GOVT JOBS: IS HICHILEMA APPLYING THE LAW SELECTIVELY?- Fred M'membe
GOVT JOBS: IS HICHILEMA APPLYING THE LAW SELECTIVELY?
In March 2023, senior officers in the Ministry of Finance and National Planning were suspended for their alleged involvement in the abuse of public funds. During the same period, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) moved in and confirmed the arrest of 18 individuals from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, among them were; Auditor General Mr Dick Sichembe, former Secretary to the Treasury Mr Fredson Yamba and Accountant General Mr Kennedy Musonda.
In a statement, ACC Head of Corporate Communications Mr Timothy Moono stated that the commission had also arrested two Deputy Auditor Generals namely, Ms Clara Mazimba (now deceased) and Mr Francis Mbewe. Mr Moono said that the investigations were underway, and that the probe bordered on payments made for fictitious activities and theft of public funds.
A year later, in March 2024 to be specific, Mr Hakainde Hichilema fired Accountant General Mr Kennedy Musonda and Controller of Internal Audit Mr Chibwe Nebert Mulonda. Mr Hichilema’s action came after the duo’s suspension. But what raised eyebrows was the treatment of other senior officers in the Ministry of Finance and National Planning accused of receiving large allowances from Parliament meetings. Many of these officials were either favoured with reinstatement in the Ministry or simply transferred to other government departments.
To be precise, what has particularly shocked many is the different treatment Mr Mukuli Chikuba, the permanent secretary and controlling officer of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning at the time, has been accorded so far. So, while his subordinates, Musonda and Mulonda were first suspended and later on fired, Mr Chikuba is alleged to have been merely sent home on full-pay.
Arising from the above, we would like to ask Mr Hichilema the following questions:
(1) Did the ACC investigate Mr Chikuba, if so, what were the findings?
(2) Is it true that Mr Chikuba is home on full-pay and has remained in this position ever since?
(3) Didn’t the ACC arrest the newly promoted Permanent Secretary in charge of Economic Management in the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, at the time this individual served as Director of Economic Management in the same Ministry?
(4) Are you as President applying the law selectively, with a sense of favouritism or not?
(5) How many officials from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, who were suspended or arrested for their alleged involvement in the abuse of public funds have been fired, reinstated or redeployed, and what are their names?
In order to allay all fears and suspicions, it would be better for Mr Hichilema to comprehensively come clean on these matters. In leadership, perception is everything, and Mr Hichilema has a duty to dispel public fears and concerns on these extremely crucial matters.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party
