Jubbalanders have to salvage Jubbaland

I, Mr. Mohamed Ali Yusuf (MP) of Jubbaland State Parliament, would like to declare here today (2nd of May 2017) the formation of an Opposition-wing of the Jubbaland Parliament. I made this decision after realizing the current parliament is stagnant and dysfunctional, and they have not made any state policy decisions in the past two years despite the high expectation of Jubbalanders from all walks of life.

In my first press release I would present to you why I decided to oppose the current Jubbaland Government:

 

• Despite the hopes of our constituents there has been no meaningful political change or reformation. We have not reviewed our constitution, no policies have been introduced, the executive branch of the government is not accountable to perform any duties and over the past two years the president (State premier) has been consistently unavailable for questioning, discussion or debate.

 

• The role of the president of Jubbaland has become to fly around the world with his family and not accompanied by any Member of the Parliament or Government official.

 

• The State president is the only State leader who has never visited public places such as hospitals and schools.

 

• The president has never briefed the parliamentarians about his countless trips, and the State benefit from these trips.

 

• Jubbaland parliament approves every year the annual budget but no ministry has ever got their annual budget and there never has been an audit.

 

• In all openings and closures of sessions of the parliament, the President (State Premier) calls for the Members of the Parliament to dress up with the military fatigue and get ready to join the forces to liberate the State. It is worthwhile to mention that in his five years as Premier of the State he has failed to liberate not more than five kilometers from Kismayo and as a result, jurisdiction of the government of Jubbaland is restricted to Kismayo.

 

• The Jubbaland Parliament receives no salary and no allowance except for irregular and unofficial payments even though a massive amount of the State budget is diverted towards building mansions to accommodate the President (State Premier) and his cohorts.

 

• In Kismayo, the tax collected from the port, the airport, and private business outlets are collected in full and mercilessly but ends up in the pocket of the president (State Premier) and the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.

 

• Jubbaland Ministers are all just nominal, and no Minister is free to perform for his constitutional duties. Furthermore, the State Premier has nominated inexperienced young men to work under every ministry and they are accountable only to the State Premier.

 

• Most Jubbaland Ministers have no academic knowledge or life experience in politics, as is the wish of the State Premier.

 

• More than 85% of Jubbaland State institutions employ the president’s family.

 

• More than 90% of Jubbaland State forces belong to the President’s family

 

• 95% of Jubbaland State Forces Commanders are closely related to the president. For example; the commander of the State Security, the Commander of the State Derawish, The Commander of the State Police, the Commander of the Presidential Security, the Commander of the Federal Army, the Commander of the Airport Security, and the Commander of the Port Security.

 

• The president’s family fills more than 95% of the Judiciary and Justice branches of Jubbaland State. For example; the Attorney General, the Chief of the State Justice and the Appeal Court (the only 3 nominated people in the Justice).

 

• The commission of work and workers, who are responsible for interviewing and assessing job seekers for government positions, belongs to the President’s family and they employ no one but their kith and kin.

 

• Someone from the President’s family heads the refugee Commission. In late April, when food donated by one of the Arab countries, being distributed to needy people, government forces related to the president attacked the distribution center. In this incident, two innocent people were killed and the food was looted. No one was arrested for this incident.

 

• Very recently Jubbaland a total of 22 director generals were nominated. Out of 22 officers, 12 were related to the president.

 

• There are numerous incidents of oppressive government forces openly tormenting its citizens. Including burning the victim’s body with electric wires, submersing the victim in seawater, beatings, intimidation, threatening, rape and etc. For example, in late April, a member of the Jubbaland Forces intentionally and without authorisation shot dead a person belonging to the Jareer-Weyn tribe (one of Jubbaland’s indigenous tribes). This tribe (Jareer Weyn) revolted peacefully and refused to burry the dead body in a demonstration of their anger and frustration. However, a group of men, sent from the Presidential Palace, told the grieving tribe that the man behind the shooting was arrested and would face the full force of the law. Unfortunately, the attacker was released from Kismayo central prison on the same night.

 

• The current biggest problem in Jubbaland is land confiscation. Thousands of Jubbalanders have been forcefully evicted from their homes and had their houses demolished through a draconian system of land confiscation. The land looters and the Police Force facilitating the lootings belong to the president’s family. Similarly, Public lands and premises of the former government have been transferred to people directly related to President. Unfortunately, today the injustice has peaked to its highest in Jubbaland.

 

• Many Kismayo residents have lost their farming land under the pretext of Public Intent, Livestock Holding Ground, and as proposed land for NGOs. All these practices were carried out without reference to the proper legal channels, if any exist in Jubbaland, because the aim was to provide homes to a particular group.

 

• The Director General of Kismayo General Hospital, who is a member of the president’s family, received an offer from ICRC in April 2017, to fund the recruitment of 16 new hospital employees. Unfairly, all of the 15 people the Director General employed were of the president’s family.

 

• The two biggest schools in Kismayo (Bilaal Primary/Intermediate School (I been there from primary to year 8), and Alanley Primary/Intermediate School) were handed over to members of the president’s family to transform the schools into a private University. As a result local students have to travel further to other areas for schooling, which is unsafe for young children.
• During the Indirect Election in the country, the worst human rights violations, corruption and abuse of power took place in Jubbaland. In fact Jubbaland is the only territory where people are paid to claim to represent a particular clan as an envoys.
• There is no freedom of speech in Jubbaland. For example, even though I am a Member of Parliament I was denied to speak in front of the Parliament to explain my position and have had to travel all the way to Mogadishu to present my press release.
• In my next press release I will discuss the issue of charcoal in Jubbaland. I would kindly ask all Somali nationals and Jubbalanders in particular to forward me all the information that they have for me to present an informative and non-bias report of the charcoal issue. My contact details is as follows: aliialii1@hotmail.com
• I would like to emphasize again that I am a constructive opposition but not a destructive opposition and my sole aim is to become the voice of the voiceless. Jubbaland is my home and I have no personal enmity against anyone but I sincerely feel that Jubbaland deserves a better leader who is capable of leading Jubbaland into peace and prosperity where governance and law and order can flourish.

Thank you all.

Mohamed Ali Yusuf (MP)

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