By M.A. Egge
The Vice President of the Republic of Somaliland, His Excellency Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi has warned that the government will not allow electricity and water public services in Berbera to be interrupted at will by wayward officials and staffers.
The VP gave the caution as he, and the delegation he leads, who is still on a working trip to the Saahil regional city in Berbera, inspected the National Oil Tanks and other public sites.
The Director of the National Oil Tanks, Mr. Mohamed Sidiiq Damme, briefed the VP on the working procedures, giving an in-depth account of the steps they have taken in terms of development and their vision for the near future.
He elaborated on the development plan for the facility, noting that they are implementing a plan to expand and modernize them.
The VP also inspected the Modern National Oil Laboratory, observing its working methods, and was introduced to the staff.
Similarly, he inspected the Berbera District Municipal, inspecting the various other offices and the way they serve the residents.
He was briefed in details by the Mayor of Berbera about their activities and their vision for the near future.
The VP said that it was unacceptable that the electricity in Berbera is turned off at will, and hence warned that the Government will take appropriate action against such acts and the culprits.
“Berbera Water and Electricity are not something to joke about, let anyone in charge know that while speaking on behalf of the President of nation, I am telling the authorities in charge of these two services that they cannot play with the electricity and water in Berbera and turn them off at will. I am telling you to be careful about this.”
Finally, the VP inspected the Berbera Water Expansion Project in Faro Deerro, a project that is now nearing completion and would benefit the people of Berbera. It is worth noting that a month ago, the President of the Republic of Somaliland inaugurated the project.
The VP has just completed a three-month pacification mission that has seen him spearhead the end of a decade old skirmishes in El Afweyn that had pitted the area residents against each other on clannish lines causing a lot of civil strife and fatal casualties. The VP at the same time managed to rally historic and monumental tasks of demobilization that has seen tens of hundreds of local communities’ militia being absorbed and integrated into the mainstream national armed forces.
Both feats have earned the VP a household name in the nation and is held with high esteem.