STOP PRAISE SINGING AND TELL HH THE TRUTH ABOUT PEOPLE’S HARDSHIPS, CHIEF PHIKAMALAZA TELLS MINSTER

STOP PRAISE SINGING AND TELL HH THE TRUTH ABOUT PEOPLE’S HARDSHIPS, CHIEF PHIKAMALAZA TELLS MINSTER

CHIEF Phikamalaza of the Ngoni-Tumbuka people has told Eastern Province Minister Peter Phiri and Chasefu MP Misheck Nyambose not to be praise singers but to tell the President the truth about challenges being faced by the people.

He says those close to the President are bringing him down because of their constant praise.

He said this when the two paid a courtesy call on him during the commissioning of CDF projects in Chasefu district.

Chief Phikamalaza said the road network in the district is bad and risks being washed away with the onset of the rains, something the President should be told.

“If you have that opportunity to talk to the President, never should you be praising him all the time. He cannot know that we have a problem. He can never know that we have a problem, but you are supposed to have that chance to talk to the Head of State about the situations that we are going through as citizens. Number one, road network. You know this time we are in the rainy season, rains have just started. We don’t know what God is going to give us, automatically these other things will be washed away. So, if you have that privilege to talk to the President, do not say everything is okay, no, you’re not fair sometimes,” he said.

“Tell him the truth to say, ‘President, as we appreciate what you’re doing as government in terms of job creation or whatever it is,’ talk to him about other issues such as road network. As you may be aware, good road infrastructure is a catalyst to development. It is a catalyst to development for sure, but all I want from you guys, do you know who makes a bad leader?

It’s who surrounds him or her because what happens is that every time the President comes it’s ‘no, Mr President, everything is good.’ Maybe the President will take a step of visiting Chipata-Lundazi-Chama Road, and as you may be aware you’re also even using the same roads. So, I don’t understand the way you’re praising the President”.

He added that the Minister should blame himself for the challenges before blaming others for under-utilising his privilege of meeting the President.

“Minister, let me take this opportunity to advise you this time. I know you’re a Member of Parliament, but be proud of where you’re coming from. Thank God that God gave you that chance in life to serve this country as Minister. And let me take this opportunity to thank the President for appointing you as Minister for Eastern Province, but don’t forget where you’re coming from.

We’ve had a lot of Presidents [and] Vice-Presidents coming from Eastern Province. They have done literally nothing in Eastern Province. The current President that we have is also making some promises, ‘no I am going to work on the Lundazi-Chama road.’ But for sure we are not well represented sometimes. Speak to the President the truth, then you are done,” Chief Phikamalaza said.

“Don’t hide [things] from the President. It’s good that you have that privilege of meeting him directly, not us. We elected you to represent us, to take our problems there, but this time around you are doing vice-versa. Don’t be praise singers to the President, advise the President correctly, ‘aPresident ise tili navuto yaso’ nabeve nibantu (Mr President we have this problem, he is human) he can understand. Today you’re commissioning, you can blame the DC, you can blame maybe the DPS, you can blame the Council. First of all, blame yourself. What is it that you’re doing with the Head of State when you meet him yourself, having that privilege that you’re given to meet him? Don’t be praise singers, no! Advise him”.

Further, he said he wished the President could move from Chipata to Chama via road so that he could find out if he was being told the truth about the state of the road.

“Take into account that you’re also human beings, advise the President correctly because you’re the ones lying to the President that things are okay. How I wish the President could move from Chipata to Chama so that he sees for himself if you are telling him the truth. So, today you’re commissioning these things, we’re very happy, government has done a lot of things. The President has got that heart, so it’s like people are not helping him, that’s the way I look at it myself as a Chief. The President has sleepless nights to make sure that development flourishes across the country. But the problem is the implementers,” he said.

“We shouldn’t be blaming the past. Honourable Minister, take into account you’re the ones bringing the President down because of your praise, because for you, it’s always appreciation. But as much as you meet the President, the President’s eyes, it’s you. But supposed the President decides today that he wants to use the road and then he sees what is happening, is he going to agree with what you’re saying? The answer will be no! So, try by all means, or even if it is the rainy season, you mean you can’t upgrade it, not to even a bituminous standard but just grading it?”

Meanwhile, Chief Phikamalaza praised the President for doing a good job for the country, adding that he just needs to be fed proper information.

Furthermore, he said ordinary people are scared due to the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Law hence the need for those close to him to tell him the truth.

“The President is just doing a good job. The President has put up his eyes, the President has put up number one the President, number two, the President has put up District Commissioners. Number three, the government has put up organs representing the Head of State. But for sure I just want to advise you, we know what the President is doing for the country but the President cannot have eyes.

The eyes are with you, Honourable Ministers. So, each time you meet the President, you have got that privilege of meeting the Head of State, try to ensure that he has proper information fed to him. Otherwise, you may be a let down to the Head of State sometimes,” said Chief Phikamalaza.

“You know what? Sometimes people fear to speak the truth, to say they can be arrested. There’s cyber issues so people fear that if I speak too much I may be arrested. But the truth of the matter is that let’s talk about the Lundazi-Chama road. Is that the issue that we can be debating this time around? Since independence in 1964, that road is still the way it is. And we have been promised several times but up to date the road is not being worked on. So, taking advantage of you being close to the Head of State.

You know what happened, we had all the Presidents; Kaunda, Chiluba, Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda, Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu the late, may his soul rest in peace. We had these problems, but don’t fight other people outside. Fight for what is happening now because the government that we have is what is supposed to be happening right now”.

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