NUNDWE DEMANDS ARREST OF OP AND LUANSHYA OFFICIALS IMPLICATED IN FERTILIZER SCANDAL.
COPPERBELT permanent secretary Bright Nundwe says anyone found wanting in the theft of over 3,000 bags of fertilizer in Luanshya will be dealt with harshly.
It is alleged that officers from the Office of the President (OP) and DACO are implicated in the matter. The theft is expected to affect over 500 farmers, who will not receive fertiliser.
Nundwe said it is unacceptable for civil servants to steal fertiliser that is aimed at enhancing food security for the nation.
He told journalists in Ndola that once the investigations are concluded, action will be taken.
“The goal for government is to ensure that we have a bumper harvest for all the crops across the nation. The stance taken by the President to deliver farming inputs in all the districts on time is unprecedented. You can’t allow any civil servant or transporter to frustrate these efforts,” he said. “We can’t have a section of people in Luanshya district in particular to steal with impunity. If it is truly established that it is them that have stolen, I’m sorry, I want to warn them that they will face the law and dismissal. We can’t allow this when the President means well to the farmers.”
But Luanshya mayor Nathan Chanda said though the move by the permanent secretary is welcome, more needs to be done.
Chanda said Nundwe should not just end at warning and threatening the civil servants involved but instead take quick action.
He said Luanshya is a farming bloc and most of the people depend on farming.
“For the first time under President Edgar Lungu and the PF government we have provided the farming inputs on time and were supposed to be ready for distribution and benefit small-scale farmers, but some unpatriotic civil servants who are known have stolen. Our PS should do more. Let action be quickly taken,” he said.
Chanda also reminded Nundwe to take action against a supplier who failed to deliver a garbage truck.
“I want to also remind the Permanent Secretary to take action against the supplier who has failed to deliver a garbage compactor truck which was procured by the provincial administration on behalf of the Luanshya Municipal Council. Two years now and the garbage truck has not yet been delivered despite the supplier getting an upfront of over 75 per cent of the total contract sum K1,600,000,” said Chanda. “This has not only angered the civic leaders but residents of Luanshya because it is affecting our management of solid waste and Keep Luanshya Clean campaigns. Action should be taken because this is pure theft of public funds which the council is struggling to mobilise for effective and efficient service delivery.”