By Patson Chilemba
Edgar Lungu made us fail, says his former permanent secretary at State House during his first term, Emmanuel Chilubanama.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Chilubanama said the PF gave up power willingly because of being adamant and failing to listen to the masses.
He said there should be no one to be installed to lead the opposition party, as the people themselves should decide who should lead them, “hoping and praying there is going to be a convention.”
“Let the PF presidency be elective, not appointed, ahh ahh. Let it be people driven, right? I think we should learn from our past mistakes. We literally gave and handed over power willingly, this I can tell you, because we were so adamant, we weren’t listening. And you get the actual PF people, actual founders you sideline them, what happens? This is where we are. Aha, nipano tuli (here we are),” Chilubanama said.
But asked to clarify if he was indicating that there were attempts to have someone installed without the people having a say, Chilubanama said it felt so
“It feels like so. It feels like so. I think there is, looks like there is some hidden agenda to prop up their own people, okay, at the expense of people driven choices. Anyway tuletambako (We are just watching),” Chilubanama said.
Asked on assertions by some that former president Lungu of being at the centre of what he was insinuating, Chilubanama said: “My dear I do not operate on innuendos and lies and hearsay. If he is, it’s very unfortunate, okay? I think he tried his best and made us fail okay! He needs to step aside and let people choose who they want to be led by, okay? A very level playing field.”
He said he was simply guiding on how things must be done having been a founder member of the party, who said he knew where the party came from, where it was now and where it might unfortunately go if advice were not taken.
“We have a lot of new faces, everyone in the party wants to be a president, hey, really? I do not know. I do not know. So if I am vying for the PF presidency, at an opportune time you will know. If I am not then you will still know and you will surely know my political direction,” he said.
Asked to comment in assertions that he played a major role in the closure of The Post newspaper during the time he served as Lungu’s permanent secretary, Chilubanama said the reasons for the closure of The Post were known
“I was permanent secretary, I was a civil servant, of course with a political inclination, but I can not say and openly say I played a pivotal role in its closure. No my brother,” said Chilubanama. “If it was done fairly so, I mean I wouldn’t say I regret. I mean what bearing will it have on me? But if the due process of the law was followed in its closure, so be it. But if it was done with underhand methods then it was very very unfortunate.”
