“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” William James
By Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye
Somalilandsun – “Wan wayn subag ku shub” (or pour butter into ram) a Somali proverb says this forewarning the display of disdain at the poor and overfeeding the rich. Somaliland returnees from the West are pictured smiling at the bunfight and Eat All You Can Buffet in Mansoor Hotel; that was beyond the expectation of the public from the diaspora of which many were thought to be very learned and of high moral grounds but all of sudden seen overeating.
Moreover, while Hargaysa residents are suffering a lack of water, and severe health problems resulted from drugs counterfeits over-dumping, President Ahmed Silanyo is seen overfeeding the obese returnees from Saudi Kingdom, and Scandinavian countries who come to the country to lose weight! The lavish feast in Mansoor Hotel conferred with the flabby returnees from wealthiest nations have casted a doubt of the president’s conscience “I went through some sort of compulsory overeating yesterday” a participant stated “I felt a guilt because it does not make sense to me to take part in the lavish selective party while many of my country’s youth went to bed empty belly”. True, there must be a social responsibility for each of us.
Have you noticed anything wrong with the feast? The setting is not in London or NY or Jeddah, so the enjoyment dries up as soon as you go out of the Buffet because you step over malnourished lying next to the gate who is ether the hotel keeper or security guard whom was told not to take any of the feasts until the overweight returnees are overinflated. My mission is not to turn your moments of joy and happiness into sadness, never, but to alert you to be fair with your behavior. And realize that the president has came to the office with few bucks of dollars in his pocket like his predecessors, therefore; the extravagances bestowed upon you was embezzled from the public funds. That is clear crystal and no need to seek evidences unless you are apologists of the government.
In the State House, Qandahar, and Mohamed Moge districts are battling with the most basic essential: water let alone TVs or gadgets to entertain. As many politicians have been exposed to cruelties during the civil war, a little passion to lessen the human suffering has developed, no solidarity, the cultural passiveness maybe the norm today in Hargaysa and elsewhere.
In the Ramadan, the lavish feast is supposed to give to the poor people orphaned by The Armed Struggle or others orphaned by Hargaysa Suicide Bombing that cost the lives of 30 persons or more. Moreover, the thousands of dollars spent on the unnecessary feast and the selective partying could supply water to thousands of waterless homes in Southern part of Hargaysa which always experience an incredible shortage of water for several years now. However; the diaspora of who fled to the West deserve appreciation of different kind because their contributions are vital to the economy, more or less, if the transfers of money ceases, no single transactions would be ever happen. So they equally important like locals.
Too little is known about the motive behind the feast supplied to returnees from abroad, but many analysts who read between the lines stated the president is trying to appease them to delay the growing displeasure of the public of his weak administration who indirectly legalized the wide-scale corruptions: the public constructions supervisors sign a draft for building assistants locally known as Kuli to collect from the governmental banks for un-working extra days to divide the money! The embezzlement is down deep to the lowest level of workers and Sheikhs ministers in the government are fully aware but don’t want to act.
The government recently encountered political tumult: the alliance of the two oppositions parties and the formations of National Consultation Council, and has been in search of rent-a elders, a new phenomenon ( odayaal waji ku macaash ah/ odaayaal la kiraysan karo) .
Locals’ sufferings, diaspora’s plethora
The locals’ life is so troubling, full of miseries, and threatening, in addition, they feel the pressure of UK final notice of shutting down money transfers which was their lifeline.
For some, the unnecessary inviting of Western returnees to lavish partying is similar to Central African Republic (CAR) president’s regalia, and lavish partying. The coronation consumed one third of the country’s annual budget, many of the world leaders considered Bokase was naïve because of his extravagances while his people were dying in the streets. Remember CAR is recognized by the world while Somaliland is hapless and unwanted by any except God perhaps.
Many obese returnees from North America and Europe whose countries of residence guaranteed better life for them got free money to eat out. But this is a prelude of a birth of social classes and may encourage human trafficking to be treated of the same way.
With the first feast over given to more than 600 hundred people came from over the world to lose weight in malnourished society , this reflects the birth of tyrannical behavior which Waran’adde might triggered when he fed his lions on 150 US dollars a day while his neighbors may not cook a food for their schoolchildren.
What will happen if this new trend of poor’s tax money is given to returnees to eat out every day? This novel political culture may develop incurable social diseases, already, the Guurti, the rent-a senators fed with street vendors’ money needs removal as the reasons of why they were founded has disappeared. “The world is not dangerous because of those do harm but because of those look at it without doing anything”. Albert Einstein.
