Flashback: one of Sampa’s campaign posters
Miles Sampa says he resigned from the government to experience the poverty and suffering that ordinary people are currently going through, reports The Post newspaper.
Speaking to parishioners at St Mary’s Mother of The Redeemer Parish in Matero yesterday, the Matero PF member of parliament said the life of a deputy minister was too luxurious and in stark contrast to the lives of the people who elected them into government.
“To be deputy minister is very nice. You get two drivers, a big house, house servants and having lunch in places like Hotel Intercontinental and you have a nice big car with a flag. But I was not getting satisfaction from that because I realised that the people of Matero were not living like that,” he said.
Sampa, who resigned as commerce deputy minister late last month, said his position prevented him from spending enough time with the people that elected him and to listen to their problems.
“I resigned because I want to feel the poverty and suffering with you. I want to come to your houses and eat with you. It’s not enough to just speak; you have to go down there and be with the poor people,” he said.
Sampa donated K15,000 to the parish.
And parish priest Father Emmanuel Mumba said the current hard social and economic conditions in the country should not prevent Christians from being generous.
“The more generous we are, the more God blesses us. No act of generosity goes unnoticed. Don’t wait for tomorrow to help,” said Fr Mumba.