Federal Government keen on replacing state presidents-South West state

South West state president Sheikh Shariff Hassan’s administration has pointed fingers at federal government allegedly on plans to replace regional presidents. File Photo: Amisom

South West state is accusing the federal government of allegedly creating political friction by targeting its top leaders with intent of installing its own candidates

State constitutional affairs minister Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan told Goobjoog News the federal government was was not only doing so in Galmudug and South West but also determined to do so in other states.

“The war from the Somali villa is not be limited to Adado and Baidoa only. There is an entity that has proclaimed war and they do not abide by the constitution. They want to install their stooges in the regional states.”

The minister alleged that the president’s office was sending emissaries to the regions to meet with regional MPs. “We have information Villa Somalia chief of staff met with 7 MPs from Southwest which is confirmed by the some of the MPs attended the meeting but it will not be a successful.”

Federal Parliament from Galmudug who have been mediating in the political crisis there Thursday laid blame on Villa Somalia and the Cabinet for frustrating the talks which collapsed after two days. The legislators said Villa Somalia had deployed a team to Adado to scuttle the talks.

The South West minister asked the government to ‘divert the funds used for these meetings to the security of the country especially Mogadishu.” What happened in Adado is illegitimate, the minister added.

Meanwhile a faction of Galmudug MPs who voted to send home the state president Ahmed Haaf said the state president violated the law by denying the speaker, his deputy and the deputy president right of movement.

MP Ahmed Yussuf Iyow said in a statement, “Haaf violated the local and federal constitutions openly on 25/9/2017 by kidnapping the 3 leaders after we ousted him from power 22/9/2017.”