Explain President’s speech, media urged

0
Emmanuel Mwamba

INFORMATION and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba has urged the media in the country to digest and explain President Michael Sata’s speech when he opened Parliament on Friday.

Mr Mwamba said the President’s speech highlighted many policy guidelines such as on infrastructure development which needed the media to dig deeper and explain to the people.

“You do not expect the President to start giving details on the mining policy, it is a huge document and if he does that it will take him over two hours, which can be boring to members of the public. So let the journalists help us,” he said.

Speaking yesterday morning on Muvi Television’s ‘Breakfast With the Boys’, Mr Mwamba said the media should play its role effectively by informing the people on Government programmes.

On the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Bill, Mr Mwamba said the public would be given options on how to go about it because his ministry had discovered that there were two options to be followed.

“Either to wait until the Draft Constitution is passed in Parliament because it would automatically contain all those issues or to amend certain Acts, so we shall have to wait until the public determines,” he said.

On accusations by Young African Leaders Iniative’s Andrew Ntewewe that Mr Sata had trivialised the Constitution roadmap, Mr Mwamba refuted this, saying the guidelines given by the President were clear.

He said the Technical Committee drafting the Constitution had its position but the one coming from the President was the accurate one, and that a decision on whether to go for a referendum or not would be announced at an appropriate time.

NO COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY