By: M.A.Egge
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – If we may borrow, the title from the late Ahmed Dedaat’s ‘Atnaantu?’ our answer in our context is ‘A LOT!’
Yes, there is a lot in a lot in a name.
By this we mean whoever flouted the idea on the change of name for Radio Hargeisa was/were quite right.
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As we hail the President and the government to make believe of the pledge on the establishment of a national radio which would releigh to a wide ranging area, we are as happy as all Somalilanders are (hence ought to be)- happy on the realization of the real radio.
It reminds us that at the late 80’s and early 90’s, the then SNM Radio Halgan was very vividly heard in East Africa.
Given that the mobile radio’s power was far reaching, one wonders what happened over the past 20 years that we retrogressed so much as far as radio coverage was concerned.
Now we clearly see that it had all along been a matter of priorities. It is what you put high on your agenda that really matters.
In this case H.E. President Silanyo put the radio issue as a priority one factor hence made it the reality it has now become -the beast thing the nation has had for a long while.
Next to it is to give the priority the respect it deserves, again for nationality and nationhood purposes.
It is known that radio Hargeisa basked on the glory of its name for two ironic purposes.
One is that, as an appeasement, it was “Radio Hargeisa of the Voice of Republic of Somalia” In other words it was part and parcel of the then national radio, VOS.
Secondly, in our re-asserted national Radio Hargeisa continued to bear its name whereas it was supposed to be the voice of (all) Somaliland.
It indeed ironically remained a technical Hargeisa radio (in name) and a practical Hargeisa radio (by service).
Now that it is to serve its real purpose hence convey and portray the image of the country, SL, the radio’s name technically and practically should, and must be what it is or what it is supposed to be: Radio Somaliland, Voice of Somaliland etc.
Thus its nationhood status should and must be PRIORITIZED too.
As such, a lot is in a name. Just as Dedaat was trying to justify the Uniqueness and all magnificence enshrined, depicted and entailed in the Creator’s name, we concur that A LOT is at STaKE where a name, and especially a NATIONAL name as such, is concerned.
It is incumbent upon the government do the necessary.
In equal terms, those charged to run the facility at the information department should from now henceforth know of the reality.
That the wider audience cutting across national and international social, educational and political stratus would definitely be critical to whatever we air.
In other words we should be both as propped up and apt as professional expectations would require.
Once more, thanks again your Excellency for prioritizing the needful.
