Can a deeply corrupt society be reformed? Niccolo Machiavelli, the late Italian political philosopher and author of the book, “The Prince”, believes that nothing short of revolution and radical approach could save a nation as corrupt as Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya, among others.

In the case of Puntland State of Somalia, corruption is now inbedded deeply in all spheres of life in the society that nothing less than a radical administrative clean-up can save Puntland from implosion and collapse.

To do that, the first step is tackling with corruption in the sectors of security and finance, moving steadily to house-cleaning in others as well. Make way to forming a small and lean administration by doing away all duplicating and redundant agencies and ministries in the process of radical reform before democratic elections.

The 2nd step is to embark upon the democratization process now, not in few years’ time down the road during this mandate. NOW!

Would you exchange three hundred she-camels for two income generating public toilets in Bosaso? Kkkk. This was then an ultimate insult to the nomad-owner of the camels.
This is a true story relayed to me by a friend of mine with the nick-name “Cidlow-Carar” ( Air-chaser).
A Bosaso business entrepreneur built rows of public washrooms in Puntland’s densely populated city. He also opened a teashop nearby to serve his daily visitors. One day came a visitor, a nomad who shows off in being the sole owner of 300 she-camels in the countryside. As the proud nomad continued to frequent these convenient public facilities during his short stay in Bosaso, the entrepreneur had befriended with the dignified countryman. One day, the two men were having tea together. During the course of their discussion, the nomad started to impress the businessman on the signicance of having such immense wealth. The businessman looked at boasting nomad and offered, “Would exchange your three hundred she-camels for two of my public toilets?” The nomad got so angry that he almost slapped his interlocutor. The cool nerves of the toilet owner prevailed and saved the day.
One year later, the boastful nomad had lost all but a few camels in severe drought. They met again with public wash-rooms still in full operation, and the popular teashop joint turned into a decent city hotel. Now, the wealthy businessman reminded the nomad of that past business offer. The nomad reminded the hotel owner of that insult.
This story reminded me of a conversation I had with a Swiss expert on governance during the first year of Puntland State establishment. Swiss Government sent him to assist us in our new efforts to consolidate our regional administrative achievement. Unfortunately, I don’t recall his name. He was heavy drinker of camel milk, a habit he had picked up in Mauritania as strange as it may sound for a white European to be a habitual drinker of camel milk in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia.
One evening, the Swiss and I were having a chat over camel milk and tea at Zahra Islaan’s teashop in Garowe when our conversation turned to a discussion on the debilitating drought affecting the nomadic population at time. He asked me “why Somalis have to starve and lose their livestock in every drought? Why don’t they slaughter animals, make them dry meat, and store it in sacks before the drought and enjoy eating it during the drought?” At times, I laughed a lot.
In another story, two men were overheard, one asking the other, “Why do Somalis prefer living in dryland instead of locations with huge rainfall and fertile oasis?” The other man responded, “Somalis love raising camels, and camels can not walk on and slip in wet oasis. They just follow their camels, pursuing dry land spots all the time. That is why Somalis ended up in drought-striken dryland. ”
The moral lesson of these stories is that Somalis are not Xoolo dhaqato (farmers) but Xoolo raac (herders) and even not very good at it. For centuries of Xoolo raacnimo, they never improved. It is never too late for Somalia to plan and work out a strategy to save its nomadic population, its wealth of livestock, and, therefore, its mainstay of the economy.

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Yes, an imperative reform in Puntland Administration is obvious to all and urgently needed. But, where do we start?

1. Finance sector
2. Security sector

https://ismailwarsame.wordpress.com/2019/03/14/the-story-of-dhaweeye/

https://ismailwarsame.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/beggers-have-choices/

Today I happened to be in a Caffè shop in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia, enjoying a cup of cappuccino when an elderly man entered the space. He started addressing customers to solicit for his financial needs and pleas for help. It is my turn to hear him. The problem here in Somalia is that nobody has or uses local Somali Shillings as the currency had lost its value and almost its relevance in today’s Somali economy. The national currency has been replaced effectively by electronic US dollars accessed on smartphones with accounts through all major Hawillaad money transfer agencies and local telecommunication companies. It is therefore difficult, if not impossible, to assist someone in need with change from someone’s own pocket.

As a plan, I often carry on me some spare change in case I need sundry expenses like shoe-shining. So I had a bundle of Shs.So. old banknotes when the elderly begger approached me.

I was holding my phone in my right hand when I used my left hand to fish out some Somali Shilling banknotes from my left pant pocket to hand out to him. The man looked at me surprisingly without stretching out his hand towards me. Equally surprised, I asked him, “you don’t want it?” He calmly asked me, “why don’t you give me that with your right hand?”

Another man nearby who was observing my rather awkward situation jumped in to say, “he is right. Why do you give him that with the left hand?” In self-defence I asked them, “do you know whether I am left-handed?” The two were taken aback to consider my question.

BEGGERS have choices here in Somalia and they can refuse your assistance if there are strings attached to it, be well advised.

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For students of Modern Somali history, answer the following questions objectively and without bias:

1. What are the root causes of civil war in Somalia?

2. Were there official political opposition parties in Somalia before the outbreak of the civil war? If not, why not?

3. Were there a free press or media before the start of the civil war?

4. Were there ever a national debate on Somalia’s governance before the civil war and immediately after the Ogaden War of 1977-1978?

5. Why there was a need for an exile armed rebellion against Somali government of the day?

6. What is the main reason for the need of a federal constitution for the New Somalia? Why Somalis simply not re-adopt the 1960 Constitution?

7. Does a National Reconciliation Process involves in only forgiveness or more? How do you bring to the fold of a national reconciliation process the children whose parents were hurt, financially ruined, deceased or disappeared during the Civil War?

https://wardheernews.com/dont-ethiopia-libya-unite/

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I am not sure that most Somalis are giving serious thought to the threats of continued survival and existence of Somalia as a nation-state that could maintain its territorial entegrity and sovereignty within its geographical limits and location in the Horn of Africa. I suspect that we don’t see the dangers our societal divisions entail. Our weakness doesn’t lie not only in traditional clan rivalry, but now in politicized tribalism and politicized faith.

Unchecked, this would eventually lead to disentegration of Somalia as we know it and therefore invitation for foreign occupation of the land.

Warsame Magazine

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https://ismailwarsame.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/odd-peoples-greetings/

Different nationals of different nations and countries have different and, sometimes peculiar way of greetings. In most Western countries, people greet each other with the words close to “hello, how do you do, salute, how are you” etc. in their respective native tongues. In most Muslim, it is peace be upon you.

https://ismailwarsame.wordpress.com/2019/03/03/the-smartphone-youth-unemployment-in-somalia/

Coming to Somalia these days with a critical eye and keen observation of prevailing socio-ecinomic issues, one will notice that a smartphone alleviates the pain of youth unemployment in Somalia. Nobody has reliable statistics on youth unemployment in Puntland/Somalia, but everybody assumes it to be as high as hitting at least a double digit.

In personal crisis situations under similar conditions in other countries, youth unemployment often leads to surge in crime, violence, substance abuse and suicide.

Think about how many unreported rape cases and domestic abuses in Somalia. Reporting to expose such heinous crime and gross human rights violations hide in the stigma and taboo associated with the epidemic.

The problem is exacerbated by weak administration of justice and law enforcement paralysis.

Welcome to a country where people drive right-handed vehicles on right-hand side of the road, where there are no rules of the road and pestetrians walk along in the middle of road, where extremely only slow driving speed saves lives and minimize road accidents, where there is no need for traffic police and not necessarily a driving license and therefore no age limit to drive a vehicle.

You guessed. It is the new Somalia emerging from the ashes of the Civil War. Guess how long it will take to bring that country back on track, how much rehabilitation works to be done on youth, regulations, institutions and infrastructure?

But, don’t despair. There is light at end of the tunnel. It is just digging it out of the deep hole.