MP nods Zambia Army on markets construction

I SUPPORT Government’s decision to grant the Zambia Army the civil authority to construct market shelters in Ndola, says Bwanamukubwa Member of Parliament Jonas Chanda.

Dr Chanda said the government had officially decided to grant the Zambia Army the civil authority to construct markets in Ndola including the Mushili market which had stalled for six years under a Lusaka- based contractor Triple V company.

In a statement to the Daily Nation, Dr Chanda thanked the Zambia Army for approving the civil authority for the works and coming to the aid of the civil authority.

He said for over three years he had been calling on the Ministry of Local Government to terminate the Triple V contract for Mushili market as it was a failed project.

He said as a result, marketeers had suffered for six years as the market had remained complete.

Mr Chanda said the quality of works were poor and that the project was too costly at K15 million.

He said new Local Government Minister Charles Banda and his permanent secretary Edward Chomba had on separate occasions visited Mushili market and seen the failed works by Triple V.

Dr Chanda said he was grateful that they both understood the suffering of the marketeers and the need to terminate the Triple V contract so that Zambia Army would finish the construction of the market in a qualitative manner and at a much lower cost.

He said the first need for any country to develop was discipline which the men and women in uniform had, unlike the indiscipline and lack of patriotism in some of the local contractors who got contracts and money but did shoddy works, abandoned works and then disappeared.

Dr Chanda later appealed to the Ministry of Local Government to ensure that the Directors of Triple V Company accounted for the money they got without finishing the market construction.