‘Malawi government hates the Northern Region’

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Enoch Chihana

Members of Parliament from the northern region have made a sentimental appeal to the Malawi  government against sidelining the region on development activities.

Speaking to the media on behalf of fellow MPs, Rumphi parliamentarian who is also leader of Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Enoch Chakufwa Chihana said the region has been getting a raw deal in as far as development activities are concerned and this has made the central and southern regions to be way ahead of the north.

Enoch Chihana
Chihana: The North remains sidelined.

He said latest foreign funded development projects which are to roll out soon in the country have all been focused on the central and south thereby leaving the north in a desolate state.

Chihana added that the two “favored” regions have shared a total of seven projects despite being advanced as compared to the “forsaken” north.

The son to late Chakufwa Chihana has also lamented about levels of regionalism in the country which he believes are holding back the country.

On development activities which government keeps mentioning to have carried out in the north, Chihana said there is only the long overdue Karonga-Chitipa road.

He said: “Tribalism and regionalism deny northerners work opportunities even when they prove to be suitable enough for the post. Whenever we talk about this, the government claims that we are being difficult but this is the reality on the ground.”

Failure of Capital Hill to develop the northern region once intensified calls for a federal system of government in which notable figures from the region played a spearheading role.

Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) is among groups that have been critical of government’s involvement in the region.