ZRP raps ‘toothless’ investigative wings

IT is shameful that it has taken a freelance journalist from England to push BP to pay its former employees yet we have investigative wings which are drawing huge resources from Government but doing nothing to end the rot at the Saturnia Regna Pension Fund, the Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) has observed.

The campaign dubbed “Ask BP to pay their ex-employees in Zambia,” was launched last week by an English freelance journalist, Daniel James, after a recent visit to Zambia to investigate the Saturnia fraud which has left pensioners stranded, years after leaving employment.

The initial 1, 000 signature threshold set at the beginning of the campaign was attained on Sunday as the number of people signing the petition is swelling every day.

Records as at yesterday showed that over 1, 500 had signed the document to press BP to release money for its retirees.

Mr. James said he was motivated to start the campaign after learning about the predicament that had befallen workers who laboured to make money for BPZambia but had been left in the cold as those holding their monies were simply not willing to pay them. He said upon his return to England, he was left with no option but to petition former BP International CEO Lord John Browne to ensure that the monies owed to the poor Zambians who faithfully worked for the company was given to them.

But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, ZRP president, Wright Musoma said investigative wings in Zambia must be ashamed of themselves for failing to live up to the expectations of Zambians by taking a sluggish approach to the Saturnia fraud which had put retirees’ lives at stake. Mr. Musoma, who branded the investigative wings as toothless dogs which could not bite, said it was better to dissolve certain institutions because they were simply gobbling Government’s resources yet they had nothing to show for the resources they were entitled to.

“We now have a case of a foreigner who came all the way from England to Zambia and probably used his own resources as a freelance journalist following up one case of fraud and is getting support across the globe because he is championing a good cause yet we have the so-called investigative wings who are just misusing Government resources, doing nothing.