N$54m police headquarters in limbo
Two weeks ago this Tuesday marked exactly two years from the expected completion date of the over N$54-million state-of-the-art Omusati Regional Police headquarters currently idle in Outapi.
With the paint on the walls peeling off and construction machinery still scattered in and around the site Namibian Sun visited recently, there seems to be no date as to when the building will be handed over.
The project was expected to be completed on 23 May 2015.
According to the Omusati Regional governor, Erginus Endjala, he was informed that the contractor, Amupolo Building Construction CC, owned by Erasmus Amupolo, has been removed from the site on the basis of poor performance as some of the completed work was done poorly.
However, when contacted last week, Ministry of Works and Transport, spokesperson, Julius Ngweda denied that the contractor was ordered to vacate the premises.
Ngweda in fact said that last week, the ministry and the contractor had a meeting where they ironed out some of the issues surrounding the project.
Ngweda however could not share more information as to what caused the two-year delay.
When contacted for comment, Amupolo explained that the project was delayed due to the absence of a plan which is part of what he described as many things that prevented them from continuing with the construction.
“The delay is too much… not just a delay that came up like that, the plan was not there so we could not go ahead with some of the things,” he said.
Meanwhile the matter has angered Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga who when contacted expressed disappointment over the issue saying that getting rid of the contractor was in the pipeline.
“These people are given government tenders but they start misusing the funds and then they delay the programme,” Ndeitunga said.
“We are even thinking to fire that contractor,” Ndeitunga further stated.
Currently, the Outapi police station has a problem with space in and outside its current existing premises where many police vans are parked outside of the premises.
KENYA KAMBOWE
With the paint on the walls peeling off and construction machinery still scattered in and around the site Namibian Sun visited recently, there seems to be no date as to when the building will be handed over.
The project was expected to be completed on 23 May 2015.
According to the Omusati Regional governor, Erginus Endjala, he was informed that the contractor, Amupolo Building Construction CC, owned by Erasmus Amupolo, has been removed from the site on the basis of poor performance as some of the completed work was done poorly.
However, when contacted last week, Ministry of Works and Transport, spokesperson, Julius Ngweda denied that the contractor was ordered to vacate the premises.
Ngweda in fact said that last week, the ministry and the contractor had a meeting where they ironed out some of the issues surrounding the project.
Ngweda however could not share more information as to what caused the two-year delay.
When contacted for comment, Amupolo explained that the project was delayed due to the absence of a plan which is part of what he described as many things that prevented them from continuing with the construction.
“The delay is too much… not just a delay that came up like that, the plan was not there so we could not go ahead with some of the things,” he said.
Meanwhile the matter has angered Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga who when contacted expressed disappointment over the issue saying that getting rid of the contractor was in the pipeline.
“These people are given government tenders but they start misusing the funds and then they delay the programme,” Ndeitunga said.
“We are even thinking to fire that contractor,” Ndeitunga further stated.
Currently, the Outapi police station has a problem with space in and outside its current existing premises where many police vans are parked outside of the premises.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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