Abdi Mohamud
COMPLAIN LESS, BLAME LESS BUT ACT AND DO SOMETHING
It is fair to say that Somalis have a penchant for complaining and finding faults with almost everything. They immediately see when things are improperly handled or directed or managed in a wrong and untenable manner. They mostly have keen interests on matters of political nature. They voice their concerns without hesitation but they rarely match that with action. I will try to comment on two comments made by two prominent Somalis who have lamented how the leaders are failing the Somali people.
The first comment was made by Muse Sudi, a former warlord who is now a senator in the Upper House of Somalia. Muse expressed displeasure at a recently passed draconian law that will guide the operational activities of Somali Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and that will render its director and other agency members unaccountable if they abuse powers, break rules or tramp upon the rights of citizens. Muse is not the first to make uproar about this bad law and certainly will not be the last. There are lawyers, lawmakers, journalists, ordinary Somalis and even international rights groups who have vehemently spoken about the danger and incompatibility of this law with the nation’s constitution. It gives sweeping powers to the NISA director and also allows its employees to operate with impunity. In a video circulating in the social media, Muse gave a long list of powers conferred on the NISA director, arguing that with these unfettered powers he will take control of the whole country.
The problem with Muse is that he has seen it safer to speak up and to take no action although he had the ability to do so. He had a range of options to ensure that this troubling piece of legislation did not see the light of day without revamping it. He could have consulted with lawyers and sought court injunction declaring it unconstitutional. He also had the opportunity to convince his fellow lawmakers to send back the bill before enactment to the drawing board. He squandered all these opportunities. By doing so, he put Somalis at peril because NISA can do all horrible, unlawful things now. The agency will remain untethered and will have the ability to do egregious injustices to innocent citizens. Muse is supposed to be a bulwark against potential violations NISA might commit. His duty is to ensure checks and balances exist, be respected and observed. He has the ability to force the executive to abandon unreasonable, excessive laws to achieve political goals. The point is that action speaks louder and that nothing materialized without taking an appropriate action. Muse’s uproar after the bill passed by the Upper House may amount to dishonesty and lip service. He and his colleagues will be responsible for any mistreatment of Somali citizens because they have given lethal legal tools to individuals who know no boundaries.
An equally important concern was raised on twitter by a lady who has close to 50,000 followers.She was concerned with the dire situation of the Garowe General Hospital which, I believe, is the main referral hospital in Puntland State. According to her tweet, the hospital can not even treat minor injuries and that inability endangers the lives of many people in the state. She blamed the state leadership for this failure, suggesting that if Pundland could not meet basic needs of its citizens, then even its existence has no importance. Others responded to her tweet by peddling more blames and deploring the poor services offered in the hospital. One of the comments claimed that there is not even oxygen and puntland people usually travel to either Mogadishu or Hargeisa for medical care.
There is no denial that someone, who has 50,000 followers on twitter, commands a great deal of respect and confidence in the nation. People can earn trust and respect in a number of ways. One could be an opinion maker whose writings, commentaries and ideas people find valuable. He/she could be a well known politician who has an enormous political base or he/she could be a philanthropist who gives financial aid to worthy causes. In that light, it is obvious that this lady enjoys preeminence in the society. Therefore, a person of such stature is expected to take an action when there is a necessity that requires immediate attention. Words may do little to alleviate people’s sufferings while action will mean real and meaningful relief for those in need. One would argue that this important lady should have taken action to remedy the unpleasant situation of the hospital in question. She could have mobilized and asked for financial contributions and attended to the cute needs that exist in the hospital. It is likely that many would have responded promptly and generously. Like Muse she preferred to spin blame around without offering any assistance that benefit the needy.
It is worrisome when all we can do is to talk, blame and choose inaction over action as a strategy of addressing pressing needs and priorities. As citizens, we have power to change our conditions. We have sufficient resources and skills to better the lives of the disadvantaged and our people as a whole. But real action and unity can produce fruitful results to be enjoyed and benefited by all. And to achieve that goal, we need people who care for the greater good and who are ready and willing to go the extra mile. Ideas, time and money all count to supply oxygen and other essentials to Garowe General Hospital.
Little contributions add up to become larger and bigger resources so upport and play your role.
Abdi Mohamud is a social commentator with keen interests on community welfare, societal growth and general well-being of the Somali coteries. You can contact him on [email protected]
You can also feature your writings on The Daily Jubba if you meet the submission requirements on https://bit.ly/3SlMYfz by sending an email to [email protected]
