Metro

Zambia: PF faction to hold separate memorial service for late President Sata

Published

4 weeks ago

October 28, 2024

A faction of Zambia’s main opposition party, the Patriotic Front (PF), has announced plans to hold a memorial service for late President Michael Sata who passed away on October 28, 2014, in a London hospital, ahead of the official service organised by the state.

According to the programme of event announced on Sunday by the faction Vice President, Given Lubinda, the 10th memorial of the late President, who was Zambia’s fifth head of state, will take place at the Anglican Cathedral in Lusaka, with President Hakainde Hichilema as guest of honor.

At a media briefing held on Sunday, Lubinda invited PF members to attend the alternative service in green attire to honor Sata’s legacy.

“We are grateful to the Catholic Church for allowing us to hold a service at the Cathedral of Child Jesus. All who loved the late President should join us tomorrow,” Lubinda stated.

He also dismissed allegations by those he described as detractors who criticized PF’s decision to hold a separate service, asserting that the party remained committed to celebrating Sata’s life.

Meanwhile, former President Edgar Lungu has reiterated his commitment to rescue the PF, claiming many Zambians regret sidelining him in the 2021 elections.

He expressed determination to protect the nation’s interests and uphold the vision of late President Michael Sata.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Emmanuel Mwamba, Lungu described his electoral defeat as “God’s will” and suggested it had allowed Zambians to “see the difference.”

“It surprised me that people still do not understand why they voted for the United Party for National Development (UPND),” he said.

Lungu disclosed that he chose not to challenge the 2021 election results to maintain national peace, but revealed that his recent decision to re-enter politics stems from concerns over what he sees as external efforts to divide the PF, allegedly backed by UPND.

“I became President through the PF and shared Sata’s vision for a better Zambia. Abandoning the PF for a pension from Mr. Hichilema would have been the ultimate betrayal,” Lungu stated.

While addressing controversies surrounding the recent memorial service for Sata, Lungu criticized those he accused of attempting to hijack the ceremony, and comparedv their actions to witchcraft.

“It’s like someone bewitching your son, then taking over his funeral. Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa, a Catholic himself, should have prevented this from happening in a church that Sata belonged to,” Lungu said.

Click to comment

Metro

Finland-based Nigerians in panic as authorities search for Simon Ekpa’s sponsors

Published

46 minutes ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Some Nigerians based in Finland have been thrown into panic mode following the arrest and detention of the self-styled Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRIGE), Simon Ekpa, who was arrested on Thursday by Finnish authorities on terror-related charges.

Ekpa was arrested alongside four other individuals by Finnish authorities on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and financing terrorism.

The dissident had made himself infamous by using the social media to promote violent activities in southeastern Nigeria, including attacks and murder of civilians and security personnel.

According to some Nigerians in European country, following the arrest of the separatist leader and the four individuals suspected to be sponsors of his group known as IPOB-AutoPilots, the police have begun a manhunt for other sponsors, thus creating panic in the Nigerian community and those who may have had dealings with the agitator.

Several sources who spoke to journalists, said Nigerians in the European country are afraid of commenting on the arrest of Ekpa over fear of being attacked.

A Nigerian community leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said that the Igbo community in the was gravely affected by the violent acts of the secessionist group.

“Everyone is afraid to speak about Ekpa’s arrest. The key people in Finland and the Igbo community at large are not ready to lend their voices either,” he said.

He added that some persons were being accused of reporting Ekpa to the police and were being threatened.

“A particular person they accused now, they’re after him. This happened before he (Ekpa) was even remanded; what will happen when they imprison him? Everyone is afraid. These people are very deadly.”

Another Nigerian who spoke acknowledged that there was serious tension among Nigerians in the country.

“People don’t want to speak about Ekpa for fear of being hunted by his followers. We believe that they will hunt whoever comes out to talk about their leader. But the Finnish Government is trying to get rid of the situation.”

Metro

65% of Nigerian households lack money for healthy food—Survey

Published

23 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that around 65% of Nigerian households, which is about two-thirds of the population, lack the financial means to eat healthy food.

According to the survey by the agency, the decline is a reflection of the multidimensional poverty in the country and the impact of continuous reduction in the purchasing power of Nigerians due to rising prices of goods and services.

And as a result, two-thirds of households in the country lack money to eat healthy, nutritious food, the NBS said.

Titled “Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024),” the survey examined demographics, education, and health trends in Nigeria, comparing data from Wave 4 (2018/19) and Wave 5 (2023/24).

On food insecurity, the survey stated:

“Approximately two out of three households indicated being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days.

“Similarly, 63.8 per cent of households ate only a few kinds of food due to lack of money, 62.4 percent were worried about not having enough food to eat, and 60.5 percent ate less than they thought they should.”

It added that between Waves 4 and 5, the proportion of households that reported being worried about not having enough food to eat because of lack of money increased significantly, from 36.9 percent to 62.4 percent.

On access to energy, the survey revealed said:

“82.2 percent of urban households have electricity, compared to 40.4 per cent in rural areas. Nigerian households face an average of 6.7 power blackouts weekly.

“Cooking typically involves traditional three-stone stoves (65.0 percent), primarily using wood as fuel (70.2 per cent), but with use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rising significantly.

“Many households lack toilet facilities and rely on tube wells or boreholes for drinking water. Waste disposal is mostly informal, with 45.6 percent of households using bushes or streets,” it added.