SPEAKER of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti has directed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Stanley Kakubo to issue a ministerial statement to the House next week on the on-going war between Ukraine and Russia and state Zambia’s position on the same.

During business in the House, Thursday, Matero PF member of parliament Miles Sampa rose on a point of order wondering why Kakubo had not informed the nation on government’s position.

“Madam Speaker, I am talking about the risk of the lives of Zambians of the 17 million Zambians because this war is between the West and the East. The West backed by America and we have also backed from the East. We have taken a stance so our lives, because we have gone one side, all of us in Zambia are at risk. And the Zambians in the diaspora, students, both in the West and in the East, their lives are at stake. Is the Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to keep quiet when our lives have been put at risk?” asked Sampa.

In her ruling, Speaker Mutti directed Kakubo to issue a ministerial statement.

“From my assessment from my seat, it looks like there is an issue that needs to be clarified by the government. I direct that the Minister of Foreign Affairs should come to the House and give a ministerial statement on the matter so that we can allay all these fears and concerns that have been brought into the House by the honourable members on the left. So the honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs must on Wednesday next week render a ministerial statement on the issue of the Ukraine – Russia war and what the position of Zambia on the war is,” said Speaker Mutti.