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Over 2000 villagers attending a series of meetings on subsidy sensitization in Ng’umbo area have welcomed the removal of subsidies in order for the current government to internally mobilize resources for critical developmental activities.
Meanwhile, out of ten village centres where meetings have been held nine supported the removal of subsidies after being sensitized on the matter, while the Mwansakombe meeting was marred with disturbances.
The Mwansakombe meeting, which started well, abruptly ended with the area MP, Mutaba Mwali, being a victim of verbal attacks emanating from the crowd of disgruntled villagers demanding unpaid dues from road works done in the area almost a year ago.
This followed a directive to the Samfya District Council by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to freeze funds or payments to contractors handling the works on corruption suspicions to pave way for ACC investigations into the matter.
However, in spite of reported clearance and close of investigations, the villagers, who recently besieged that Boma and Civic Centre offices, have not been paid their dues by contractors who threw the blame of inability to do so following the fund freeze action.
The irate villagers vowed not to return upon payment but were convinced to return by Dr Mwali who reasoned with them to have the matter amicably resolved by returning to their area located some 80km away.
At the Subsidy sensitization meeting the raging villagers took over the flow as it neared conclusion with disgruntled remarks denouncing their MP for alleged failure to look into their
plight to get paid.
Dr Mwali painstakingly explained the stage at which their issue was, much to their bemusement as they vowed they would make a trip to the boma to demand and get their pay whether or not their money is ready.
They threatened to vote-out Dr Mwali at the next parliamentary polls as a result of the issue of unpaid dues from road projects in the area under the DANIDA rural access and improvement road rehabilitation program supervised by the Local Authority.
“Consider yourself out at the next poll as a result of your laxity over this matter, you have not pursued the issue for us or we would have been paid by now. You were saying more money in our pockets, now you are eating our money! Why should we believe what you are telling
us now over development or subsidy,” they retorted.
The team headed by Dr Mwali comprising the PF Vice Provincial Chairperson Benard Chisanga, Provincial Youth Treasurer Francis Musunga, District Chairperson Dunstan Mutaba, District Youth chairperson, Davies Mulenga and District Political Secretary, Politus Mwansa, held meetings in Chibuye, Chitembo, Mundubi, Mashitolo,Lubwe and Mwewa while Others areas are Shikamushile, Mwewa and Mwansakombe.
The group has been and is on a sensitization program for rural communities in Chifunabuli Constituency following the Presidential directive for government officials to explain subsidy’s to people in the countryside.
