Joyce Banda touts Jerry Jana: Better running mate than other ‘combination of nyusesi’

Former president and Peoples Party (PP) leader Joyce Banda  has said  her choice of former chief executive officer for the grain marketer Admarc  as her running mate  was made after thorough consultations.

Banda’s remarks come after she had earlier on  told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that she would not compete in the forth oming elections giving way to UTM party leader Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima in an electoral alliance between her PP and the UTM before she pulled out four days later.

Speaking on Tuesday tothousands of supporters who attended her political rally she held in the area of traditional authority (T/A) Mlilima’s area in Chikwawa, Banda said: “I would like to start first by introducing my running mate to you. I can challenge that of all the running mates, he is the best running mate ever.”.

His first degree is in forestry management and then he did Masters degree in Business Management and went further to do Phd in management and he once headed the Malawi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). He was also Malawian ambassador to the European Union (EU).

“Therefore, I did not just wake up and name him my running mate for the sake of it as I know that running a country is a very serious business,” Banda said.

Banda remarks comes after the country has been hyped with issues surrounding runningmates picked by Presidential aspirants ahead of the May 21 polls.

The discussion has mainly hinged on qualifications, experience and political muscle of the chosen ones, knowing fully well that a runningmate is a Vice President in waiting and might further be Head of State in future.

According to his factfile verified by PP, Jana,  was born in 1947 in Chikwawa District. Among his academic and professional qualifications are doctorate degree in management obtained from American Cosmopolitan University, Master in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Leeds and Bachelor of Science in Forestry from University of British Columbia.

His career span has seen him work as Deputy CEO (Viphya Pulp and Paper Corporation), CEO(Wood Industries Corporation), CEO( Malawi Chamber Of Commerce and Industries), CEO at ADMARC.

At one time Dr Jana served in the diplomatic post as Malawi’s Ambassador to  Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.

His immense experience and academic prowess has seen him appointed to various boards such as Chairman( Press Corporation Ltd); Chairman ( Malawi Development Corporation); Chairman(Tourism Development Investment Company – Sunbird) and many Board appointments.

It is this kind of impeccable track record and his pairing with global leader Joyce Banda that makes PP ticket appealing  to voters in  the May 21 polls.