By: OSMAN A.M.
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – A three year anti-graft strategic planning has been launched by the good governance & anti-corruption commission for 2013-2015 at a meeting between the commission’s secretariat and donor communities at Summer time hotel in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
The commission’s director general Mr. Hassan Omar Horry made the announcement by thanking UNDP for their technical and financial support during the launched of the initiative. Mr. Horry mentioned the expertise provided to the commission by announcing by Prof. M. Tanni who is also a senior advisor attached to the anti-corruption commission.
The D.G. took the participants in brief to the latest modus operandi of the commission by announcing that functional review of the governance structure is in the pipeline. He hinted out that by next week they will kick start a pilot project of the review targeting four ministries namely; Ministry of Information national guidance & heritage, Post & tell-communication, Labor & social af
fairs and that of Interior.
Mr. Hori was speaking during the fifth meeting of the commission & members of donor community by briefly narrating how the secretariat & commissioners are learned with the least possessing a post graduate degree in their specializations. He also mentioned that the Diaspora community has been integrated through employment by the commission and that they are making use of foreign anti-graft czars with experience and exposure in combating the menace. He also said that soon they will be carrying impromptu visits to Government ministries with a view of evaluating their performance critically studying their goal/mission, vision, core values, structures and their periodic expected results.
The D.G. urged the members of the public to exercise patience as the pilot project evaluates how it has achieved its intended objectives in the four pilot ministries aforementioned.
To effectively and efficiently fight corruption, Mr. Horry reminded the Government to raise civil servant perks as a means of deterring public servants steeling from state coffin. He also urged the Government to provide both investigative and prosecutorial powers to the commission by widening their mandate and decried the sad state of affairs currently of being a toothless bull dog that cannot bite.
The anti- graft head disclosed that upon successful completion of the pilot project, the commission shall monitor the performance conduct of other ministries to ensure the best results are achieved uniformly in all their departments. He stressed on the importance of educating members of the public on payment of taxes and warned tax avoiders and evaders in equal measure.
Among the anti-graft measures in offering according to the D.G. is the use of mobile technology in fighting corruption and as such made a disclosure that in the near future the commission will conduct an opinion poll targeting 5000 respondents in five regions on a random basis to collect & collate their views on what good governance practices entails. He further stressed on acting upon reception of public complaint against state officers through launching investigations to ascertain the veracity of the alleged complains.
The senior advisor attached to the anti-corruption commission Prof. M. Tanni reminded the participants on the role of civil education in nurturing a corrupt free society by providing guidance to members of the public to shun off corrupt practices.
Prof. Tanni promised that if as a country we follow the strategic planning then Somaliland’s governance will defiantly be at par with developed nations of the world.
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