UPND WARNS ECL
…stop inciting the students to rise against President Hakainde Hichilema
THE ruling UPND has warned former President Edgar Lungu to stop inciting students to rise against President Hakainde Hichilema. fourT(4h)ursday UPND Presidential camrupaariygn22te,a2m02m4ember, houFseeb, Beene Hachoombwa said Mr Lungu should be the last person to engage students on meal allowances when he abolished the allowances while he was in office.
Mr Hachoombwa was reacting to Mr Lungu who has been quoted in some section of the media advising the Zambia Nation Students Union (ZANASU) to tell President Hichilema to cut down on trips if the government insisted that it cannot increase the allowances further due to limited resources.
But Mr Hachoombwa said it was laughable that the former head of State could talk about allowances which he failed to implement while in power.
In an interview, he said it was wrong for Mr Lungu to engage innocent students in politics.
He said politics cannot take centre stage at the expense of education.
“I want to call for a shame upon Mr Lungu because Mr Lungu should be the last person to talk about meal allowances because he removed the same allowances.
Mr Lungu prioritised on empowering rich musicians, cadres and slay queens and neglected the students he is engaging now. What he is doing is uncalled for,” he said.
Mr Hachoombwa said President Hichilema’s trips had no effect on meal allowances because they were productive.
He said “We have seen a lot of investment that has been coming in the country to stabilise the broken FE economy that he (Mr Lungu) damaged.
“We want to call upon Mr Lungu to have a sense of shame before he speaks, if anything Mr Lungu must be enjoying the freedom that the President has given him.
Therefore, it is not right for Mr Lungu incite students, the same students he deprived the right to have meal allowances,” Mr Hachoombwa said.