….As PS puts his foot down, refuses to empower grandfathers
Scoop Reporter
LIKE magma before a volcanic eruption, anger is simmering among those who benefited from the fuel tankers youth empowerment programme due to delays in finalising the clearance of trucks to commence operations.
In September this year, Government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Arts handed 71 fuel tankers to various youth cooperatives drawn from across the country but the ministry is reportedly reluctant to link the beneficiaries to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) after realising that some of the beneficiaries are not even youths.
The Scoop has learnt that Ministry of Youths Sport and Arts Permanent Secretary Chileshe Kangwa has refused to clear the tankers for fuel haulage services OMCs because of some unqualified individuals who benefited from the programme.
“The Permanent Secretary has put his foot down and says he will not allow illegalities in the empowerment program. The fuel tanker empowerment programme was earmarked for youths aged 35 and below but some tankers were erroneously awarded to individuals who are over 65 years.
“How can you have a cooperative that benefited from the fuel tankers empowerment programme which has members who are between 45 and 65 years but call themselves youths? This move has contributed to the delay in the activation process of the programme because the PS doesn’t want to be part of this illegality,” the source said.
According to the source, this has put the PS in difficult position because some unqualified individuals who benefited from the programme are highly connected.
