President Michael Sata has directed the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education to construct secondary schools in Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II’s area in Chongwe.
Mr. Sata issued the directives yesterday during the laying of a foundation stone for the construction of Chalimbana University in Chongwe district.
“Education minister ensure secondary schools are opened in all the chiefdoms of Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II,” he directed.
The Head of State said it was important that more schools are built so that children can have easy access to quality education.
He has since admonished the people of Chongwe to look after Chalimbana university infrastructure jealously when it is constructed.
He said the construction of the university was a project of Chongwe residents hence the need for them to look after it.
And Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II said the people of Chongwe district will support the PF government in all its projects.
She praised President Sata for initiating the construction of the university adding that the land has been lying idle for a long time.
Meanwhile, Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II has appealed to government to consider utilizing the land she gave the state to construct a police camp in Chongwe.
She lamented that nothing has been done on the piece of land she released to government for constructing of police housing units and an office block when the MMD was still in power.
The traditional leader revealed to President Sata that police officers in Chongwe have no houses, a situation that has forced them to rent houses elsewhere.
The Chieftainess further disclosed that the police was also renting an office from the Chongwe district council which the officers were using for their day to day work.
Meanwhile, Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Minister John Phiri said the PF government was delivering according to the campaign promises it made to the electorate.
He stated that during the 2011 pre-election campaigns, Mr. Sata promised the people f Chongwe that PF will turn Chalimbana College into a university once elected into office, a promise the party has since honoured.
And Lusaka Province Minister Freedom Sikazwe said the construction of the university has excited the people of Chongwe.
He reiterated that the people of Chongwe have been crying for Chalimbana College to be upgraded into a university for a long time now.
Mr Sikazwe said the university will help to absolve pupils who are not taken by other higher learning institutions.
ZANIS
I am sick and tired of hearing that an existing school or college is being turned into a university. As a nation what we must understand is that these schools that are being turned into universities are of historical importance to former graduates. How can I proudly say I graduated from ZIT if that institution is no longer there. Can I now brag that I graduated from CBU? Just think about it people. How about changing UNZA to LU (Lusaka University)? The solution is to come up with brand new universities and names.
So such big projects like building schools can be directed at the minister just like that without budget allocation. Those were pronouncements of apeasement. The president should realise that he is not campaigning for him to make such directives which we know won’t work
IMPULSIVE OR PLANNED INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT?
Knee-jerk development is what it is now in Zambia.
How about “build more schools” even, not “build more school” as our (educated?) LT journalist wrote?
umuselu weka weka pa zed
So that’s all it takes – a directive.
Sata just wakes up and issues directives without even knowing where ministry of education will get the funding from!
Issuing of directives without proper planning is the order of the day!!
So this is the new planning in Zambia? Sata goes around the country doing the ‘planning’. I don’t see the country developing properly.