MALUPENGA CAUTIONS NDOLA COUNCIL
LOCAL Government Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga has advised Ndola City Council to treat the restoration of the land agency with extreme caution.
Mr Malupenga advised the council to ensure prudent land management.
About two weeks ago, Government restored the land agency to Ndola City Council after more than one year suspension.
The Permanent Secretary noted that he was alive to the fact that problems regarding land management in the city would not be solved overnight as they had been created over a period of time.
He was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Mayor Amon Chisenga yesterday.
He advised acting Town Clerk Wisdom Bwalya not to defend officers whether current or from the previous management of their wrong doings.
Mr Malupenga challenged management to demonstrate that it was now able to follow regulations to the letter.
“We have confidence that you will be equal to the task. If wrong things were being done in the past do not defend the wrong things, state your position and move in the correct path. If sound decisions were not made acknowledge something went wrong and state how you are correcting it,” Mr Malupenga advised.
He also stated that it would absurd for the local authority to obtain a loan place public property as collateral as was the case in the previous administration.
“You cannot justify putting a clinic or a fire station as collateral, that is public property. The best you can do is to show how you will rectify this. How would you justify losing a clinic in case of a default? My advice to you TC and Mayor; be guided with that which is right, Do the right thing. The truth will set you free,” Mr. Malupenga said.
And Chisenga thanked the Permanent Secretary for standing with the council when it lost the land agency.
The Mayor promising to ensure sanity in Ndola especially with regard to land administration.
Mr Chisenga pledged that the council would follow circular number 1 of 1985 to the letter with regard to land administration and management in order to ensure sanity.