Somalilandsun: The streets of Hargeisa are now free of traffic congestion on a regular twenty four hours basis.
This is according to Mayor of the Somaliland capital city Councillor Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge as he highlighted plans his team has put in place to turn the entire Municipality into a green city.
“To turn Hargeisa into a green city , the Municipality shall pursue the same strategies utilised to decongest traffic” said the Mayor during a briefing to the house of Representatives standing Committee.
The civic leader was referring to the recent removal of illegal small market entrepreneurs from the city streets where they had been selling their wares.
“While we sympathy with the many SMEs that were affected, it was a necessary move towards decongesting traffic” said Mayor Abdikarim
Informing that a registered of the SMEs whose income generation has been touched, Legislators were told that a new site has been identified for their relocation.
Said he, “We are erecting structures for the SMEs within the sprawling Heera jaadka where they shall be allowed to ply their trade legally”
Lengthy traffic jams that have been a regular feature in Hargeisa are now a thing of the past , thus the municipality’s decongestion move a success.
On the green city status pursued, the mayor who was making his maiden constitutional briefing appearance to Parliament Cllr Mooge said that tree planting was the main theme.
Accordingly the Municipality will plant trees in all public places as well as engage residents to follow suit within their respective compounds.
The Hargeisa green status shall not be confined to tree planting but removal of all garbage in the city as well as reclaiming the valley that cuts through city.
“We are in advance plans to Completely eliminate all foreign objects in the valley, put in place measures to ensure that the flow of water within is natural and safe”
The valley , which is usually flooded during rainy seasons has been known to be unsafe having seen a number of mishaps to people and vehicles in the past.
Another strategy to implement will be to ban sand harvesting in the valley thus retaining its natural setting, revealed the mayor
Similarly the Municipality shall be made completely free of the large number of Livestock especially cows that forage the city’s garbage collection points.
“The local council shall buy all the cows and goats from their owner residents and donate to the police force for rearing at their Wajale plains farm” revealed Councillor Abdikarim Mooge
So far the administration of Mayor Mooge has not only decongested traffic but rehabilitated a number of roads in the city.
Turning to the enhanced sanitary standards the Hargeisa Mayor said that this could have been possible without the participation of traders and residents .
As he thanked them for their concerted efforts the mayor urged continued clean up campaigns in order to not only sustain the clean status but enhance on them as well.
Another achievement garnered has been the absorption of public primary schools management by the Hargeisa Municipality.
All Public schools management in the country has been the sole preserve of the education ministry on behalf of the central government.
But in tandem with the UN funded Joint Programme for Local Governance-JPLG Education is among sectors that are gradually being decentralized.
According to Mayor Mooge, the Hargeisa Municipality is already in control of 45 public primary schools.
Upon assuming management control of these public schools the Hargeisa Municipality has committed to ensuring a conducive learning environment is in place thus compete with privately owned ones.
Mayor Mooge said that this shall entail renovations, equipping and staffing with ample auxiliary staff , while the Ministry of education and sciences retains teacher recruitment .
While the Ministry shall second and pay teachers the Municipality is responsible for remuneration of Schools principals- headteachers, and all auxiliary staff.
The joint programme, which is led by the Somaliland Government in partnership with the UN, works to improve the lives of citizens and promote peace through accountable and effective local government.
JPLG has helped to clarify the functions, roles and responsibilities of the various tiers of government in line with the Somaliland decentralization policy making it easy for the authorities to work together on education.
“Through decentralization thus direct provision of local services at the local level, communities are getting better education, health and other public services in addition to a better understanding of what local councils do.
JPLG is comprised of five UN agencies (ILO, UNCDF, UNDP, UN-HABITAT and UNICEF) and together with partners, the Government of Somaliland and donors, it works to strengthen the role and capacity of local governments to deliver services to citizens in Somaliland.
