24th December 2023
THE UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) national youth wing is concerned that councils across the country are still failing to communicate adequately with the public despite having fully fledged communications and public relations units.
SPEAKING when he featured on a special program on Voice of Kalomo radio station Saturday night, (UPND) deputy national youth Chairperson in charge of politics and mobilization Trevor Mwiinde Sialunga says his party was disturbed that local authorities have public relations officers who should be explaining the council programmes and activities but are not doing their work.
MWIINDE says all councils dotted across the country have Communication specialists (public relations officers) entrusted with the responsibility to communicate with the public but surprising there is still a problem of information gap between the council and the communities they save as people on the ground no information.
RESPONDING to concerns by callers on Voice of Kalomo radio station who complained that the council is keeping the public in darkness over CDF and other activities, says the compliant of luck of information from councils in many districts across the country is clear evidence that despite councils having communication specialist there is still a problem of information flow as there is a huge gap.
MWIINDE says it is not only the president, vice and ministers to be explaining but council officers in districts through public relations units must be on hand to shade more light on their activities and plans to ensure members of the public are updated on what Government is doing through councils.
HE says with decentralization that the UPND new dawn administration has rolled out, council communications specialists who are paid salaries every month to enhance communication between the local authority and the public should have been equal to the task as opposed to what is happening were people are not well informed.
HE says the concern of luck of information to the general public is genuine because officers who should be engaging the public are not doing so but merely getting free salaries at the expense of the public who should have been upto date with not only CDF programmes but also other Government activities.
MWIINDE who explained the milestones and achievements of the UPND new dawn Government since it assumed power, says people who are getting salaries as communicators in councils must work up from slumber and do their job before they are replaced.
The outspoken (UPND) deputy national youth leader incharge of politics and mobilitisation who has continued to traverse different parts of the country to explain what the UPND new dawn administration is doing to improve the livelihood of Zambians, says all the local authorities must be on hand to explain and shade more light on not only (CDF) activities but ensure that people are not in darkness.
He says members of the public are condemning MPs, District Commissioners, Mayors, Council Chairpersons and councilors when councils across the country have officers paid as communications specialists who are not doing their job.
The (UPND) deputy national youth Chairperson in charge of politics and mobilization says the local Government Service Commissioner must move in and crack a wipe because members of the public must be well informed on processes procedures, plans and activities on what CDF is doing through council public relations officers who are in slumber.
He says instead of working for what they are paid for, some council officers are busy engaging in dubious activities to sell illegal plots a things he says whoever will be found whanting will face the wrath of the law.
MWINDE who says it should not take politicians to drive all the way from Lusaka to the districts just to explain CDF activities when councils have people paid for enhancing their image, requested the Local Government service commission to ensure people being recruited as council public relations officers have capacity.
CUE….VIDEO
ENDs//////
