Rumphi, March 22: President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika on Saturday presided over the launch of the long awaited Njakwa-Livingstonia –Chitimba Road Project, with a pledge never to sideline any part of this country as far as development is concerned.
The 80- kilometre road runs from Njakwa at Chipokawawoli Bridge to the historical Livingstonia Mission up the escarpment, and then extends down to Chitimba where it joins M1 Road.
Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony of the project in Mhuju in the area of Sub Traditional Authority Mwahenga, Mutharika said upgrading of Njakwa-Livingstonia-Chitimba road to bitumen standard was a demonstration of his government’s determination and commitment to ensure the economic and social wellbeing of all Malawians are uplifted.
I will spread development equally to all parts of the country without discrimination even in areas where I did not get votes. My plan is to ensure that all parts the country move forward,” he said.
The president said his wish is to have the road project be completed within stipulated period and, therefore, appealed to communities along the road to desist from stealing construction materials and fuel in order not to delay the project.
“I would like to appeal to the people living in the project area to cooperate with the contractor and desist from stealing fuel and cement as it has previously been the case in areas of such nature of projects.
“It is very sad to see people who will benefit from the project being engaged in the stealing of construction materials. We don’t want this to happen here. We would like to see that this project is finalised within stipulated time,” he appealed.
With the current condition of Livingstonia road which leads to a historical place harbouring institutions like Gordon Memorial Hospital, technical college and Livingstonia University, very few vehicles go to this place.
This forces students learning at these institutions to drop a bus at Chitimba and walk about 16 kilometres up the escarpment.
Besides institutions at Livingstonia, areas along this road are agriculturally productive as they grow coffee, bananas and tobacco which will easily be transported to markets once this road is completed.
Meanwhile, the president has pledged to ensure that people in the country should not experience hunger and food shortage following a dry spell that has hit some parts of the country including Rumphi.
“I have heard about the water situation and about the drought. I have seen myself the crop situation on my way here. I am concerned that there will be food shortage,” he said.
He was responding to the concern raised by Traditional Authority Mwahenga who spoke on the water problems and about the drought that has hit the district.
“We have serious problem of water and drought here. Many crop fields have wilted. We have lost hope that we will harvest anything. Please assist us with inputs so that we should engage in irrigation farming,” said Mwahenga in his earlier statement.
Speaking just before the president, Minister of Transport and Public Works, Francis Kasaila disclosed that the 80 kilometre road construction will be funded by Mota Engil in Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement and that government will pay back the loan at an agreed period later.
He said the arrangement will minimize delays and other challenges that similar projects had suffered previously.
Like Mutharika, the transport minister said the DPP Government will never discriminate any part of this country in terms of development.
“President Mutharika wants development. If there will be politics, it will be you people who will speak out in 2019,” he said.
Also speaking during the function, Member of Parliament for Rumphi North, Jappie Mhango commended the president for the landmark project.
“For many years, previous administrations had just been singing about this project, but they did not do anything tangible at the end of the day. But in just ten months you had been in government, you have come here with this pleasant surprise,” said Mhango.
Besides Njakwa-Livingstonia- Chitimba Road, government also expressed commitment to implement other road projects like Jenda-Edingeni, Rumphi-Nyika and Mzimba-Eswazini-Kafukule-Ezondweni roads in Northern Region.
