By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said that his trip to the North-Western Province was not for campaign purposes but part of a countrywide programme to meet people and have better understanding of issues.
President Lungu said that some people thought that his trip to the North-Western Province was a campaign strategy when in fact it was a plan to meet various people and understand their various needs.

• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu joins parishioners in prayer during a church service at Saint Daniels Parish in Solwezi yesterday. Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza

President Lungu has been in the province from Thursday until yesterday when he left for Angola for the International Great Lakes Region Summit.
“Some people in Lusaka are asking, ‘finshi alechita’ (what is he doing). I am working,” Mr Lungu said.
The President during his visit to North-Western Province was accompanied by Finance Deputy Minister Christopher Mvunga, Lands Deputy Minister Davies Mwango and Labour Deputy Minister Alfreda Kansembe.
Others were Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Rayford Mbulu, Deputy Minister at State House Mulenga Sata, North-Western Deputy Minister Dawson Kafwaya and all his special assistants.
Mr Lungu was speaking at St Daniel Cathedral in Solwezi where he attended a church service.
At Kansashi Hotel when he met party members and received 300 defectors from MMD and the United Party for National Development (UPND),
President Lungu said he was on the ground to have better understanding of issues, investigate them and find solutions.
He said in North-Western Province, the chiefs, party officials, the clergy, corporate sector and other citizens all complained about the bad roads.
It was for that reason that Government had  embarked on a road rehabilitation exercise starting with the Solwezi-Chingola Road.
Mr Lungu said this was not the time for politicking, but the time to develop the country which required discussing certain issues.
President Lungu at the meeting also directed the North-Western Province to start conducting elections from the branch, ward, Constituency and provincial levels to revamp the party.
Meanwhile, Solwezi Diocese Bishop, Charles Kasonde called on politicians to reconcile and promote peace to ensure that Zambia was one nation.
President Lungu said the message was important for politicians because they acted differently once they were out of Church.