Mogadishu (UM) – In a meeting with his District Commissioners, the new Mayor of Mogadishu, Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow) informed them all that they could keep their jobs so long as they performed well. This is unprecedented and a testament to the administrative experience of the new Mayor.
The District Commissioners appeared relieved that they were surviving a wasteful history of constant change with each new Mayor in Mogadishu in the past. This is a step in the right direction but they must not mistake this commitment to continuity by the new Mayor for weakness. Eng. Yarisow, has shown that he is willing to take on public servants who underperform in his last role as the Minister of Information and that he will not bow to political or clan pressure if he decides to replace anyone of them.
The surviving District Commissioners had pledged loyalty to their former boss Thabit Abdi Mohamed in an unsuccessful last minute attempt to save his career but this was not enough. Now, they must show the same loyalty and support for the new Mayor’s ambitious reform plans which they must successfully implement in their Districts.
Mogadishu is the capital of the Somali nation and its economic, political and social heart. The new Mayor and his team of Commissioner’s must focus on delivering public services most important of which are security, sanitation, transportation and education. The Mayor will need resources and alongside the 15% income the Banadir Regional Administration receives from Mogadishu Port, he can also raise more local revenue if he is able to demonstrate commitment to transparency and effective public financial management.
Mogadishu’s governance is sometimes confused in this period of Federalism and former Mayor’s like Thabit Abdi have fallen on the wrong side of the argument. Mogadishu belongs to all Somalis as the capital of the nation. Mayor Eng. Yarisow and his Commissioners must not waste time on this constitutional issue but focus their efforts on service delivery and finding enabling partnerships for development within the capital city. This is what the people will thank them for, not whether or not the spelling is Banadir or Benadir.