By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – A number of Hargeisa based hotels are faced with imminent closure if a government threat is implemented in a bid to thwart a purported increase in immoral acts.
The threat to withdraw operating licenses of a number of hotels (Not named) based in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa was issued by the anti-immorality committee a six member body constituted on the 27th January by President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo.
According to the minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism Ali Saeed Raygal some hotels especially those that host weddings and other social functions face imminent closure as they are main scenes of increasing incidents of immoral conduct in the country.
As he issued the hotels shutting down threat Minister Raygal who also urged members of the society to assist said, “We ask citizens to aid the government in eliminating immoral conduct through proper supervision of their children and wards”
Urging proper observation of Islamic tenets the youth minister added that the anti-immoral committee which has the mandate to stamp out all conduct that goes contrary to local traditional and religious norms shall not hesitate to act thence uphold its mandate.
Of late various quarters of society especially in the capital city Hargeisa have raised a hue and cry over increasing acts of impropriety among youths purportedly perpetrated in the many modern eateries that have mushroomed in the recent past
To others the purported immoral conduct is nothing but acts of socialization by fraternization hungry citizens who are devoid of other avenues other than the hotels where they can meet and chat over dinner or soft drinks after a hard jobless or heavy workload day at school or work.
While constituting the anti-immorality committee the head of state president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo attributed the decision to Government of Somaliland’s concern towards increasing incidences of moral decadence in the country as well as ” The office of the president in pursuit of fulfilling administrative obligations pertaining to proper moral conduct in the country hereby informs the below mentioned that they have been co-opted as a committee with the mandate to tackle increasing incidences of moral decadences in the country”
With clear directives from the head of state to act expeditiously through “diligent and conclusive action towards arresting the decaying cultural values of our nation in a timely and impartial manner” it remains to be seen if the committee is just like others full of air and teeth.
The six member ministerial level committee is headed by minister of religious affairs
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