Time’s Up: Where Are the 156 Ambulances, Mr. Nicholas Phiri?

Time’s Up: Where Are the 156 Ambulances, Mr. Nicholas Phiri?

By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma

The clock has struck. The calendar reads 1 May 2025. And the question Zambians are asking loudly and rightfully is this: Where are the 156 ambulances, Mr. Nicholas Phiri?

You, Mr. Phiri—the Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development—made a public, unapologetic pledge. If the ambulances were not delivered by May 2025, you would resign. You were not coerced. You were not misquoted. You made that promise to the Zambian people of your own volition. Now the deadline has arrived, and the ambulances are nowhere to be seen.

This is not politics. This is about principle.

This moment is not about scoring points. It is about demanding accountability from public servants who believe they can make promises without consequence. You made a time-bound commitment tied directly to your own integrity. The date is here. The delivery is not. So where is your resignation?

The Zambian people are not fools. They have seen this tactic before—bold pronouncements made for headlines, only to be quietly forgotten when the moment of reckoning arrives. But this time, the people are holding you to your word.

These ambulances were not just vehicles. They were symbols of hope in a collapsing healthcare system. Communities across the country are still carrying pregnant women in wheelbarrows and rushing the injured in makeshift transport. You knew the urgency. You understood the stakes. You made the promise anyway.

Now, you owe the people more than silence.

No one is interested in excuses. Procurement delays? Save them. Political blame games? We have heard them all. If you knew the system would not meet the deadline, then you should not have made the commitment. But you did. And now the nation is watching.

Mr. Phiri, either the ambulances arrive today, or you must honor your word and resign. No speeches. No vague statements. No spin. Just action.

This is not merely about ambulances. This is about trust, credibility, and the integrity of leadership. If public officials are allowed to make promises without accountability, the erosion of governance will continue unchecked. The people are done tolerating leaders who talk big and deliver little.

Let it be clear: the Zambian people are not distracted. Health workers are not amused. Families losing loved ones due to delayed emergency responses are not patient. You made a commitment tied to the lives and well-being of millions—and you failed to deliver.

Your time is up.

So again we ask, without ambiguity: Will you deliver the ambulances, or will you deliver your resignation?

The people are watching. And this time, they will not forget.