Somali Information minister loses the rights of journalists!

MOGADISHU (Keydmedia.net)-it’s hard task for media operating in Somalia, one the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists because of the conditions that Somali journalists working and there is no strong government which keeps the security and cares them.

Article Keydmedia Online
14 September 2010

Ministry of information could be said that it is the only ministry that is functioning from October of last year , after former local radio director, Dahir Mohamud Gele was named minister of information and Mr. Gele got long struggle to generate the state media radio Mogadishu collaborating with Somali journalists who were famous and tough ones and faced many pressures that later forced them to leave their jobs.

Radio Mogadishu gained listeners after the radio dared to present facts which was hidden because local F.M stations were afraid of islamist militias who control most of the country and smothered the press and it also became a tool that the transitional federal government uses to defend it’s enemy.

The radio was developed and satalite has been increased in it allowing Somali diaspara to go with the radio programs, in addition to the website radiomuqdishu.net running in December, 2009  and neighbouring sister-country Djabuti contributed radio-stedios to the ministry of information and the development was speedy when we look at the short period Mr. Dahir Mahamud Gele, former minister of information has played the crucial role.

Prime minister Omar A/Rashid reshufled his cabinet 3rd, july of this year,but Dahir Gele, former minister of information was not in the list of new ministers appeared and he remained on his membership of parliamentarians.

Leaving from office of information ministry, Mr. Gele said to the new appointed minister of that ministry, ‘I ‘m leaving you a statement that is to care the staff of the ministry of information and it shouldn’t happen that journalists being hungry seeking food to be killed as they are more dangerous that armed soldiers in the front lines because they can’t go out, he said to A/rahman Yarisow in an occasion that Dahir was conquering the position to the new minister A/rahman Omar Yarisow.

 

Former minister’s speech was to get journalists rights they deserve from the new minister and indicated their role, but the new information minister A/rahman Omar Yarisow started his duty and confirmed that the staff is too large and should be reduced to minimum of 30-40 only and fired former radio Mogadishu director Hussein Koryoley naming that position to A/rahman Isse Addo, close relative to him and closest friend of president Sh. Sharif.

The grudge is that former radio Mogadishu director, Hussein Koryoley’s son was killed by Islamist militias in connection with his father’s responsibility he had from radio Mogadishu.

     

$8000 for every ministry as festival which President Sh. Sharif signed for them to be given and the fund reached the ministry of information, he called the radio director informing him that salaries will be reduced from the staff, but the director A/rahiim Ise ashamed of this saying to the journalists that statement.

 

Large meeting which took place in the ministry hole, the minister clearly said to the journalist, “long efforts later I have found your salaries incompletely and you have the option to take it or leave and he who takes more than $100 will be reduced $50 of his salary.

Circumstance forced the staff to take the payment however it was and thousands of U.S dollars directly went into the pocket of Mr. Yarisow although the general director of the ministry of information A/risak Ali Yusuf ‘Bahlawi’ took a share.


‘I am targeted by Islamist militias and I can’t go freely to my house, I am frustrated here day and night and there is no fair and right here, journalist among radio Mogadishu said.

Employees salaries are used in private purposes and there is no authority that pursues and handles something on this and the minister is making use of the fear of the journalist that they can’t go out of the compound of the radio station and if we are not given, we will be here in order to get safety, another journalist said.

If the minister insists on this decision losing the rights of the journalists and the corruption emerged from his ministry the activity and operation would stop immediately.

The information minister Mr. A/rahman Omar is better for him and for whole the government to take care the rights of journalists who endangered them and working very hard conditions knowing that radio Mogadishu staff are greatly different than others because they are threatened day and night to be killed receiving telephone calls although one of them was killed by Al-shabab already and the minister should drop the idea of the love he has for the money.  

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