By OLIVER SAMBOKO
Government should publish details of the contract it has signed with The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Zambia’s former Ambassador to Ethiopia, Emmanuel Mwamba has demanded.
Mr Mwamba said the new dawn administration should publish the terms and conditions of the agreement it has entered into with the former British Prime Minister.
“Government must make full disclosure of who is paying for this Tony Blair’s consultancy. In Zambia, the procurement of any services or consultancy must be regulated by the Zambia Public Procurement Act.” Mr Mwamba, the Patriotic Front (PF) presidential hopeful said access of foreigners to Zambia’s State House, inside security and development initiatives hinge on endangering the sovereignty of the country.
“We are concerned as Tony Blair’s involvement in State House, like that of Brenthurst Foundation, raises serious security and other issues,” Mr Mwaamba said.
He said the former British Prime Minister was controversial figure and it was therefore for government to tell Zambians what agreement had been signed with the former British Prime Minister. Mr Mwamba alleged that the Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, set up to look at decision-making in relation to the invasion of Iraq had exposed Mr Blair’s lies and criminal conduct in the Iraq war while he served as Prime Minister.
“It is therefore shocking that Tony Blair is allowed into State Houses of African states without due regard to his controversial status,” he said.
Mr Mwamba said since the election of President Hakainde Hichilema, Mr Blair has been a regular visitor at State House, and that the former British Prime Minister, through “ The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change,” had put up a commercial proposal to build capacity for President Hichilema’s Government.
