Ondangwa youth clear councillor's name
The Ondangwa Urban Youth Forum says their petition to the president is being used to attack their members.
The Ondangwa Urban Youth Forum and Ondangwa Development Forum Committee has refuted claims made by the governor for the Oshana Region against the Ondangwa regional councillor Elia Irimari.
Governor Clemens Kashuupulwa last week accused Irimari of organising a community meeting at Ondangwa where he was attacked for reportedly taking development away from the northern town.
The youth expressed their disappointment in Kashuupulwa, saying that he is using their petition which they addressed to the president, to attack Irimari.
In a statement issued by the chairperson of Ondangwa Urban Constituency Youth Forum, Paulus Nuuyoma, they urged Kashuupulwa to sort out his “personal issues” with Irimari outside the context of their petition.
He said that as the youth of Ondangwa they approached their town council to brief them on issues that were making rounds in the media regarding the cancellation of the Ondangwa district hospital plan. Nuuyoma said several meetings were held at Ondangwa's trade fair hall from 18 May onwards and that these meetings led to the demonstration.
“As concerned youth and concerned community members of Ondangwa we had a meeting with the town council on 20 May. Representatives gave us feedback on a regional meeting that took place on 19 May with regard to the hospital project. It was based on the feedback we received from the town council officials that we decided to express our dissatisfaction with the governor's decision. The governor, who indirectly acted as the meeting chairperson, requested the three towns (Ondangwa, Oshakati and Ongwediva) to make land available for the construction of the referral hospital which was already earmarked to be constructed in Ondangwa,” Nuuyoma said.
Nuuyoma said that after the meeting the youth forum, together with the concerned community members, decided to express their disappointment, frustrations and demands in a petition which they decided to address to President Hage Geingob through the governor's office. He said the content was non-political, non-tribal, non-religious, and had no personal hidden agenda.
“We strongly condemn the current state of affairs circulating in both print and social media where our concerns as per the petition are being redirected to councillor Irimari. If the governor has a personal issue with the councillor, he must deal with it outside of the context of our petition.”
Last week Kashuupulwa opened up on the Oshana Regional Council's WhatsApp group where he expressed dismay regarding allegations reportedly made against him by Irimari.
Kashuupulwa also explained that the Oshana educational directorate relocated to Oshakati through the guidance of the decentralisation policy.
He said it was government policy to have regional head offices of ministries constructed in the capital town of the region.
However, the Ondangwa youth questioned the decentralisation policy that governor is talking about.
“With regards to the governor's decentralisation policy for the region it seems aimed at taking essential services away from people. It is also depriving the developmental benefits to the local town council, business community, local employment communities as well as geographical access to these institutions by their service recipients. Offices were relocated from Ondangwa where there was already existing government infrastructure, to Oshakati where they are now renting and constructing new offices, spending a lot of our tax money.”
When contacted, Irimari refused to comment.
ILENI NANDJATO
Governor Clemens Kashuupulwa last week accused Irimari of organising a community meeting at Ondangwa where he was attacked for reportedly taking development away from the northern town.
The youth expressed their disappointment in Kashuupulwa, saying that he is using their petition which they addressed to the president, to attack Irimari.
In a statement issued by the chairperson of Ondangwa Urban Constituency Youth Forum, Paulus Nuuyoma, they urged Kashuupulwa to sort out his “personal issues” with Irimari outside the context of their petition.
He said that as the youth of Ondangwa they approached their town council to brief them on issues that were making rounds in the media regarding the cancellation of the Ondangwa district hospital plan. Nuuyoma said several meetings were held at Ondangwa's trade fair hall from 18 May onwards and that these meetings led to the demonstration.
“As concerned youth and concerned community members of Ondangwa we had a meeting with the town council on 20 May. Representatives gave us feedback on a regional meeting that took place on 19 May with regard to the hospital project. It was based on the feedback we received from the town council officials that we decided to express our dissatisfaction with the governor's decision. The governor, who indirectly acted as the meeting chairperson, requested the three towns (Ondangwa, Oshakati and Ongwediva) to make land available for the construction of the referral hospital which was already earmarked to be constructed in Ondangwa,” Nuuyoma said.
Nuuyoma said that after the meeting the youth forum, together with the concerned community members, decided to express their disappointment, frustrations and demands in a petition which they decided to address to President Hage Geingob through the governor's office. He said the content was non-political, non-tribal, non-religious, and had no personal hidden agenda.
“We strongly condemn the current state of affairs circulating in both print and social media where our concerns as per the petition are being redirected to councillor Irimari. If the governor has a personal issue with the councillor, he must deal with it outside of the context of our petition.”
Last week Kashuupulwa opened up on the Oshana Regional Council's WhatsApp group where he expressed dismay regarding allegations reportedly made against him by Irimari.
Kashuupulwa also explained that the Oshana educational directorate relocated to Oshakati through the guidance of the decentralisation policy.
He said it was government policy to have regional head offices of ministries constructed in the capital town of the region.
However, the Ondangwa youth questioned the decentralisation policy that governor is talking about.
“With regards to the governor's decentralisation policy for the region it seems aimed at taking essential services away from people. It is also depriving the developmental benefits to the local town council, business community, local employment communities as well as geographical access to these institutions by their service recipients. Offices were relocated from Ondangwa where there was already existing government infrastructure, to Oshakati where they are now renting and constructing new offices, spending a lot of our tax money.”
When contacted, Irimari refused to comment.
ILENI NANDJATO
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