By M.A. Egge
The President H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro has name a national task-force committee to assess the damage caused by the fire that engulfed the Ida’ada open air market that caused untold damage to the properties of the merchants operating at the area.
This happens to be the umpteenth time that fires have razed down several markets in the country in the past few years, the worst of all so far being the Waheen market that saw multi-million dollars worth of properties vanish through fires that dented the national economy severely.
Following this latest one last week, the Head of State who personally went to the location and witnessed the extent of the damage pledged government support.
He has now named the 11-man committee that consists of seven cabinet ministers and four other top officials that include the city mayor, and the attorney general. According to a press release signed by the President, the appointed officials have been specially advised on their imminent tasks hence other institutions of the government, entrepreneurs and the members of the public asked to lend hand whenever and wherever necessary.
The press release of the appointment and instructions read as follows: –
“As you know, there have been recurring fire disasters in our country lately, which usually occurs in commercial areas, whose disaster causes extensive damage to the property of the public, human lives and the economy of the country in general.
“Fire disasters also occur in residential areas where the poor live, causing many houses where the poor lived to burn down, and also causing civilian casualties.
“Therefore, bearing in mind the government’s responsibility to provide care and assistance to the business people who lost their livelihoods in the fire that broke out at the Ida’ada Market in Hargeisa, and also aware of the government’s responsibility to find a solution to the fire disaster that has been recurring in recent times, I have appointed you to be the National Committee for Damage Assessment and Assistance for the Idaa’ada Market Fires, which would be responsible for the following tasks:
- Assessment of the extent of damage caused by the fire that broke out at the said market in Hargeisa;
- Managing and coordinating emergency activities to support those who have been affected by the fire;
- Advising on the causes and finding solutions to the fire disaster, in order to prevent recurrent of similar disaster from causing further damage to the lives and property of the people of Somaliland;
The following are the members of the committee:
- Minister of Public Works, Land and Housing -(Chairman).
- Minister of State for Home Affairs and Urban Development- (Deputy Chairman)
- Minister of Commerce and Tourism -(Secretary)
- Minister of Information, Culture and National Guidance- Member
- Minister of Interior and Security- Member
- Minister of Religion and Endowments -Member
- Minister of Mines and Energy- Member
- Mayor of Hargeisa -Member
- Attorney General of the Government -Member
- Commander of the Fire Department- Member
- Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce- Member
“I thus order you to carry out this task with great seriousness and diligence. I also order other government agencies, businesses and other sectors of society to cooperate with this national committee and provide assistance in the tasks they require”. END.