HONEY BEE SCANDAL NEEDS FULL PROBE

Dear editor,

WE welcome the decision by President Edgar Lungu who in his discretion has deemed it appropriate to go separate ways with the minister of Health, Dr Chitalu Chilufya.

We still hold Dr Chilufya in high esteem especially the tireless work he did at the peak of the invisible enemy of Coronavirus.

We are also calling for the cleansing of the Ministry of Heath from the generation of corruption scandals. It is the same ministry that had its former officers (Henry Kapoko and colleagues) sent to prison for embezzlement of public financial resources.

This is a tip of an iceberg of the chronic and pathological culture of corruption at the ministry. It is deep rooted and decisive measures should be taken to find long term solutions.

Besides the minister being dropped, please dismiss all the directors and the entire procurement department at the ministry. He is not the problem in that ministry.

Dr Chilufya is only a political head of the ministry while the technical team comprises of the various professionals who work behind the scene. It does not help to merely change a guard without cracking a whip on other public servants.

In fact, all illicit transactions bear the seal and signature of Permanent Secretaries and Directors. If the policy makers such as ministers can be shown the exit door, the technocrats should receive proportionate measure. Dr Chilufya was merely a political head of the ministry.

Further, in this Honey Bee Pharmacy scandal, we need to define the liability of other key stakeholders. What of security institutions at the port of entry, what is the definition of their liability on the Honey Bee Pharmacy scandal?

We have seen stakeholders such as Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), Zambia Medicine Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) and Medical Stores Limited (MSL) playing Adam and Eve games at the expense of the public. We suspect the heads of these institutions are playing to the gallery and exonerating themselves.

We are also calling for the dissolution of the Boards of Directors at ZABS, MSL and ZAMRA followed by the consequent dismissal of their respective top management. We do not agree that ZABS can wash its hands in this matter on the basis that they communicated the decision for the so-called appropriate action.

Since this issue is criminal in nature, did ZABS also report to ACC, DEC and the police, the competent bodies to undertake criminal prosecution? We do not agree that matters that are criminal in nature can be handled administratively.

We are also disappointed with Honey Bee Pharmacy and persons connected to it for this disgraceful and unpatriotic behaviour. We are told there are Zambians with vested interests in this company and we wonder why the Zambian company can disregard national interests and embark on an act which is tantamount to murdering the consumers of the defective condoms and gloves.

We do not expect Zambia Police or indeed any other relevant authority to wait for Presidential directives, public interest is sufficient directive that the law enforcement agencies can rely.

We appeal for commencement of investigations in the matter and bring all culprits to book.