Lungu wants to increase spending in health and education sectors- Amos

President Edgar Lungu’s spokesperson Amos Chanda says the Head of State completed the tour of Eastern Province with satisfaction that he has gotten firsthand information on what is happening in the region. 

Briefing journalists at the end of President Lungu’s three-day tour of the province on Saturday, Chanda said the Head of State met several people such as chiefs to discuss with them their understanding of the development trajectory, the progress and the challenges that they see in the implementation of infrastructure development.

“One of the important things he wanted to see for himself and lead from the front is the distribution of relief food exercise. The dichotomy of the tragedy of the weather pattern of this year is that you have dry spells in one party of the country and excessive rainfall in this part of the country where Eastern Province is,” he said. “He has personally taken charge and working through the Vice-President’s office Hon (Sylvia) Chalikosa, national coordinator Chanda Kabwe, we are moving very decisively and very progressively to ensure that all the districts that are affected by flooding where there is a likelihood of deficit in food production are quickly given relief food.”

Chanda said the President toured Kalindawalo General Hospital and commissioned the Edgar Lungu Technical School in Petauke, which defines his focus in positioning and continuing to reposition the PF as a pro-poor political party.

He said the President wanted to increase spending in social sectors such as health and education.

Chanda said one of the most important messages the President delivered while in the province was a discourse on violence during his address to PF members at Chipata College of Education.

“He (President Lungu) extensively spoke of the shame of Sesheke where incidents of violence try to portray the country in a different light which it is not and along with that he used the occasion to disclose as you heard himself, the secretary general of his party (Davies Mwila) is under strict instruction to ensure that PF members adhere to the principles and values upon which the PF was founded. There will be no violence whatsoever to be tolerated within the rank and file of the PF,” he said.

Chanda said President Lungu wanted a peaceful Zambia, saying no election is worth a single drop of blood.

He said the Head of State also said that the process of national dialogue was now being entrenched into law.

This article originally appeared in The Mast and is available at: https://www.themastonline.com/2019/03/27/lungu-wants-to-increase-spending-in-health-and-education-sectors-amos/