that exercise that is conducted more than once a day is unbearable. Beyond that, the cost that government has obviously incurred to try and make his private residence habitable for a Head of State, that in itself is an abuse of public resources and abuse of somebody’s authority or office.”
Nakacinda wondered what it was that needed to be done, that has taken five months for the President to remain at Community House.
“But over and above that, Mr Hakainde has always preached and said that he is a villager from Bwengwa and he is a public servant, what is it that even president Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s standards were so low and Mr Hakainde is luxury driven…..what is it that they needed to do in state house that has taken over five months for him to remain in that particular area?”
“Now the schools have opened, the community area is also inconvenienced, people have to find alternative routes to take their children to school or indeed to go for work. Because when the roads are blocked, everybody is blocked. Let him not take these things lightly, that is inconveniencing citizens,” he said.
Nakacinda said the Head of State is not a private citizen.
“He is expected to get into state house so that as he conducts his business locally, the police officers have other responsibilities that they are undertaking to make sure that our society remains peaceful and law breakers are brought to book….now instead the police are under pressure through and through over trivial issues. He must move to state house, it is a demand because he is now a public servant, he is now state property. He is not a private citizen. And as a citizen, just like many other citizens who are inconvenienced including the police, we are demanding that he should move to state house,” he said.