By JOHN SAKALA
The constituents of Chigayo Township says no Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingola Constituency has transformed the constituency like the current MP, Matthew Nkhuwa.
Speaking yesterday when Mr Nkhuwa inspected a 1×3 classroom block at Chigayo Primary School, Robert Musekendi said no MP has transformed Chingola constituency like Mr Nkhuwa.
Mr Musekendi said Chigayo community was overlooked and they had no pipe water and electricity.
“But with Mr Nkhuwa as our MP, power has come into our community waiting for us to connect our homes to the grid. Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation is equally laying water pipes. Our desire is that he continues as our MP even after 2021,” he said.
Lulamba Ward Women Chairperson Vera Chishimba pleaded with Mr Nkhuwa to ensure that he finds a mechanism in which he can help the houses to be connected to electricity.
Ms Chishimba said Zesco is asking for K1, 700 to connect a house which is higher than what the community can afford.
And Mr Nkhuwa said in 2016 he had promised to take power to the community and he had fulfilled.
He also promised to help them build another classroom block and a 1×3 classroom block is almost finished.
Earlier he inspected the Chiwempala-cemetery road where he registered disappointment with the delay in finishing the project.
Mr Nkhuwa has called on all the parties involved to expedite the works so that mourners don’t have to go round to Lulamba to bury their loved ones.
He asked Chingola Municipal Council to ensure they provide the grader so that the works can be completed in time.
Later he toured the Amlew Ablution project in Chabanyama.
So far works have progressed well and Projects Engineer John Banda assured Mr Nkhuwa who is also Energy Minister that the works will be completed in eight weeks.
The Amlew project which will gobble about half a million kwacha will have independent water supply from a borehole and soak away sewer system to prevent clogging.
He also visited Chabanya Combined School where the Head Teacher Chambeshi Wapima briefed him of the challenges they have had in completing a 1×5 classroom block.
Mr Wapima said some classroom were accommodating over 100 pupils.
And Mr Nkhuwa promised to help them finish a 1×3 which was started under the Constituency Development Fund.
His next school was Ndungu, where the Deputy Head Teacher Goodhope Ntilima expressed the challenges of the school.
Among them is lack of sufficient classroom space, security as the school doesn’t have perimeter fence, burglar doors and windows and also the need to level the football pitch with a grader.
Mr Ntilima said the school had started a 1×2 classroom block but they are now stuck financially.
In response, Mr Nkhuwa opted not to be involved in the project by using his team to complete the project.
He said asked the school to provide a bill of quantity for the remainder of the project so that money can be released.
“I fear to get involved in projects started by others because if they collapse, the blame will come back on me,” he said.
