CHISHIMBA Kambwili says all those cheering on President Edgar Lungu instead of criticising the wrongs in his government will not be there when he is jailed.

And Kambwili says the dismissal of national development planning minister Lucky Mulusa was predictable because President Lungu does not like to be taken on and being told that “he is wrong or that he is corrupt”.

Meanwhile, the Roan PF member of parliament says the whole cabinet is now a master choir whose chorus is simply ‘yes bwana’.

Commenting on Mulusa’s dismissal, Kambwili said the former was fired because he told President Lungu the truth he did not like to hear.

Early this week during a programme on ZNBC, Mulusa said some ministers and the Head of State had not given a correct picture of what had caused electricity shortages.

He said the power cuts resulted from civil servants’ laxity to implement projects.

And a couple of months ago, Mulusa publicly criticised the purchase of 42 fire tenders by the government at a cost of $42 million, and likened them to wheelbarrows.

His remarks displeased President Lungu who asked him to resign, but he refused, opting to be dismissed.

And the Roan member of parliament who was also fired in similar fashion last year said time was running out for the “messiah” whose boots some people were willing to lick at the expense of poor Zambians they claimed to serve.

He warned President Lungu that jail was beckoning and that those bootlicking today would not care about him.

“But wait and see, the clocks have not stopped moving, everyone, including Bowman (Lusambo) knows that time is running out for their so called ‘messiah’ whose boots they are willing to lick at the expense of the poor Zambians they claim to serve. There will come a day when you’ll be alone in that jail cell Mr President and I can guarantee that if I will be president or if Hakainde will be president, the same people that are cheering you on like (State House spokesperson) Amos (Chanda) will not even bat an eye lid because that is the spirit of bootlickers,” Kambwili said.

He further explained that it was not shocking that Chanda, who was the most humble employee at the mission in London (where he was first secretary press), called it a tragedy that he was minister.

“Let me give you an example, when I was minister, Amos Chanda used to carry my luggage and open the door for me as I enter the commissioner’s car back in the UK. Amos was the most humble employee at the mission in London and this prompted me to put in a good word for him when President Lungu took office in 2015. Alas, look at Amos today! Amos, the suitcase carrier, can call it a tragedy that I was minister all because he is (allegedly) stealing with the president,” Kambwili said. “Don’t get me wrong, I am happy that Amos does not need to languish in London and carry suitcases, I am happy that God blessed him through some of us who thought he was humble. However, the moral of the story is that people will do anything to please those in power just so that they can get to wherever they desire, but when the curtains close on you, you will find that those same people are the ones pulling the curtain strings, and pulling them quite fast.”

He warned President Lungu to be careful with the praise singers in his government.

“Be careful with the praise singers because whatever song is given to them, they will bellow at the top of their voice. I was told by some minister friends that Mulusa is the last of the strong willed who refused corruption in cabinet. As things stand today after his sacking, the whole cabinet is a master choir whose rhythm is simply yes bwana,” Kambwili said.

“…On the firing of Hon Lucky Mulusa, my comment is that this was inevitable because President Lungu does not like to be taken on, he does not like to be told he is wrong or that he is corrupt. President Lungu was told by Mulusa point blank that those fire engines stunk of corruption and could only be likened to wheelbarrows. This was a far cry from what President Lungu likes to hear, he likes to hear that he is the great leader of this great nation and that the minister in charge of the most integral province in our country is his number one bootlicker.”

He said Mulusa’s only crime was to point out the wrongs in the PF government.

“Lucky Mulusa’s only sin was to highlight the fact that President Lungu’s administration is so corrupt it’s embarrassing to defend, now this is coming from an MMD member who has seen corruption more times than most. Whatever deal MMD may have with PF did not matter because Mulusa told him the truth, and if there is one thing our corrupt president does not like is to be told the truth,” Kambwili said.

He urged President Lungu to learn from what happened to Laurent Gbagbo and Muammar Gadaffi who thought they had the right to the presidency until the time of reckoning dawned.

“President Lungu must look at Laurent Gbagbo and Ghadafi who thought they had exclusive rights to the presidency because when their time of reckoning came, it was quite sad and miserable. God doesn’t sleep and he watches everything we do and believe you me, he will stand with the marginalised for he is the real Alfa and Omega,” said Kambwili.