|
|
|
|
| National |
| Chaponda accused of meddling with coupons |
|
by
Rabecca Theu, 29 December 2006
-
02:16:55
|
Some Agriculture officials in Mulanje on Thursday accused Local Government Minister George Chaponda of commandeering 10,000 subsidised fertiliser coupons on Wednesday which were meant for distribution to farmers in the district and diverted them to his constituency.
But Chaponda, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Mulanje South West, strongly denied the accusation in an interview with The Nation yesterday.
The officials told The Nation that Mulanje district received 28, 310 additional coupons which were supposed to be distributed to the whole district following anomalies experienced in the programme.
According to the sources, the coupons were supposed to be distributed to five Extension Planning Areas (EPAs), namely, Thuchila, Msikawanjala, Mulanje Boma, Milonde and Kamwendo.
The sources claimed that on Wednesday morning District Agricultural Development Officer (DADO ) Allan Kaliwo gave the supplementary coupons to the district’s five Agricultural Extension Development Coordinators (AEDCs) for distribution, only to have part of the coupons allegedly commandeered by Chaponda later the same day.
“Just after DADO handed over the coupons to the AEDCs, who are overseers of the coupon distribution system, Dr. George Chaponda came to the district’s agricultural offices at around lunch hour and ordered that the coupons be withdrawn. He was accompanied by five people.
“The AEDCs who had already gone to their areas were actually recalled and ordered to surrender the coupons,” said one of the sources.
Another source confirmed the development, saying the AEDCs were only told that it was an order from the Ministry of Agriculture to have some of the coupons given to Chaponda.
“There was no proper explanation, the AEDCs could not question anything or argue. The minister left earlier, leaving behind a woman who finished up the transactions with the DADO. The AEDCs then shared the remaining coupons [18,310] for their areas. It is actually very painful to see 10,000 coupons going to one constituency in a district where there are nine constituencies,” said the source.
Kaliwo refused to comment on the matter.
“I cannot comment on that. Call the Principal Secretary (PS) for the Ministry of Agriculture,” he said.
PS for the Ministry of Agriculture Patrick Kabambe yesterday said he was not aware of the development.
“What I know is that 28,000 supplementary coupons were given to Mulanje district after noting some anomalies with the original coupons. I would be surprised that the minister has taken some of the coupons because that would be an anomaly as it is not according to the normal system of distributing coupons.
“I seriously doubt those allegations because the district’s office of agriculture should have informed me but there is no alarm from that office. However, we will follow up with the office to find out if this is true. If it is true, then my minister will have to speak to Dr. Chaponda as I cannot speak to the minister [Chaponda] myself,” said Kabambe.
The supplementary coupons come straight from the Ministry of Agriculture to a district’s agriculture offices, formerly known as Rural Development Projects (RDP) which hands over the coupons to AEDCs. These in turn give the coupons to Agriculture Extension Development Officers (AEDOs) who then hand them over to Village Development Committees (VDCs). The VDCs comprise chiefs and other groups who distribute the coupons to the beneficiaries.
Ministers and MPs are not part of the process.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Chaponda strongly denied collecting the said coupons.
“I never collected or signed for those coupons. If you say I have then prove to the Police that I signed somewhere,” said Chaponda.
Asked what he went to do at the district’s Agriculture office on Wednesday, Chaponda said it was to facilitate the distribution process.
“I just wanted to ensure that the whole process was carried out with transparency. My constituents have been complaining about the way the original coupons were being distributed so I wanted to facilitate that process as a way of serving my people,” said Chaponda.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
