By: Kristof Tegako Eliander

The National Council’s committee on transport, housing and infrastructure this week said that regarding certain road proposals, Oshana is behind on the NDP five programs that they could not fulfil.

The committee on Monday paid a courtesy call to the governor of the Oshana region, Elia Irimari.

The committee is in the region for an oversight visit to familiarise itself with the road infrastructure in the region.

In the meeting with the committee, Irimari said the failure has come as a result of some funds returning to the treasury and that “no further efforts were taken to ensure that such program is carried out.”

He expressed gratitude to the committee for presenting themselves and observing the roads infrastructures conditions in the region.

“I am not aware of how some engineers design roads, especially in the urban settlement, because such people have never been exposed to the outside world to get an example of how work should be done,” he argued.

The governor said he is also worried about the amount invested in the road construction per kilometre, stating it is questionable.

He pointed to the two-kilometre ABC open market road that was constructed for approximately N$8 million, which, he says, still needs ACC intervention.

Irimari begged the National Council to be honest about the state of the road infrastructure, including the damage, as it will be the only way to build the country forward.

He said the construction of the “long overdue” upgrading of the DR3607 from Oshakati to Ekango, the upgrading of the Okatana – Ongwediva road to butumen standard for N$ 24.1 million, the upgrading of the Andimba Toivo yaToivo airport intersection road at the cost of N$6.3 million as well as the ongoing project rehabilitating the borrow pit, phase one in the region at a contract amount of N$11million, are some of the priority projects in the region.