STATE HOUSE MUST PUBLISH THE CONTRACT THEY HAVE WITH TONY BLAIR’S INSTITUTE
“Who is paying for Tony Blair’s Consultancy to Zambia?”
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair is a very controversial figure.
As the Chilcot Report, the Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, set up to look at decision-making in relation to the invasion of Iraq, exposed Blair’s lies and criminal conduct in the Iraq war while he served as Prime Minister, to the millions he collected in commercial fees from Arab states while he was engaged as an USA/UN/EU Middle-East Envoy.
It is therefore shocking that Tony Blair is allowed into State Houses of African states without due regard to his controversial status.
In Zambia, since the election of President Hakainde Hichilema, Tony Blair is a regular at State House.
Tony Blair, through “The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change’, has put up a commercial proposal to build capacity for Hichilema’s Government.
The capacity is to allegedly support President Hichilema’s Government with strategy, policy and delivery of development.
To this end, some of Tony Blair’s staff from the Institute are already in Zambia and have unfettered access to the Smart Zambia Project, Ministry of Finance and to State House.
OUR DEMANDS
Government must be publish the terms and conditions of this agreement as the access of foreigners to Zambia’s State House, inside security and development initiatives hinge on endangering the sovereignty of our country.
Government must make full disclosure of who is paying for this Tony Blair’s consultancy. In Zambia the procurement of any services or consultancy must be regulated by the Zambia Public Procurement Act.
We are concerned as Tony Blair’s involvement in State House, like that of Brenthurst Foundation, raises serious security and other issues.
Is it a mining firm paying for this consultancy? Is it a private foundation from South Africa? Is it the Zambian Government?
Is it the reasons that our tax policies and large-scale commercial projects are being hijacked by these entities?
The Zambian Government must publish the Contract with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change as a matter of obligation and a matter of good public policy.
