MINISTER’S CAMPAIGN TRIP TO CHIENGE WITH HELICOPTER CONDEMNED
MINISTER’S CAMPAIGN TRIP TO CHIENGE WITH HELICOPTER CONDEMNED
…as the area lawmaker highlights the stark contrast between UPND’s lavish mode of transport and the dire realities faced her people
Chienge… Thursday, April 25, 2024
In a scathing statement, Independent Member of Parliament for Chienge Constituency, Given Katuta, has denounced the UPND government’s decision to send Minister Elvis Nkandu to the area via a helicopter campaign trip as a “mockery” of the constituents’ pressing needs.
Hon. Katuta highlighted the stark contrast between the UPND’s lavish mode of transport and the dire realities faced by the people of Chienge, who are grappling with the deplorable state of the Kashikishi Lunchinda Road, crippling poverty, skyrocketing cost of living, and chronic drug shortages in local health facilities.
“The people of Chienge are struggling to access basic services and infrastructure, yet the UPND government chooses to fly in a minister on a helicopter campaign trip. This is a blatant mockery of our constituents’ plight,” said Hon. Katuta.
The Chienge MP went on to accuse the UPND of engaging in vote-buying tactics, alleging that Minister Nkandu has boasted about arriving with “enough cash, chitenge, and t-shirts to give every voter.”
Hon. Katuta urged the people of Chienge to see through these attempts to sway their votes and instead focus on the real issues affecting their community.
“Our constituents are intelligent. They have organized themselves to receive cash handouts from Hon. Nkandu, who is known for his vote-buying antics. We call on the people of Chienge to exercise their democratic rights without succumbing to these tactics,” Hon. Katuta said.
Furthermore, the Chienge MP criticized the government’s failure to assist the flood-affected families in the region, contrasting it with the lavish expenditure on the ministerial visit.
“While the government can afford to waste resources on a helicopter campaign trip, they have neglected the urgent needs of the flood-affected families in our constituency. This is a clear indication of the UPND’s misplaced priorities,” Hon. Katuta declared.
The Chienge MP reaffirmed her determination to continue advocating for the resolution of the constituency’s pressing issues, regardless of the political machinations of her opponents.