By Ahmed Abdi

I am a citizen that loves his country and his people. A citizen that tried to move from Europe and participate the hardship of nation building. I tried to be patient, to be optimist to dream of good and prosperous future. After three years I came back and with despair and sense of failure. Our country needs salvation. It calls us to free from iron handed junta of NSS and selfish mafias   from diaspora. The country is going down and fast.

President Riyal is on vacation for the three time in less than a year. Each time he is away between 2 to 4 weeks. The entire country is under his thump. He single handedly extended the term of the Guurti to a period of nearly five years, which means he singlely appointed the entire Guurti. He hires and fires all judges, from district to Supreme Court. 40% of the national revenue is outside national budget and goes direct to his safe in presidency. Revenues collected from ports, airports, and petrol are collected for his personal discretion, beyond accountability.   Neither Parliament nor auditor has an access to it.

That scale of corruption at the top descends to every level of the government. Ministers spend the budget of their department at will. To every working civil servant there are three ghosts, registered only for the sake of payment. The number of national army in record is 25,000 soldiers when it is known to all their number cannot reach 5,000. Custom duties and taxes are paid in different levels depending on your relationship to the government. There are some who pay nothing and those who are taxed at extreme discount.

The president have the power to jail citizens and to pardon criminals, no question asked. Not only that but all governors are appointed by him and have the same power within their region. Elected mayors have no power over police and security, that is handed to governors, unelected and solely appointed by the president.

Forget about education, employment or health. For nothing is left in the budget for these sectors. No one asks for them, for the people are fighting for survival and below survival. They ask for the basic of security, justice for all.

I have to summaries our mishaps so that you will not lost the power to read. Somaliland is bleeding and if not saved now, it will die in front of us. Can you imagine that no one knows the salary of the President? Can you imagine it is well over that of President Bush? Can you imagine that no one knows who owns Total the private company that has monopoly over the   importation and sales of petrol? Do you know the president   without any recommendation and without any further approval singly appoints the Police Commander, The Commander of the Army, The Security Chief, all representatives abroad, all governors, all judges, all Local Government Chief Executives....etc the list is bottomless.

Think and digest. Whether you belong to UDUP,UCID or KULMIYE, wherever you live in Somaliland Borama or Buroa, we all suffer under this corrupt government, that consists of NSS officers that know nothing then spinning and torture. They are expert in censorship, and will never allow proper liberty of assembly and ideas. Whatever tribe you belong we are on the same boat. Do not be lead by false emotions. Unite to defend our country. Take lesson on what is happening in Somalia. Remember result of tribalism during military dictatorship. Stand for your country united and alert.

Long live Somaliland.

marodijex@yahoo.co.uk