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{
    "id": 532269,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/532269/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 325,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I have less than five minutes remaining. Let me start by saying that, in my view, compared to this year, the President’s last year Speech sounded more like a verse from the Book of Lamentations. This year’s Speech is bold. Those of us who watch the world stage know that last week saw the passing of a model statesman; a man who devoted his life to the pursuit of prosperity for his people. I am glad that in an article in the papers today, our President regards the late Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore, as his role model. I, too, regard Lee Kuan Yew as a model Statesman. The reason why Lee Kuan Yew stood out was because he pursued prosperity through strict adherence to meritocracy. If the President truly means that he admires the late Lee Kuan Yew, then we want to see the prosperity of our nation under his leadership being pursued through meritocracy. I am very disappointed that in his Speech, the President made no mention of food security. As we speak today, we know that about 40 per cent of our people are on the verge of dying because of starvation. To me, it is a big omission; that a speech of that magnitude made no mention of the dire situation that many of our people are facing in terms of inability to access food. The action of public apology was an act of magnanimity, which has to be commended. As has been said before, we need a framework through which this public apology can make sense. It is true that power has been taken to 1,800 of our primary schools. However, those of us who live at the end of the grid know that we have power lines. But most of the time, there is no power at all. The talk about restorative justice is good, but let us have a clear framework. Those of us who come from areas where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were called returnees or Integrated IDPs, we know they were completely left out. We must have a clear framework where the compensation under the restorative justice will be effected. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am concerned at the way the President went about giving what we now call “The List of Shame.” We know that public officers like ourselves are guilty as charged the moment your name comes out in the “List of Shame”. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}