FORMER Lusaka Province minister Bowman Lusambo says unscrupulous people have turned him into a target of extortion.
Lusambo was reacting to claims by Lusaka resident Luckson Njobvu that he failed to pay K8,000 which is an outstanding balance for the black soil he sourced from him at K20, 000.
In an interview with Kalemba, Lusambo also known as Bulldozer charged that the K8,000 being demanded by Njobvu on claims that he supplied him with black soil was very little compared to what he spends on feeding his wild animals.
“In 2020 me engaging someone, 19 trucks? Where did he take it ? 19 truckloads is a huge heap of soil. I don’t own a place which can get 19 truckloads,” Lusambo argued.
He challenged the businessman to go to his house and claim his money if at all they engaged in any transaction than rushing to Court.
“If I knew him he would have come home why coming to Court? Tell him go and make another effort because me am always home,”Lusambo said.
“Ask him that who contracted you to do that.”
Lusambo said it was not strange that Njobvu was demanding such a meagre amount as people are always looking for opportunities to cash in on him by coming up with all sorts of claims.
“Alot of people want to milk money from me and they have been milking money from me. Others they wanted me to own the babies which I don’t even know so it’s not strange to me,” Lusambo indicated.
“Nevertheless ask him to come home because the K8000 he is talking about it is less than the money which we use to feed animals per month.”
Lusambo said he cannot fail to pay such a small amount when he is always giving alms every year and purchasing items that are way beyond the K8,000.
“If really I owe him, I see no reason for me to refuse to give him K8,000. Why should I do that? and from 2020 why coming today? I was Lusaka province minister why didn’t he come to the office if he failed to come home?,” Lusambo wondered.
“You see that he’s lying and ask him who contracted you? if it’s me who contracted him and it’s true, me am involved in that he would have come to my house and if he failed to come to my house he would have come to my office that’s all.”
Lusambo said he cannot reduce himself to performing his workers’ assignments of purchasing feed and black soil.
“Moreover I have workers and those workers have supervisors and those supervisors are the ones who do those works. If they want black soil do you expect me to go and fetch black soil no. If I want feed do you expect me to go to show grounds to buy feed? no I have a lot of workers,” said Lusambo.
“In fact I am inviting you (Kalemba) go and pick him up and come with him to my home, I want to know him, go and pick him invite him to come to my house.”
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba January 5, 2024.
