GIDEON NYENDWA
LOCAL Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Nicholas Phiri has refused to resign despite failing to deliver all the 156 ambulances through Ace Pharmaceuticals after vowing that he was going to leave his job by today if the consignment was not going to be delivered.
Mr Phiri has now given himself August 31, 2025 as the deadline to deliver the now scandalous fleet of 156 ambulances procured using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Phiri, who gave himself a new deadline of August 2025 admitted that the government had failed to meet its May 31, 2025 deadline to roll out all 156 ambulances, blaming the failure on what he termed unexpected logistical challenges in the shipping process.
He said the vehicles would now arrive by a revised target of August 2025. He had previously vowed to resign if the ambulances were not in the country by the end of this month.
However, when questioned by journalists on whether he would honour that commitment, Mr Phiri declined, wondering why he should when his priority was now to ensure the successful arrival and distribution of the ambulances.
“To resign now would be to abandon the process when we need to see it through,” Mr Phiri said, insisting that the government was still committed to delivering the full fleet.
Mr Phiri said the 156 ambulances were part of a high-profile government initiative aimed at improving emergency medical response services in all 156 constituencies across the country. However, to date, only 47 have been delivered.
The delay has drawn sharp criticism from civil society organisations and opposition leaders, who have accused the government of backtracking on vital service delivery promises.
Critics argue that the failure to meet the deadline undermines public confidence in the administration’s capacity to manage critical health infrastructure projects.
Despite the backlash, Mr Phiri remained defiant, stating that the ministry is working closely with suppliers and logistics partners to expedite the remaining deliveries.
