Somali Senate Gives Deputy PM the Boot for Being AWOL
MOGADISHU, Somalia — It’s curtains for Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama in the Somali Senate after he got the axe from his Upper House gig due to playing hooky four sessions in a row. Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdullahi disclosed the decision.
The ax-laying came after a probe into Jama’s steady absence despite him still cashing in his paycheck and perks, which are rolled out on the back of foreign aid.
According to Speaker Abdullahi, Article 19 (4) of the Upper House policies means business, snatching seats from those who skip two meetings in succession. This has fired up debates over the approbation of Somalia’s elected reps, especially around governance and financial rectitude.
Jama, hailing from North Western State of Somalia up north, once wore the hats of Minister of Labour and Minister of Constitutional Affairs. His Senate departure might shake up his government role, although the specifics of its impact on his Deputy PM slot aren’t yet out in the open.
This event shines a light on the recurring hiccups in Somalia’s governing system. The dependency on international dough for public salaries boils it down to this: transparency and turning up is a must for lawmakers.
The Senate’s verdict had the town in a tizzy, with some backing the move as an accountability stronghold, while skeptics poked at the timing and reasoning behind ousting such a bigwig.
This shake-up unfolds amidst Somalia facing hurdles of all sorts, from internal security bouts with Al-Shabaab to the tricky web of federal and local political tango. The ousting of Mr. Jama is a nudge from the Senate, flagging its part in keeping government players honest in the midst of the nation’s larger quandaries.
AXADLETM
