MOGADISHU, Somalia – Federal Minister Xayir Maareeye, in a Facebook post responding to Puntland Minister of Agriculture Maxamed Cabdiqaadir Doonyaale, has stated that tractors provided by the Federal Government to farmers in Iskushuban district of Bari region were part of a World Bank-funded project designed to support Somali farmers.
You see, Minister Maareeye is a bit ticked off—with his words on social media cutting through the clutter, like a hot knife through butter. “I’ve been catching wind of naysayers spreading negativity and media reshaping our truth like a kid playing with clay,” he noted, waving the official document like a talisman. This document visible as day and night, detailed a donation of 26 tractors from the World Bank, tossed generously to Somali farmers through the ONAT Agency. The kicker? Just two of these shiny machines were earmarked for Northeastern State.
Now, if you’re buying front row seats to this drama, you’d know the Northeastern State Ministry isn’t clapping. They claim to have been left off the invitation list when it comes to the tractor procurement soirée. “How on Earth,” a befuddled official asked Axadle, “does a $28 million World Bank project whittle down to leaving us with two tractors?!” It’s like a buying an expensive dinner and being served with crumbs.
The sentiment from Northeastern State’s Ministry of Agriculture was firm as an old boot, expressing frustration about the Federal Government’s transparency, or lack thereof, in the handling of the Food Systems Resilience Program, known in the skinny world of bureaucratic acronyms as ‘FSRP’.
In simpler terms, this ‘FSRP’ intends to uplift agriculture, polish natural resources, and throw legal light on food systems. But Northeastern State raised their brows, accusing the Federal Government of bundling unrelated projects together in a hodgepodge attempt to lead the public up the garden path.
The Ministry didn’t just stop with accusations; they pointed fingers at the Provisional Constitution too. Article 53, Clause 1 stands tall, saying any international aid or agreements that benefit agricultural progress in Northeastern State need their stamp of approval. Clearly, they felt this tractor debacle hit a sour note.
Minister Maareeye, amidst the back-and-forth volleys, laid out that $16 million was specially earmarked for Northeastern State, acknowledging its unique political landscape tangled in challenges like an old bicycle in a cobweb. This was to bolster its farming communities, which could certainly use a leg up.
Breaking down the $150 million FSRP pot—wouldn’t we all love to divvy such a sum?—the Federal Ministry of Agriculture sprinkled $54 million to itself for areas sans projects, $18 million went to North Western State of Somalia, and each federal state, including Northeastern State, got their $16 million sharing. It’s like a pie divided amongst friends, albeit grudgingly.
Such World Bank-funded projects are doled out in the name of the Somali people, underlined with stricter than strict conditions on equitable distribution here and there. If the Federal Government wobbles on this tightrope, dishing out fairness unevenly, implementing these projects becomes as pleasant as pulling teeth. Funds circle through the Central Bank of Somalia, and Mr. Maareeye swears he wasn’t the decider in this allocation game. Though, in politics, who ever really is?
By Axadle—where we serve the latest news with a splash of wit !
