Mohamed Abdi Mohamed, BBA Amoud University, Borama

It was interesting to read in the Somaliland Times issue of September 4, 2004 that the Somaliland Society for Independent Journalists and Writers (SSJW) was about to sue the BBC for hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensatory damages in connection with alleged abuse of funds belonging to a training program run by the BBC.

There is no doubt in my mind that the SSJW’s allegations could be true, because I saw the BBC practicing all sorts of nepotism and corruption here in Borama.

They selected school children to undergo training in journalism. I do not understand why they sidestepped journalists who work in the region. Is it because journalists here are not members of SOLJA who act as the BBC’s frontmen? Even the way school children trainees were chosen smacked of corruption and nepotism. No selection system was followed.

And though the project is almost one year old now, I have never come across an advertisement for a job vacancy or names of selected trainees placed by the BBC’s training department in national newspapers.

I was not surprised at the SSJW’s allegations that claim they have enough evidence to prove their case.

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