By Isaac Zulu
Political scientist Dr Alex Ng’oma has said Patriot Front member of central committee Miles Sampa has failed to demonstrate that he can handle challenging situations as party president.
In an interview, Dr Ng’oma said that Sampa, being a person that desires to be Republican President one day, he should show maturity that is required to handle big and sensitive issues.
Dr Ng’oma said that the Matero lawmaker should have resolved his case through intra party conflict resolution mechanisms, as opposed to rushing to the Courts of Law.
“I would like first of all remind the nation that each one of us, as a citizen, has rights. And therefore it is important for us to recognise that Miles Sampa, as a senior member of the PF, has got rights both as a citizen and a member of that particular party. And therefore he is free to do what he wants to do. But having said that, I think it is also important for me to remind my fellow country men and women that rights don’t just come on their own. Rights also come with responsibilities,” explained Dr Ng’oma. “That is why a person, especially at the level of Miles Sampa, somebody who desires by God’s grace to be Republican President, I think he has to show that he has maturity that is required, that it takes to really handle big issues, sensitive issues and to resolve challenging situations. I think that Miles Sampa has failed on that score. It’s been said by the wise that never wash dirty linen in public. That is what Miles Sampa has chosen. Something that he could have resolved through what are known as intra party conflict resolution mechanisms. But he chose to run to the Court.”
Dr Ng’oma advised the Matero legislator to sober up and argue his case in the midst of his colleagues, behind closed doors.
“It is very unfortunate that the man has chosen to go public on issues that are supposed to be internal affairs and should be discussed within the party. My advice is that please Miles Sampa sober up, Miles Sampa sit down with your colleagues. Miles Sampa argue your case in the midst of your colleagues behind closed doors,” Dr Ng’oma said. “I would like him to sober up, I would like him to show leadership, I would like him to show understanding. I would like him to show preparedness that he actually has what it takes to be party president and possibly Republican President. That I can’t see in him at the moment.”
He said that at some point Sampa left the Patriot Front and went in the wilderness and when he went back the the PF leadership embraced him and helped him to become Lusaka mayor, saying the Matero member of parliament should rethink his position.
“How is he likely to work with his colleagues after all this that he has done? And that is why some people are saying that the man is a hell bent, the man seems to want to destroy the party and that is why he is behaving like that. Maybe he has one foot in the PF and another one elsewhere and that is why he doesn’t seem to care,” Dr Ng’oma said. “He had left the PF at some point. He went in the wilderness, when he came back the PF embraced him. And the PF helped him become Lusaka mayor. So how can he treat his colleagues like that? It is very, very unfortunate indeed. And that is why I expect Miles Sampa to rethink his position.”
