By Isaac Zulu
Central Province permanent secretary Milner Mwanakampwe has warned contractors that were engaged by the Patriot Front government to rehabilitate township roads and feeder roads in the region and got upfront payments, but abandoned the roadworks that they risk being arrested and prosecuted.
During his fact finding mission on the rehabilitation of township and feeder roads in Central Province recently, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo discovered that some contractors have not moved on site while others have abandoned the roadworks; despite receiving upfront payments.
Commenting on the development, Mwanakampwe explained that it has been established that road contractors that were operating under the PF government had been claiming for payments without executing the road projects.
“We appreciate the minister of Local Government and Rural Development Honourable Garry Nkombo, who is a very practical and aggressive minister for conducting a fact finding mission on road construction. And his findings were are our worst fears where people are issuing certificates of payment over jobs that have not been done. Most of the contractors, should I say some contractors that were operating under the past regime seem to have been claiming payments without doing works. Even where they did the works, the works that were done leave much to be desired… they were shoddy works,” Mwanakampwe told Daily Revelation. “Some of them were paid upfront, but they abandoned the works after being paid. So I think really think we are working hand in hand with RDA (Road Development Agency), compiling a list of who was given which contract and once that is done, we are starting the process of identifying contractors who were paid in full and who were paid upfront but abandoned the works. There have been a lot of financial bleeding. Those individuals that I am talking about must atone for their sins… That’s how we are going to remedy the situation.”
Mwanakampwe continued.
“For those that have received money but have not done the roadworks, they should own up. Bring back the money to the people of Zambia or else the law will visit you, and you be forced to bring back the money. Those who know that they were claiming for money and issuing certificates of works done, even when they know that they have not done anything, they should own up. The fish eagle’s eyes of His Excellency the President of this Republic are watching all over. It won’t augur well for you to start crying when in the first instance you have been given an olive branch to own up,” he said.
The newly appointed Central Province permanent secretary further disclosed that a named former government official has abandoned the project in Ngabwe district involving the construction of housing units for civil servants, after getting upfront payment.
“If you go to Ngabwe in Lufubu Constituency, you have (public service) workers’ houses that are under construction. And that contract was given to a senior government official who served in the previous government. He was paid upfront; but he is AWOL (absent without official leave). Nothing is happening on site,” disclosed Mwanakampwe. “And people have started vandalising the works that have reached window level. It is a sad state of affairs that might require that all of us we pull as a team. I think that is what it it should be. Otherwise, people should not be complaining when the Zambia Police, Drug Enforcement Commission or Anti-Corruption Commission start pursuing them.”
Mwanakampwe further called for concerted efforts in order to bring sanity in the road construction subsector.
