President pulled off road for Nujoma

THE motorcades of President Hifikepunye Pohamba and former President Sam Nujoma nearly collided near Ongwediva on the main road between Ondangwa and Oshakati in the North yesterday morning.

Police officers were stationed at two places between Oshakati and Ongwediva to stop all vehicles in order to let Nujoma’s motorcade pass on its way from Oshakati to Ondangwa. All other traffic was ordered to pull off the road.Suddenly, the motorcade of President Pohamba approached on the same road, but driving in the direction of Oshakati.The President’s motorcade was then ordered to pull off the road and join the queue of other cars.The Head of State had to wait in line patiently until his predecessor had passed.The Acting Police Commander in the Oshana Region, Chief Inspector Golden Naanda, told The Namibian that the Police had only known about Nujoma’s trip.”It seems President Pohamba wanted to make a surprise visit to Oshakati, probably to Oshakati State Hospital, and that his protocol people might not have known about the former President also using the same road, from Okahao to Ondangwa or to Windhoek,” Naanda said.The Acting Superintendent of the Oshakati State Hospital, Dr Wiliams Denner, confirmed to The Namibian that President Pohamba made a surprise visit to the hospital yesterday morning.”We didn’t know that he was coming to visit the hospital, we only suddenly saw him in front of our offices, telling us that he has come to visit us and the patients in the wards,” Dr Denner said.A source at the hospital told The Namibian that the President had probably received information that the Oshakati State Hospital was not functioning well and wanted to see the situation for himself.All other traffic was ordered to pull off the road.Suddenly, the motorcade of President Pohamba approached on the same road, but driving in the direction of Oshakati. The President’s motorcade was then ordered to pull off the road and join the queue of other cars.The Head of State had to wait in line patiently until his predecessor had passed.The Acting Police Commander in the Oshana Region, Chief Inspector Golden Naanda, told The Namibian that the Police had only known about Nujoma’s trip.”It seems President Pohamba wanted to make a surprise visit to Oshakati, probably to Oshakati State Hospital, and that his protocol people might not have known about the former President also using the same road, from Okahao to Ondangwa or to Windhoek,” Naanda said. The Acting Superintendent of the Oshakati State Hospital, Dr Wiliams Denner, confirmed to The Namibian that President Pohamba made a surprise visit to the hospital yesterday morning.”We didn’t know that he was coming to visit the hospital, we only suddenly saw him in front of our offices, telling us that he has come to visit us and the patients in the wards,” Dr Denner said.A source at the hospital told The Namibian that the President had probably received information that the Oshakati State Hospital was not functioning well and wanted to see the situation for himself.