Members of the new Somali cabinet have taken the oath of office - Mogadishu, Somalia
By Elmi dhaayoow
Saturday, February 8, 2014
It is not the size of the new cabinet that matters but their devotion and commitment to national duties and obligations. A blind loyalty to an influential interest group is a deplorable conduct, the behaviour of a totalitarian regime. A strong team with a clear social conscience led by incorruptible leaders can rescue Somalia. A broken country awash with weapons, citizens hungry for justice, long-neglected youth and orphaned children need effective political, social and economic reforms with immediate effect, not a repeat of what has been happening in Somalia for the last 13 years or so (since 2000).
Apparently, Somalia cannot solve its problems by using the same kind of mentality that the ruthless warlords used when they ruined the country. Hatred, clan hostility and greed had devastated Somalia. As a new generation of leaders, you must come up with new strategies to heal our social ailments. Stop bickering on trivial, mind-boggling issues. The arduous task of re-building a collapsed state lies ahead. Clannish chauvinism must end and the building of a modern state must begin earnestly. 2014 is optimism-laden year. Make it happen.
Remember that people are all judges who relentlessly evaluate your office performance and measure your contributions towards all aspects of development in Somalia. Most of all, improving security situation in south-central Somalia is of paramount importance to pacification of these regions. Make this your highest priority over lobbying for federalism. Dismantling road blocks set up by armed thugs should facilitate people’s freedom of movement and boosts the growth of small businesses. Investment in the country is now on hold because of deteriorating security situation. Needless to say, security is vital for the development of a county. Your success will be measured by the degree of security improvement in south central Somalia.
Your deeds will either earn you people’s wrath or their blessing. I hope you be the blessed ones than being cursed. Let your joint efforts and hard work advance peace and prosperity in Somalia. Hold your heads high and avoid committing the dishonorable practice of embezzlement and treachery. Be the vanguards of good governance and aim to uphold the rule of law. Fear nobody but Allah. If you are sacked while doing the right thing for your country, do not despair. Stick to your principle. The public interest and the common good are more sacred than losing a job that compromises your personal integrity.
Understandably, people’s faith and confidence in the government may be heavily dented. But it can be restored by your dedicated team. It is disheartening to hear that uniformed soldiers routinely commit atrocities against vulnerable civilians commuting between towns and cities. The local media often reports that soldiers rob people of their little cash, cell phones. How awful! Government’s inability to deal with such growing barbaric acts of its armed force is appalling and a major cause for concern. Moreover, collected revenues, donations may have been consistently mismanaged according to various independent sources; people can see the deficiencies that exist in all governmental departments including the intelligence services and front line army commanders. The worst of all, dysfunctional courts of law deeply hurt public confidence. Government officials are aware of court staff taking bribes from clients. Top officials can be held culpable to some extent. They neither stop the evil practice nor sack the corrupt judges. People solemnly demand the new ministers fix the corrupt judiciary system and put on trial those who misuse their powers.
As a new cabinet it is imperative you introduce drastic measures to curb corruption and other malpractice. Seek support from your own people, secure their trust, you may get their collaboration. The vast majority of the people yearn for kind and caring leaders who are hard on dishonest officials. Mobilize public support to fight corruption, injustice, abuse of power and saboteurs. Initiate self-help schemes to re-build roads and schools. Keep in touch with your own constituents to understand their hardship living conditions. Leave your suits; ties, polished shoes in your wardrobe and wear boots and hamlets, wear kaki and safari garments. Let the whole world witness that you are not tourists, but serious workmen devoted to their country and people. Check out of the luxurious hotel rooms and get an accommodation close to where the ordinary people live. Show that you are not afraid to die. It only needs a few honest, selfless, and conscientious men to take the lead, so be the “Nelson Mandelas” and “Mahatma Gandhis” of Somalia.
Dependence on foreign aid creates loss of sovereignty, stifles self-reliance. Be aware of the sinister side to foreign aid packages. Somalia is endowed with relatively abundant natural resources sufficient to cover our needs. The resources need to be exploited first. You must create this opportunity relying sole on our local expertise and skills. I suggest you begin your campaign by redeveloping agriculture and establishing light industries that process our agricultural produce. Increase export trade by taking advantage of entrepreneurial skills of the businessmen. If you don’t have the courage, the competence to reverse the prevailing malpractice and the status quo, you are then just a bunch of wishy-washy Diaspora mercenaries working for monetary reasons.
We seem to have lost confidence in Somali leaders’ inability to separate tribalism from statehood, their lack of capacity to stop clan leaders from meddling with government affairs. All these hindering interferences bring the government into disrepute and shame. I would have thought that the role of the clan leaders had stopped after they have submitted their parliamentary candidate. Once sworn in, a cabinet minister is a federal figure, not a clan representative. He or she is entrusted with wider task of promoting welfare of the nation, protecting the rights of the citizens and fighting against injustice and abuse of power. Some clansmen totally misinterpreted the power-sharing scheme 4.5 (now 5 shares) .For them 4.5 means that their clan member in the cabinet will only serve the interest of the clan. What will be achieved if all the cabinet members think in this way? They will only spoon feed clan competition; enhance nepotism, injustice and provoke new hostilities. I warn that the needs of the clans should not override the needs of the public. Our leaders must get wiser and smarter.
I may sound as an idealist; nevertheless, I make my conscience clear by being positive than unenthusiastic.
Elmi dhaayoow
[email protected],
London, UK