Saeed Mohamed Guleed

Inspired by last week’s event in which the Somaliland House of Guurti was honored for its valuable contributions to peace in Somaliland, I feel encouraged to pay tribute to the Director and workers of the Hargeysa Water Agency for their hard work to ease the water crisis that gripped Hargeysa from early 2003 up to early 2005.

When Ali Asad was appointed as the new director of HWA in January 4, 2005, the majority of Hargesites who greeted the announcement with strong disapproval and utter feelings of dismay. The guy was Hargeysa’s mayor in the mid 1990s and his tenure was marred by controversial political activism that earned him many enemies, particularly in the political opposition’s camp.

So back in January 2005 it wasn’t illogical to think that Ali Asad’s appointment as HWA’s new director was going to a disaster. The city was suffering from a water crisis. Water shortages were rampant all over the city and households were left without a drop for days in a row. Years of mismanagement and neglect had rendered the Geed-deeble water production facilities incapable of pumping sufficient water to Hargeysa’s fastly growing population.

Within few weeks after Ali Asad’s arrival at the HWA, the water situation improved. And in the months that followed more and more sections of the city, including my home at south western Hargeysa, gained access to potable water.

I’m aware that a lot more improvements have to be done before all dwellings in Hargeysa could access the distribution pipes, but at least we have come a long way in comparison with the 2003 – 2004 water shutdowns. Even officials of the KULMIYE opposition couldn’t help but to praise Ali’s performance publically. Public servants who do their jobs well should be encouraged.

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