PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has warned public workers in charge of procurement to follow proper procedures in the procurement process but has also assured the nation that Government would not be forced into inaction because of allegations of corruption.
Speaking to the media during his two-day tour of Central Province yesterday, President Lungu said the PF government will not lose sight of its manifesto and vision for the Zambian people owing to flimsy allegations of corruption by the opposition.
The President also said procurement must be done within the law and lawbreakers would be dealt with accordingly.
“Where there are acts of corruption, the due process of the law must take place with credible investigations.
“If anybody is arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission, that process will not be interfered with politically,” Mr Lungu said.
And President Lungu said the constant allegations were part of the opposition gimmick to destabilise the PF plan of delivering their promise of a better Zambia to the people.
“There are too many allegations that every procurement that Government does is being characterised as corruption, but a President of the Republic of Zambia with the mandate of the people, we will not be paralysed into inaction. We will continue to execute Government projects in line with the PF manifesto and in line with the mandate given to us by the people of Zambia,” Mr Lungu said.
The President said he was aware of the strategy by the opposition to try and derail the PF government from delivering on its promises to the Zambian people to sway its attention from its development programme.
He said the agenda to distract him from paying attention to his development agenda would not work as he was focused on working towards improving the lives of the people.
He charged that the opposition have no agenda or policy alternative for the people, but instead want to intimidate Government into failure so that they could use it to campaign against it.