Dr Ahmed Abdi Gaboose, a renowned neurologist who, on several earlier spells assumed ministerial positions with former Somaliland administrations, has today flogged the government of President Musa Bihi Abdi for sidelining critical issues such as national unity and security.
Dr Gaboose, speaking at a press conference he held at the Ambassador Hotel, Hargeisa, Tuesday, accused the government of apathy and gross dereliction of fundamental national cares.
“This government is leading by a ‘divide-and-rule’ policy. It has sidelined critical issues for mundane considerations,” he said.
“I am not against the presidency of President Musa Behi. It is not for me to grant it or deny it – and this press conference of mine is not a personal attack on the president,” he stated, adding “the prevailing situation in Somaliland reminds me of the disunity which led to one side hoarding all top positions for itself in a merger that was supposed to have been shared as equal partners”.
Dr Gaboose warned that the consequences of what he called ‘Rainbow alliance’ in government could be far more devastating than that of the jilted merger of 1960 resulted.
Dr Gaboose lamented that the incumbent government of President Bihi did not heed the goodwill and advice of intellectuals and seasoned statesmen such as Dr Ali Khalif and Dr Ahmed Ismail Samatar.
“Awdal is hanging by a thread. Sool and Sanaag have been shunned and boundaries are shrinking inward,” he pointed out.
Dr Gaboose, who has often been placed as the core financier of his clan’s conference in late June 2018, where, it is suspected, the rift created by the armed rebellion of ex-colonel Arre, has not been active in politics for the past 6 years.
Dr Gaboose called the President to hold an open door to all clans, politicians and intellectuals and to mind what is prudent and appropriate to the situation in hand.
“I ask the president to apologize to Somalilanders in Eastern Sanaag who had been so inexcusably scorned by the Army Chief of staff, General Tani
Dr Gaboose also urged all Somalilanders not to forget that what they had in common was far weightier than their differences.
Dr Gaboose ruled out that he has emerged from semi-retirement to challenge the Chairman of Waddani Party.
“Waddani has a leader and I am not out to contest him,” he said responding to a question relating to the understandable conclusion.
Dr Gaboose, his critics maintain, is hardly in a position to accuse anybody of flouting national considerations such as security and unity as he, for one, had facilitated a clan conference which had contributed to rift and bloodshed in many areas of Somaliland. Secondly, the doctor is oft accused of heartlessness by charging US$60 per head for consultations on patients on their deathbed or suffering of serious neurological ailments that seek out his services before picking up a pen to prescribe a drug. His hospital, Horyaal, is, also, one of the most expensive in Somaliland making it out of reach for many of those needing his attention.
On the other hand, a growing number of people are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the lacklustre, devil-may-care attitude of President Bihi and his team since he came to power in later 2017. Many, among whom a great majority who have helped him win, accuse the President of an unstatesmanlike, Chevallier-type of leadership that would rather wallow in petty squabbles than actively preempt conflicts or douse out potential social and political conflagrations.
