By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib

It was a surprise to me when I saw an article written by Mohamed sheikh Omar the representative of Hatuf news paper. He has written a well versed article about the where about of Adal organization. Being a senior member of Adal organization and the only person who have the information I have to accept any criticism on our part from the media. Every organization or institution is likely to receive criticism from time to time.

I should not resist and accuse the news media of conspiring to destroy the organization. Reporters do hunt for controversy but most are bound by ethical codes that require balance and objectivity.

I want to make a good use of this opportunity to provide my side of the story. I would like to maintain control by making sure to be at least one of the major sources of information on the subject. I will stick with facts. I would like to thank publicly Mohamed Omar who is always in the forefront to uncover courageously any discrepancy in all institutions so that the problem can be corrected on time.

I was in close contact with Ikram Haji Daud and the other members of the organization and I was advised collectively to hold it for some time until we are correcting what can be corrected. Then I thought a dignified silence is the best course in this issue. I have reserved any aggressive response that may threaten the integrity of the organization and its constituents.

Now I want to inform the constituents of Adal both outside and at home my position on the issue raised by the reporter. This will help us to frame a correct response that is consistent with the groups.

Adal was formed on 4.7.2006. A General Assembly of 70 persons was formed and a board of 15 persons to elect among them the management which will run the organization and report back to the board. I was not there in this meeting. I was called at a later time when 2 persons excused and I accepted to work in this organization to help my people. The board was then raised to 17 members instead of 15.

On 22.7.2006 the board met in Ayoda youth organization. There was a quorum of members to make the meeting legitimate. Mrs. Ikram Haji Daud was there. I must admit that neither the board nor the management has been properly elected. It was a nomination and when several persons excused including me, the current chairman Mohamed Ali Bidar was the option and Saada Mohamed Deria was elected the vice chair person and three other persons including me.

The management accepted the responsibility and started to work to present a fine constitution and profile for the organization to the board. This was not an easy task. We have done a lot of research to present an ideal constitution and profile for the organization. It is worth mentioning that the management was working on voluntary basis. They were not available full time except me. There was difficulty to even meet because they are either out of station or busy with their work to win their living. The spare time of the staff was only utilized and sometimes it is difficult to get even a quorum for the meeting. This was really unusual to me. I must report here also that the world of nonprofit management changed tremendously. Gone are the days when volunteers had generous time to support their cause.

On the 20.8.2006 the management presented the constitution and profile with difficulty. The board approved the constitution and the profile and gave us the go ahead and report back to the board on every three months. This was the time the chairman started to be unavailable despite my contacting, visiting his house and phoning him every where he was. I cannot understand right now why he is doing this.

I consulted the other members and the problem was not solved. I have beamed the first preamble in the internet and received a welcome from both Roda Haji Mizan and Ebado Adar. From this time I started to work alone. Sometimes I used to get little assistance from two young folks in the management who were always busy with other organizations. We received 1000 dollars from Roda Haji Mizan. This money was donated by Ururka Haweenka Minesota and Dallas, Uurka Bulshada Houston and Ahmed sheikh Farah Washington. We opened the office. I have made the procedures, the inventory and the accounting procedures when the chairman did not show.

We have been asked by our stake holders to do sanitation work and air it on the internet. We have contacted the local council and there was always a delay tactics and as the reporter already informed, the government was not interested in this organization and a lot of undermining has been done. We gave a token of 50 dollars to the chairman to make the slogans and he himself started to drag us and until today the slogans is not received and the money was not accounted for.

We have written to Amoud foundation for assistance and they were kind enough to give us 1000 dollars which we have not taken until today. I have refused to collect that money until the issue of Adal is solved and it is still there. I have contacted the board with to do something about the chairman with no avail and Ikram who was willing to do something was busy with the parliament work and could not get time to assist in the matter. We were only paying rent without generating anything. I have tried to convene the board but could not do it.

One day I arranged a meeting in the office with Ikram and some other members and prepared the strategic plan and when he heard it he closed the office. We then made a meeting the night following and asked Ikram to call the chairman in her house. When we met he has nothing to say and the other members all told the story and we have been advised to work together and until today have not seen him.

On 1.4.2007 I have written a letter to him and paid all the rent and decided to vacate the house until the issue is going to be solved and put the furniture in another place. I could not even get assistance from the other members to do so but being a senior member of the organization decided to vacate the house. You cannot pay rent without generating any thing and the money donated to us by Amoud foundation is still there and we have not collected it. We will never collect it until the purpose the money is donated is solved otherwise I am going to return the money to Amoud foundation.

I want to confidently report that Adal can be the organization if this problem is solved. We are trying now to contact other reputable people and hope this will yield fruits. I must thank here before I sign my letter Roda Haji Mizan, Ebado Adar, Amoud foundation and Ahmed sheikh Farah who played a role to make the organization a viable one.

Ibrahim Adam Ghalib

Borama, Somaliland

Email: kaalib33@hotmail.com