Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Frans Kapofi said increasing police visibility in the community remains the government’s priority, hence the construction of the new Oshikuku police station in the Omusati Region. Kapofi while officially inaugurating the station on Thursday said the construction of a fully-fledged police station at Oshikuku, is about expanding policing services to all corners of the country to ensure that public safety is preserved at all cost and by all means. The Namibian Police Force (NAMPOL), he said has been growing steadily, both in numbers and capacity to respond to the public needs of policing services, therefore the lack of sufficient office accommodation and housing for NAMPOL personnel has always been a challenge. The construction of the police facilities is a clear indication that the government is committed to addressing not only the plight of the Oshikuku community and the Namibian nation at large but also the working conditions of police officers who are entrusted with a very important and difficult task of protecting the community, Kapofi said. Speaking at the same event, NAMPOL Inspector General, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga said the Oshikuku police station has been in existence since 2002, providing services from a tent. In 2014, he said, the station moved into a house which was donated by a contractor, Andreas Pretorius of EMS Construction. “The house could only accommodate a few function units which resulted in some services to continue to be delivered from a caravan and a container,” Ndeitunga explained. He went on to say that due to the lack of police housing and office accommodation in Oshikuku, members used to travel from Oshakati on a daily basis just to come and provide policing services. The station comprises of a charge office, 23 offices, boardroom, two server rooms, five storage rooms, holding cells, two barracks with 20 rooms each, three houses with three bedrooms each, and two fuel tank with 30 000l capacity each. It further consists of a recreation area, kitchen, water tower, storage tanks, two guardhouses, and ablution facilities. The station was constructed for a period of four years at a cost of close to N$80 million. -NAMPA