Ongwediva
Inspector-General of the Namibian Police Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga officially opened the new accommodation facilities for members of the Very Important People Protection (VIPP) unit at Oshakati last week.
The barracks that will accommodate police officers assigned to the VIPP unit was constructed at a cost of N$9.2 million by Dolly Investment cc, that belongs to local contractor Veiko Haimbodi, and Glory Building Contractors.
The facility consists of two blocks with seven rooms for male police officers and six rooms for female officers, an entertainment area, a boundary wall and a covered parking bay.
According to Ndeitunga, the facility came at a time when the police force faces accommodation challenges for VIPP unit personnel.
“Previously most of the members of the local VIPP unit had been accommodated at Okave Police Base, while others had been renting in different places. Now with this new development, our police officers who were struggling will be accommodated.
“Housing members in one place makes it easier for them to provide a quick response to the call of their duties, as opposed to having someone driving around to pick them up individually,” said Ndeitunga.
The facility in Oshakati is just one of many police facilities under construction to improve the living conditions of members of the police force and to improve service delivery to the public.
Among others, construction to improve the Safety and Security Ministry’s facilities are ongoing at the police headquarters in Windhoek, Omusati police regional headquarters, Oshana police regional headquarters and Oshikoto police regional headquarters in Omuthiya, among others.
This year alone several new police facilities have been inaugurated, including Etayi police station in Omusati Region, Kanguati and Fransfontein police stations in Kunene Region, as well as Hardap and Zambezi regional police headquarters.
“Construction of facilities, such as these, is quite expensive and requires ample willpower for them to be realised. However, thanks to the budgetary provision from our government, the Namibian police force continues to invest in the development of its infrastructure,” Ndeitunga noted.