The State Minister for Transportation of Somalia, MP Mohamed Ali Omar (Ananug), made a sudden exit from his post on Wednesday, citing the Ministry’s gross incompetence and mismanagement as reasons for his resignation. In an emotionally charged Facebook post announcing his decision, Ananug explained that he could no longer serve in a Ministry that has betrayed the trust of the Somali people.
According to Ananug’s official resignation letter addressed to Somalia’s Prime Minister, the lawmaker stated that he had received numerous complaints from civil servants and contractors about the Ministry’s operations. Ananug claimed to have personally raised the issues with the Minister of Transport, Fardowsa Osman Igal, to no avail.
“I have witnessed how employees who were fulfilling their responsibilities were terminated and handled in a manner that violated Somali law. Officials in the Ministry and subordinate organizations replaced them with people who are not qualified and were selected to further personal interests,” wrote Ananug.
He also noted that several of the complaints came from companies and contractors operating at Mogadishu’s international airport, who have “legal permits and have gone through all the legal procedures to operate.” Unfortunately, the Ministry and the Prime Minister failed to address their grievances.
Interestingly, Ananug’s resignation came just a day after the Ministry of Transport banned an aviation fueling company from operating inside Aden Abdulle International Airport. The Ministry had cited safety and security concerns, but the move was met with opposition from the State Ministry.
The State Ministry issued its own statement, allowing the aviation fueling company to continue working. The statement endorsed the “importance and good work” of the company and called on authorities in the Ministry and airport to continue working with them.
