Several students placed on the Constituency Development Fund-CDF led skills training scholarship in Sinazongwe District have sounded alarm over fears of losing the opportunity.

Unhappy students have accused a Lusaka based training institute called PRICCA of alleged failure to honor its contractual agreement with Sinazongwe Council to facilitate training in skills such as tailoring.

The concerned students further disclose that instead of hiring a competent skills center a tailor from Kaunda Square Stage One in Lusaka was allegedly handpicked to undertake the task.

The group feels the irregularities experienced may result in loss of taxpayers money because most youths are likely to fall out of the CDF program.

An independent observation done by Diamond Media has allegedly discovered that depsite government having paid a K6,500 sponsorship fee for each student, a shop owner where tailoring is done is also demanding fees from the helpless beneficiaries.

Findings also reveal that PRICCA is only licensed to offer earthmoving skills and not tailoring services which is in contravention with regulations of the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority-TEVETA.

Representatives at the company declined to comment on the allegations.

By Helga Chibwe