PATRIOTS OR SELF SEEKERS? How ship-hoping Somaliland politicians cheat Somalia
Sunday saw the election of The Upper House Speaker Abdi Hashi a politician who many overwhelmingly respect and see him as a nationalist and a patriot. No Doubt .This despite the fact that he hails from the breakaway region of Somaliland . His patriotism has been unquestioned as he has proven to be a champion for the United Somalia cause.
But that cannot be said for a number of politicians coming from Somaliland who may be seeking political opportunities or are already Mps or government officials in Mogadishu.
The motive of some of these self proclaiming“patriots” who have managed to hood wink the unsuspecting Somali public is questionable. What really pushed some of these politicians to defect and move to Mogadishu despite some having being publicly outspoken against the Mogadishu administration?.
It’s a trend that has been common in the last seven years where a politician seeks a certain position in breakaway Somaliland but upon failure opts to defect south despite the fact that some were well known to be Pro Somaliland recognition.
Radio Dalsan has dissected a number of Somaliland politicians to evaluate if they are indeed patriots with the love of a United Somalia at heart as they claim to the public or simply a bunch of political losers seeking to revive a political life.
Take for instanceFowzia Yusuf Haji Adan who from 2012 to 2014 served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy PM. The Hargeysa born politician opted to move south not because her political ideology was based on the Somaliweynedream but more as a political survival tactic to avoid a political oblivion.
Fowzia seek to move to Mogadishu for the principle reason that in 2011 her attempts to register her political party in Hargeysa hit a snag. She is known earlier to be a champion for Somaliland recognition by the international community bashing Somalia for alleged atrocities prior to the 1991 civil war. Shews elected MP in the ongoing elections.
Ibrahim Idle Suleiman from Somaliland replaced Aideed Abdullah IlkaHanaf as the Chief Justice of Somalia after the dismissal of the latter by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in May 2016. Suleiman was the Chief Justice in Somaliland and within a week he was the Chief Justice in Somalia.
Sources close to Villa Somalia tell Radio Dalsan a week before his appointment he had held discussion with Somalia government officials and upon an undisclosed agreement he opted to resign as Chief Justice in Hargeysa and became Chief Justice in Mogadishu.
A source tells Radio Dalsan that Suleiman duped Somalilanders that he was flying to Nairobi for medical check ups only to appear later in Mogadishu as the Chief Justice of Somalia.
One of the contenders for the Speaker of the Upper House was Mustafa Ahmed Qodah. He is a politician from Somaliland but more interesting only a few days ago Qodah was the Deputy Manager of the state run television Somaliland National Television SLNTV the mouth piece of the anti Mogadishu administration in Hargeysa. Qodah resigned from the position to vie for the senatorial position in Somalia in which he succeeded
Incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Omar Arte and son of former PM Somalia Umar Ghalib assumed office in January 2015 after appointment by PM Omar AbdirashidSharmake. Arte attempts to register the political party Damal in Somaliland were unsuccessful. The party was banned by the Somaliland authorities and he chose to move to Mogadishu
These political ship hoping has put some in embarrassing and comical situation the past. When politician Jama Ahmed Mohamed Odeya defector from Hargeysa made his maiden speech at the Jazeera Hotel Mogadishu in January 2014 upon his appointment as Minister of Water he unconsciously referred to Somalia as Somaliland and what followed was booing from those present and condemnation on social media.
The common Somali man or woman on the streets of Mogadishu or Kismayu or Galkacyo and elsewhere seem to be convinced that these defectors are determined to see a united Somalia. And the defectors have seemingly succeeded in the art of political treachery. Are these defectors Patriots or simply self seekers?
@RadioDalsan