By JULIUS PHIRI –

GOVERNMENT has terminated the contract of Skadi Investment Limited for the construction of Katete Police Station.
Mkaika Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Phiri said in Katete on Monday that the Government terminated the contract due to poor plan on the contract, among other things.
Because of the termination of the contract, building materials such as blocks and sand at the construction site might go to waste because they have remained unmanned.
“Government has terminated the contract of Skadi for the construction of a police station. As you can see the materials are just lying idle since the contract was terminated by the Government,” he said.
He has since appealed to Government to quickly re-advertise the project to enable the construction of the police station to be completed.
He said the safety of police officers who were occupying an old building at district administration could not be guaranteed.
Mr Phiri also appealed to the Government to quickly construct the National Registration Office in the boma adding that the current building was smaller and also in a bad state.
There was need to tar a 4-kilometre stretch of road leading to Mkaika headquarters where the Kulamba traditional ceremony is usually held.
He said rehabilitation of the road which only takes place during the Kulamba ceremony of the Chewa people was not serving any purpose.
Mr Phiri also bemoaned the high cases of early marriages in his constituency and that a number of school going pupils were dropping out of school in preference for early marriages.
Skadi Investment Limited Director Salatiel Moses Tembo said the structural changes from K1.8 million to K 6 million on the Bill of Quantity (BoQ) by the ministry of Home Affairs was the one that halted the construction  works.
Mr Tembo said the Government had advised that they would re-advertise the project in order for the successful bidder to start the construction works of Katete police station.