As president reshuffles senior officials and recalls Hussein Deyr from Trade & Investment ministry back to the presidency as spokesperson.
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The appointment of Fartoon as the Somaliland interior minister, is the boldest move taken by president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo as pertains his lieutenants at any given time of his almost 7 years in office.
The appointment that puts a Dulbahante clansman at the helm of internal security in Somaliland has received wide acclaim from various quarters both in the country and abroad.
This is because the Dulbahantes, not all, have been at loggerheads with the very being of Somaliland not to mention now dissipating armed skirmishes wedged from within the Sool region they predominate.
Apart from his clan which he shares with Khatumo secession Leader prof Ali Khalif Galayd and other avowed anti-Somaliland sovereignty politicians now serving the Somalia federal Government in Mogadsihu and regional Puntland in Garowe, the man replaced by Fartoon was Ali Mohamed Waran’ade, a traditionalist politician of lengthily Experience more so from the dominant Isaaq clan.
While those appointed to senior positions with native origins in Sool region include the coast guard commander and deputy army commander the magnitude of the Fartoon replacement of Waran”ade who was dispatched to Ethiopia as ambassador has gripped the nation, the swap from the trade and investment ministerial portfolio to presidential spokesperson remains salient.
Eng Hussein Adan Egge ‘Hussein Deyr, was transferred from his voting cabinet post of trade minister to the none voting one at the presidency where he shall now handle communication for the Somaliland president
Eng Deyr is not new to the presidency spokesperson post having served for a couple of months upon appointment to the Government immediately upon the mass resignations led by ex-presidency mi inter Hirsi Haji Ali.
During his short tenure at the presidency before his relocation to the ministry of Trade and Investment portfolio, the apt performance, professionalism and diligence in serving his boss, president saw Hussein Deyr elicit commendation from many quarters more so from the country’s opposition leadership that never notices anything good by Kulmiye party appointment public servants.
Immediately after the reshuffle of magnitude many were initially focused on the replacement of Waran’ade as interior minister and subsequent enlistment into the diplomatic corps the usual debates by the country’s very politicized populace revolved on whether the elderly politician will accept the post in Addis Ababa.
With Waran’ade keeping his thoughts to himself, the move turned to a joking issue with the MARFASH based and Khat high political commentators arguing that, the former interior minister being successful in reconciling warring clans and gagging of anti -Government elements the -appointment to Addis Ababa was to help quell the protest by Oromo and Amhara tribes who had I. The recent past been engaged in violent anti Government protests in various parts of Ethiopia.
Jokes apart, and having failed to unruffled what next, acceptance or resignation, of Waran’ade the tide turned to Eng. Hussein Deyr and his transfer from his full ministerial perch at Trade to the Ex-officious thence non voting one as presidential mouthpiece.
According to many the swap from his full ministerial to the ex-officious one as presidential spokesperson was a demotion for the architectural engineer thus he should not accept and instead turn his back on his president, pack up his suitcase and return to his comfy life in Europe where he has Dutch citizenship.
But the owner of a popular restaurant with journalists and civil servants opposite Tima’ade basketball grounds in Hargeisa, famously known as Edo the re-appointment of Eng Deyr was the best thing to come out of the entire reshuffle even overshadowing Fartoon.
“Though am neither learned nor skilled in Government mechanism I tend to believe nor very strongly, that next to the First Lady, presidency minister and personal secretary the person occupying the office of spokesperson has the ear and time of the president” said Edo.
According to the popular camel meat hotel owner president Silanyo must have seen something good in Deyr to bring him closer as opposed to the vastly held opinion that the appointment as spokesperson was a demotion.
Bring the rowdy debate about the Engineer’s fortunes to a close Edo said, “ I wonder how many people within ministerial posts I. Somaliland will swap their offices for that of presidential spokesperson,’ while adding that even the camel meat earring pundits would give all their toes and thumbs for the opportunity to have ease of access to the ear and time of president Silanyo .So in actual fact was the return of Deyr to the office of Somaliland presidential spokesperson
i. a demotion or not,
ii. A want by the president and
iii. Should he stay or pack up his bags for his cosy Europe.
As for the Trade and investment ministry he decamps for the presidency, the short tenure has ensued with a visible gusto for service a,on gall cadres especially at the headquarters in Hargeisa .
This is not the first time for a similar incident to happen following the transfer of now Livestock Development minister Abdilahi Ukuse from his the post as presidential spokesperson to deputy information minister,
To many people that was a big letdown and demotion which Ukuse should not accept but being a farsighted politician, the rejoinder was “To me this is a promotion” and true to his words he slowly rose fem deputy minister to full while maintaining the confidence of the president.
Whole Somalilandsun sources indicate that the president actually requested return of Hussein Deyr as his spokesperson, the reappointment of General Tani, a close relative of outgoing spokesperson Shamah also eased the swap.
As for the Eng who has served President Silanyo loyally through pen and paper he is a true nationalists of the country and his purported demotion should be a catalyst towards his perfection of patriotism through self-less service to the public anywhere, anytime and in any position.
Hopefully Eng Hussein Adan Egge ‘Hussein Deyr’ has, unknowingly,been bestowed with the greatest task of his entire life, Tutoring Somalilanders on the fact of keeping oneself in the background while serving the public diligently and professionally even more to the detriment of oneself and in humility and loyalty to the boss.
