Yusuf Resigned Because He Failed...hmmm....
Kobina Wright
December 31, 2008
Now that Somaliaīs president, Abdullahi Yusuf has resigned, what major turns will transpire in the heart of its chaos? Who knows?
I didnīt see this coming, but perhaps I should have Somalia is and has been in a state of anarchy for quite a while, and now that a spotlight is blinding Somaliaīs coast due to the escalation of piracy, targeting foreign vessels, the international community can only put pressure on the only place it knows to, itīs president. However, what is a president of an anarchic country to do when he canīt pull his own country together and the rest of the world is breathing down his neck? I guess he quits hunh?
In his speech broadcasted on national radio, according to BBC, Yusuf said, "When I took power I pledged three things. If I was unable to fulfill my duty I will resign. Second, I said I will do everything in my power to make government work across the country. That did not happen either. Third, I asked the leaders to cooperate with me for the common good of the people. That did not happen."
This speech got my "wheels to turninī" this morning. I donīt know enough about Abdullahi Yusuf and his efforts to unite his country to form an opinion of him as a person, one way or the other, but I started thinking about all of the politicians during their campaigns and the promises they make and donīt keep. We talk about it rant and rave and roll our eyes and blow our breath when their names come up in conversation, but do we really put their feet to the fire? Iīm afraid not. At least, not often enough. But what if we did?
What if we called our politicians on everything they said, every stance they took and then backed down from and called on their resignations with the passion of a responsible nation when they failed to fulfill their responsibilities i.e. their promises to the people that elected them? The state of our nation would be quite different wouldnīt it? People wouldnīt be running so quickly to gain a position in office for power because they would know that it could be stripped away from them in a heartbeat.
Perhaps we should consider this line of responsibility a lot more seriously. The power needs to be back in the hands of the people. Somalia does have something to teach us after all.
I didnīt see this coming, but perhaps I should have Somalia is and has been in a state of anarchy for quite a while, and now that a spotlight is blinding Somaliaīs coast due to the escalation of piracy, targeting foreign vessels, the international community can only put pressure on the only place it knows to, itīs president. However, what is a president of an anarchic country to do when he canīt pull his own country together and the rest of the world is breathing down his neck? I guess he quits hunh?
In his speech broadcasted on national radio, according to BBC, Yusuf said, "When I took power I pledged three things. If I was unable to fulfill my duty I will resign. Second, I said I will do everything in my power to make government work across the country. That did not happen either. Third, I asked the leaders to cooperate with me for the common good of the people. That did not happen."
This speech got my "wheels to turninī" this morning. I donīt know enough about Abdullahi Yusuf and his efforts to unite his country to form an opinion of him as a person, one way or the other, but I started thinking about all of the politicians during their campaigns and the promises they make and donīt keep. We talk about it rant and rave and roll our eyes and blow our breath when their names come up in conversation, but do we really put their feet to the fire? Iīm afraid not. At least, not often enough. But what if we did?
What if we called our politicians on everything they said, every stance they took and then backed down from and called on their resignations with the passion of a responsible nation when they failed to fulfill their responsibilities i.e. their promises to the people that elected them? The state of our nation would be quite different wouldnīt it? People wouldnīt be running so quickly to gain a position in office for power because they would know that it could be stripped away from them in a heartbeat.
Perhaps we should consider this line of responsibility a lot more seriously. The power needs to be back in the hands of the people. Somalia does have something to teach us after all.
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