President Edgar Lungu has challenged Zambians to stop the tendency of saying “Boma ilanganepo” and focus on identifying their various inner potential which they would use to better their respective lives.

Speaking in Mambwe District, Eastern Province where he went to commission the MISSOIL Processing Plant yesterday, President Lungu noted that most Zambians had a lazy attitude towards work and were always relying on government to give them handouts without working for them.

“I am very impressed with what I have seen, I say I am impressed because I have heard people say ‘we are suffering’. But then I ask them ‘what are you doing to get out of that box of suffering which you are trapped in?’ because we all have it within ourselves to improve ourselves but most people most people want Boma ilanganepo (the government should look out for us), boma ilanganepo bwanji? Me I tell them that we are simply here to create an enabling atmosphere or environment that is convenient for you to be able to identify your potential. What I am seeing is that Zambians have a talent of complaining and complaining and complaining, the truth is that we can break out of any suffering just like this lady has risen from nothing to where she is now where she has employed a lot of people,” said President Lungu.

“Let’s identify our different talents and capabilities so that we partner with those that have further knowledge so that we develop our potential. That’s why I am here to give honour and dedication to this project and I am advising her (the owner) that the sky is not the limit, you can do even much more. Now that you are successful, you can really claim ownership of this place. And Zambians I urge you to work hard, look for the potential which lies in you and partner with others who have more understanding than you and you will see that tomorrow you will be a different person and you will lead a transformational life once you discover your full potential.”

And speaking before the President at the same event, a representative of MISSOIL Processing Plant and founder member, explained how she started her oil business as a young lady years back.

“I started this business a very long time ago when I came here for the first time. I was with my mum and dad when I looked around and started to think how beautiful this land is, I started totally from the scratch, I remember I didn’t have anything I didn’t even have a bicycle but I had dreams. So I started up a small lodge called ‘Just Africa’ and my name appeared in the Brexit Travel guide and my partner in MISSOIL business saw it, read and traveled because this little story touched him. When he came to Mfuwe, he saw what we were doing, and he went back and when he came back, he wanted to do business in Zambia. He picked on me that we should start up this beautiful business of MISSOIL. We looked around, my partner has a background of finance and I have a background of looking after customers at my little ‘Just Africa’, we started thinking of what could be done and we came up with making cooking oil because I was aware then that most of the cooking oil that we get is imported.”

“So we realised that if we started growing Sun Flower, we were going to be the only ones who were going to do it. So that was how we got the seed from Zamseed and after we brought it to the community, that was when we planned and started this MISSOIL… we have created a market for the farmers around here because we buy the crop on their door step. We have also gone to Chipangali, Chiparamba were have shades and we have extension officers who we provide with motor bikes and they are here to witness this special event. We have about 2,000 farmers from whom we buy the Sun Flower and the little capacity we have in the plant, we are able to provide 2,000 litres of oil. So I am standing here to tell everyone that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can do anything,” explained the MISOIL representative.