Mwense district council chairman Stephen Chikota says as opposed to former president Edgar Lungu who allowed his ministers to attend court with flags flying on their vehicles, President Hakainde Hichilema is handling matters differently.
Speaking with Daily Revelation following the dismissal of Derricky Chilundika from the position of Luapula Province minister and his subsequent arrest over involvement in the illegal sugilite mining scam, Chikota said although the President has not said why he fired Chilundika, “but if it’s to do with corruption, then we are in the right government and led by the right President.”
“But I don’t want to comment too much because I am yet to know the reason why the honourable was relieved of his duties. Of course there are some happenings that have been happening in the past. But the President has got all the powers,” Chikota said. “…Where the PF president (Edgar Lungu) used to keep ministers who were alleged to be involved in corruption, I may not comment because I don’t know what has led to the dismissal of honourable Chilundika, but if it’s to do with corruption then the President is on firm grounds to run a government free of corruption. But otherwise under Edgar Lungu he was the one who was promoting corruption. He’s on record telling his members and minister to say mwilalila kumo nembuto, don’t eat with seeds, but you can eat. You can steal but don’t steal everything. So you cannot expect a chief thief to the rebuke the small thieves.”
Chikota said everyone was aware of how president Lungu behaved on matters of alleged thieving in his government, saying what was happening at State House then and what is happening now “is a different ball game.”
Chikota made news when he shouted at the top of his voice from the police cells where he was being detained over alleged involvement in the sugilite scam, that it was then Luapula Province minister Chilundika’s who was involved but they failed to take action against him.
Asked on the same, Chikota simply laughed and said: “Let’s have that subject for another day.”
