FORMER health minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya says there is no President that has worked as much as President Edgar Lungu.

And Dr Chilufya says he will give K50,000 each to four markets in Mansa from the Presidential Market Empowerment Fund.

Meanwhile, Dr Chilufya says it is up to the PF central committee to decide if he can re-contest his Mansa seat.

Speaking when he met marketers in Mansa, Tuesday, Dr Chilufya insisted that he endorsed President Lungu in this August election.

“I have come to tell you one thing, the most important thing I want to say is that, I Chitalu Chilufya whom you sent to represent you as MP in Parliament including you people in Mansa Central, I am endorsing our Head of State will stand again as President in 2021. Here in Mansa Central, we don’t want a single vote to go to the opposition because it is a waste of a vote. I thank you that you have chosen President Edgar Lungu and you have shown him respect. We did not have markets here in Mansa. We now have markets in Kasasa, Maiteneke, Down UB. Has there ever been a President who has worked like this? In Mansa District, we have a lot of voters, we have about 100,000. President Lungu promised us hospitals, the hospitals that have been built in Mansa Central are a lot,” Chilufya said.

“If we look at the secondary schools, when I started as an MP, we had two secondary schools but this time, because of President Lungu’s hard work, we have 13 secondary schools. We did not have water, we now have a plant that is supplying us with water. Can you change a team that is working? What will the opposition bring us? They should not lie to you. The President has seen how much we have suffered, he started working for us and the rest of the things he will fulfill. The leader we have is President Edgar Lungu. And when you look at the work we have done on roads, agriculture, schools, we have been elevated. Has there ever been a government that has done this? I don’t want us to change. For me, I am standing here together with my people in Mansa Central and the people of Luapula, we are endorsing President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.”

He said the opposition were simply making noise by claiming that they would develop the country when they are ushered into office.

“The PF is democratic. You will see other people coming to tell you that they want to stand as an MP. That is their right, that is what democracy entails. Don’t chase them, listen to what they are telling you and what they have done. If they have also built clinics, hospitals, schools and roads, they will point at them. If they have worked with President Lungu to develop Mansa, they will point at it. So whoever has power should come. When you see the opposition, they are saying ‘when you vote for us, we will change the country’, but isn’t building schools, hospitals and roads development? So a person who is working and a person that promised that they will work, who will the people choose? That is noise they are making,” he said.

And Dr Chilufya pledged that he would give four markets K50,000 each.

“You have heard of market empowerment? I want to tell marketers in Namwande, Maiteneke, Chilyampa, Down UB, we are giving you Presidential Market Empowerment. We will ensure that from that empowerment, each market we will give you K50,000 each. Have you ever seen any other President come to say this to you? I just want to encourage you to work together. In 2021, Edgar Lungu is the candidate we have even at the conference that is the President we are going with, he is the one retaining the seat, there is no one who can be there,” said Dr Chilufya.

Meanwhile, when asked if he would re-contest his seat in a brief interview, Dr Chilufya said it was not up to him.

“If I am re-contesting, that is the decision of the Central Committee,” said Dr Chilufya.

Last month, President Edgar Lungu terminated Dr Chilufya‘s contract, replacing him with Bwana Mkubwa PF member of parliament Jonas Chanda after public outcry over distribution of toxic drugs and other medical equipment.