Drama at Okahandja as the CEO locks herself in office

FACTIONAL squabbles at the Okahandja Town Council took a different turn on Tuesday when Chief Executive Officer Regina Alughodhi locked herself up in her office for several hours and refused to speak to senior Government officials and the town’s leaders.

Alughodhi was said to have been frustrated by the Council’s apparent failure to stand by her decisions. She disconnected her office phone, switched off her cellphone, and remained locked in the office throughout the day and well into the night.Senior Okahandja municipal officials, including Mayor Christofine Paulus – reported to be one of Alughodhi’s chief adversaries, Chairperson of the Management Committee Hilary Shilimetindi and the personal assistant to Alughodhi, Ripanda Meroro, were unable to convince the CEO to unlock her office door.Alughodhi also refused to speak to them.The Okahandja Police Station Commander, called to the Town Council offices at about 22h00 on Tuesday, was also unsuccessful in trying to convince the CEO to come out.The Permanent Secretary of Local Government, Erastus Negonga, who was at Okahandja on Tuesday, was also unable to persuade her to leave he office.”Basically she’s just frustrated.She feels things (at the town) are done in an abnormal way.She has tried to advise the Council here and there (but they don’t listen to her).She doesn’t have signatory rights.She’s not in charge and she’s just frustrated,” Negonga told The Namibian yesterday.Alughodhi left her office in the early hours of yesterday, Council employees said.The exact time could not be established by The Namibian by late yesterday.Alughodhi was not in her office yesterday.Her secretary said that she had been feeling ill and would only return to work today.Mayor Paulus told The Namibian yesterday that Council had handed the CEO a letter asking her to compile a report on what prompted Tuesday’s incident.Some Council officials said the CEO had not looked well and was “in tears” earlier in the day.”We at first thought that it was a personal problem,” one municipal staff member said on Tuesday night.Nearly a year ago Government was forced to step in at the town to settle differences between Council members and the CEO.By September last year, Swapo president Sam Nujoma, Local Government Minister John Pandeni and Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila had all intervened to stop the infighting among the town’s administrators.She disconnected her office phone, switched off her cellphone, and remained locked in the office throughout the day and well into the night.Senior Okahandja municipal officials, including Mayor Christofine Paulus – reported to be one of Alughodhi’s chief adversaries, Chairperson of the Management Committee Hilary Shilimetindi and the personal assistant to Alughodhi, Ripanda Meroro, were unable to convince the CEO to unlock her office door.Alughodhi also refused to speak to them.The Okahandja Police Station Commander, called to the Town Council offices at about 22h00 on Tuesday, was also unsuccessful in trying to convince the CEO to come out.The Permanent Secretary of Local Government, Erastus Negonga, who was at Okahandja on Tuesday, was also unable to persuade her to leave he office.”Basically she’s just frustrated.She feels things (at the town) are done in an abnormal way.She has tried to advise the Council here and there (but they don’t listen to her).She doesn’t have signatory rights.She’s not in charge and she’s just frustrated,” Negonga told The Namibian yesterday.Alughodhi left her office in the early hours of yesterday, Council employees said.The exact time could not be established by The Namibian by late yesterday.Alughodhi was not in her office yesterday.Her secretary said that she had been feeling ill and would only return to work today.Mayor Paulus told The Namibian yesterday that Council had handed the CEO a letter asking her to compile a report on what prompted Tuesday’s incident.Some Council officials said the CEO had not looked well and was “in tears” earlier in the day.”We at first thought that it was a personal problem,” one municipal staff member said on Tuesday night.Nearly a year ago Government was forced to step in at the town to settle differences between Council members and the CEO.By September last year, Swapo president Sam Nujoma, Local Government Minister John Pandeni and Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila had all intervened to stop the infighting among the town’s administrators.