CHIMWEMWE independent member of parliament Mwila Mutale says his failure to deliver in his Constituency is relative.
Mutale said he does not have money to start buying choppers for people to say he has delivered.
He said he has done a lot in his constituency, especially in the education sector.
“My failure is relative. If you say I have failed, in which area have I failed? What I promised the people is about schools, and my programme; one was to upgrade the schools so that our pupils don’t move long distances. Most of the projects I did for schools with pupils sitting on the floor, now have desks. I lobbied and government upgraded the schools to secondary level after I used my personal money. So what failure is it? I don’t understand what I have failed then on,” Mutale said.
He said the issue of empowerment was not for him to give out money but the government.
“The issue of empowerment programme by the government is a hot issue at the moment. All MPs were told to go back to tell people to form cooperatives. I did not question the directive and I did just that to help people form cooperatives,” Mutale said. “People did the project proposals. So now when someone says I told people to form cooperatives and I did not fund them, it is the government programme. I did not say that I will empower or pay them using my personal money. What money did I steal? Me I did my work. It is government that should fund the cooperatives.”
He complained that it was unfair to compare him to members of parliament that were buying choppers.
“Now people want me to buy a chopper, you will not see it. I don’t have that capacity because I am not a minister. Those that have bought have the capacity. If people will compare me, then it will be unfair. You can’t compare me,” Mutale said.
He said those that say he had failed to deliver development in his constituency should be exact and point out where he has not delivered.
Mutale disclosed that 75 per cent of the promises he made during the 2016 campaigns have been delivered.
He said it was morally wrong for some people to judge his performance in his constituency in the last five years on the basis of his failure to donate K5,000 in churches.
Mutale advised his constituents and critics to avoid comparing him with other members of parliament.