By CATHERINE NYIRENDA, SARAH TEMBO and MILDRED KATONGO –

VARIOUS stakeholders have added their praise for President Edgar Lungu’s construction of a National House of Prayer, as well as designating October 18, as an annual day of prayer and fasting.
The North-Western Development Council of Elders also hailed President Lungu for launching the construction of houses for security personnel in the Ministry of Home Affairs, describing him as caring leader.
The International Ministers Fellowship and Affiliated Churches (IMFAC) president Paul Mulenga said the declaration should be supported by all Zambians.
“We feel it is not good at all times to condemn the President in everything he does. Does  it mean that he is always wrong? Let us support him, when he does something good,” Dr Mulenga said.
He said even advising the President,  should be done in a proper way when he does something wrong.
Dr Mulenga called for unity among the clergy, who were at times attacking one another in the press.
The Zambian Voice showered accolades on President Lungu on his decision to spend four days working in Kitwe.
Zambian Voice executive director Chilufya Tayali said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the nation needed to decentralise and President Lungu was on the right footing of getting first-hand information about governance issues in other provinces.
His organisation was happy that the Head of State decided to visit the Copperbelt whose current situation with the mines was not favourable.
“We are very happy that the President will go and work from  a different province because this will help him get the information on the ground and know more about how mines are operating,” he said.
On another score, the North-Western Development Council of Elders welcomed the launch of the construction of the 12,000 housing units in a project worth US$320 million.
The President launched the first phase of the project, targeting to set up 2,350 houses for officers from the Zambia Police, the Immigration Department, the Drug Enforcement Commission and the Zambia Prisons Service. The event was held in Cheltone in Lusaka, where the police there, had been allocated 48 housing units.
Council of Elders chairperson Lukas Chikoti said the gesture was an indication that the President had a heart for all Zambians and was committed to uplifting the lives of citizens.
Mr Chikoti said in an interview that the security personnel had for a long time been struggling with accommodation and the launch was timely as it would ultimately cushion the housing deficit.