SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
UNDER-PERFORMING ministers and permanent secretaries will be shown the door, President Edgar Lungu warned yesterday.
The President made the warning at State House yesterday when he swore in newly appointed Permanent Secretaries.
He also cautioned against frictions between Ministers and Permanent Secretaries as they are supposed to work together as “two sides of the coin”.
Mr Lungu warned that he would not hesitate to dismiss PSs and Ministers that were not performing before 2021.
He said that he did not want Zambians to vote him out of office in 2021 because of non-performing ministers and Permanent Secretaries.
“In 2021, I may be fired or rehired by the Zambian people depending on you, I will not allow you the latitude of privilege of messing around and getting me sacked in 2021. I would rather sack you now and get people who can do the job.
“This is not a threat but just a friendly warning. The same goes for all those serving as Ministers, I want to see action,” President Lungu said.
President Lungu also disclosed that he had in several occasions sat down and counselled some Ministers and permanent secretaries that were at loggerheads.
He warned that he would no longer tolerate permanent secretaries undermining their Ministers saying there was need for them to work together for the betterment of Zambians.
The newly appointed PSs that were sworn in include, Ms Joyce Nsamba for Muchinga Province, Mr Willies Manjimela, for North-Western Province, Mr Bernad Chomba for Central Province and Mrs Mulalelo Kakulubelwa, PS responsible for Administration at Ministry of Health.
Later, special assistant to the President for press and public relations, Amos Chanda told journalists that former Ministry of Health PS for Administration, Dr Kennedy Malama has been moved to the Technical Services in the same ministry at the same capacity.
Mr Chanda also revealed that the President will be naming the new Ministry of Agriculture PS in due course as Mr Julius Shawa’s contract would not be renewed when it comes to an end this month end.
