By Merlyn Mwanza
Former Luapula Province permanent secretary Major Ben Phiri says the outgoing President Lungu’s government should not plummet President-elect Hakainde Hichilema’s inauguration to an initiation ceremony.
In a statement to Daily Revelation, Maj Phiri stated that he concurred with Colonel Panji Kaunda’s observation on the statement purporting to restrict the number of people that are supposed to attend President Hichilema’s inauguration ceremony slated for next Tuesday.
“Essentially, this is both a momentous and transformative event with historical significance which can not be plummeted to an equivalent of an initiation ceremony. The former president Mr Edgar Lungu, is known to have had immeasurable appetite for mass gatherings to the extent that anything that could have been done within the precincts of State House was executed at Heroes stadium,” stated Maj Phiri. “In any case, the forthcoming swearing in ceremony is primarily the ruling party’s (UPND) affair with very limited involvement of the mainstream outgoing government functionaries purely for administrative purposes like ferrying chairs, printing invitation cards, preparing the venue, arranging the PA system etc. As to who and how many attend the function, is to all practical intents and purposes, a UPND affair. Lest we forget, PF is now an opposition political party replaced by the victorious UPND. I make my submission truthfully For God and my Country in the spirit of One Zambia One Nation.”
