It is good to travel through the country coast to coast, but for what? President of Somaliland, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Siranyo), started a long voyage through Somaliland by land, meeting with locals and promising development in a campaign style this week and is still travelling.
Some residents in Bulohar near Bebera city were so appreciative to receive shipment of rice from the President’s delegation and praised him to the highest level.
I was so touched by the innocence of this community and surprised how they perceived this aids arrival. They saw it as if it was the gift of the President rather than their god given rights. It is clearly shown how the Somalilander to this day and age are not informed about their rights as a citizen of this country. Sadly, they do not see the President as their public employee whom they could replace in any time.
Public requires to be educated about this and should know that it was the responsibility of the president to know their condition and hard hit areas before he took office not three years later.
Nonetheless, the President placed a stone in every town he stops and continue promising additional projects from Borome, Saylac, Lughaya, Bulahar , all the way to Lasgoreh, again it is all good, but for what purpose does this have? What is the point of promising additional projects if you couldn’t deliver or complete outstanding ones?
Ever since, this three years old administration came to power in Somaliland, there was no shortage of promises and placing stones. So many different projects were commenced in different parts of the country, but none of them had been completed as yet. Isn’t it logical and realistic to complete one task before you start the next one? Yes, but it seems in this administration, quantity of the projects started is far more important than the quantity of the finished ones.
Just to name a few incomplete projects, the road of Odweyne to Hargeysa, Hargeysa to Ina-guha, Hargeysa to Baligubadle, Hargeysa to Lughaya, and the number of road projects in Gabiley Area , Berbera to Hiis, Hargeysa to Bebera and Buro to Erigavo are somewhat under construction for the past two years.
However, the government of Somaliland sees these projects as clan driven, and does not think of themselves as having any chief responsibility except the one from Buro to Eregavo. In addition to these incomplete roads, 70% Hargeysa residence does not have any running water.
Precedential palace Minister Mr. Hirsi H. Hassan, reiterated known information about Hargeysa’s water shortage last month, but did not provide any concrete solution to Hargeysa’s water predicament. This is the most pressing issue in Somaliland today as far as the average Hargeysa resident is concerned.
Nevertheless, though there is no plan, no priority and no accountability in this government, but energy and ambition to achieve something. In order to harness this energy and focus into the right direction for whatever is left in this President’s term, President Siraanyo needs to sit down, analyze and revaluate his government’s performances.
To achieve this, he has to sit down with an independent group of economists alone with his Minister of Planning to set the priority of the nation straight and decide which project has to be first. He also needs to avoid any traces and resemblances of the past regimes, such as surrounding himself with victory pioneers, Red Pat securities personals and praises of those well wishers around him. This can cause unintended consequences if it does not come to an end as well as destroy the legacy of the presidency.
By Ali Jama
Mr Jama come on now ! Do you really believe people can't see your Crocodile tears . It is so clear for anyone with an average intelligence that you are clan driven and just can't get rid of that mentality . Get a life man. The president is servining his country men . Mr. Silanyo was part of The SNM when your likes were cowering in compfortable places .
When someone asks a legitimate question, I do not know why we became defensive, like the Oil exploration promises and singing agreements with International Oil and Energy Companies from Europe to Turkey, it seems this reconstruction is another empty promise and election rhetoric.
Ali JAMA raised a very important point, and that is how the public can be educated to know their real power and what they are capable of, if they know they are the ones who brought Kulmiye and Mr Siilaanyoto power and they can drive them out or any other party in 2015 if elections will take place?!
in order to educate the public, we need FM radios and freedom of expression in Somaliland, otherwise the public will think always that every president or elected official who visits them when elections get closer or gives them empty promises with a bag of rice is a heaven sent to them and should be grateful
There is a question one has to ask when such things are written. How the country it was when the new government took power and the country position now.
We must write for the sake of writting rather to help in pointing the wrong and showing what is right.
For example, I think the kajor achivment that every weher you go now people know about Somaliland. Here in my local shop I met an Asian who has been to Somaliland and admiring our country.
In Dubai my Arab friend are teeling me SOmaliland is a great country and they like to go for holidays and know of someone who has been and enjoyed h=the hospitality.
The thing i feel sad is when Somlilander is negative about his/her country and refuse to take part in development becouse thet are not from the tribe of the preseint..!!!!!!
I think it is importent to pin point those people who refuse to help in the development and for example I do not see the opposition helping in supporting the development of the country rather they are hindering the situation.
It is sad to see people who are not happy to see our country developing and are always negative about everything.
Any way some goos newas should be comming soon….
There is no negativity in this case Mr Mohamed, if People try to correct something wrongit is called constructive criticism, any elected official including the President are accountable for the people who voted for them and brought them to power, if they do something positive, no one will ignore their achievements but if they just visit a town or a region for the sake of giving empty promises and before their re-election campaigns and deliver rice, then that is the time we have to raise our voices and speak out.
The Public needs to be educated about their power, yes I know there is poverty but they should not treat the elected officials like they are angels, we do not have to repeat the same mistakes and create another dictators!
Some people, especially those Garadag landers resort to tribalism when all other ideas and opinions fail, when nothing else is left to defend. The people are free to criticize all public figures. They have the right to do so.