Trivia: Where on
earth can a Speaker of Parliament, implicated publicly of a theft of US$
1 Million of public money in front of a sitting Parliament, go scot-free
and even aspire for a Higher Office?
8 February, 2011
If you answered -
Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) in Mogadisho, Somalia, you are right! And the subject character is the speaker
of the Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden. The speaker has been publicly
implicated in the theft of 1 million US$ in the Parliamentary
session he was chairing on 30 Jan 2011. The speaker reportedly received
these allegations in a "business-as-usual" manner, making no attempt to deny
or defend himself. To our knowledge there has not been any legal action
following these serious allegations.
The Speaker chaired
another TFP session, on 3rd February 2011, which unilaterally decided to
extend the TFP mandate by 3 more years from August 2011. There are reports
circulating in the media, that Sharif Hassan is
seeking to move to the highest office of TFG- the Presidency!
The story of Sharif Hassan, told in a proper
context, characterizes every thing that is wrong with present day Somalia
(TFG). He epitomizes the
corruption and lack of accountability at all levels of the TFG system.
TFG has been a bottomless pit where its officials compete to line their
pockets with the meager international aid and sham contracts to sell off pits and
pieces of the Nation. Recently the International Crises Group's (ICG)
Draft Report titled THE SOMALI
TFG: AN ADMINISTRATION ON LIFE SUPPORT described the TFG System as"dangerously adrift, rudderless
and may not survive to the end of its mandate".
Why is the so called International Community,
which is keeping the life support system on the TFG, not demanding
accountability? Why is it propping a system that has outlived its usefulness?
International Community should realize that it is becoming an accomplice to all
the wrongful actions of the TFG.
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