Subscribe to our newsletters

Sign up to our morning and evening newsletters for Garowe's well curated list of our daily highlights.

Garowe Online
  • Home
  • Somalia
  • World
    • Africa
  • National Security
  • Environment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Garowe Online
  • Home
  • Somalia
  • World
    • Africa
  • National Security
  • Environment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Garowe Online
No Result
View All Result

Farmaajo and Roble are complicit in sham oil deal unless they crack a whip

Author
02/21/2022
in Editorial
Reading Time: 2 mins read
5
SHARES
85
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

EDITORIAL | Somalia Prime Minister Hussein Roble and President Mohamed Farmaajo quickly disowned a sham oil deal signed by their government with a hazy Texas-based oil firm that focuses on the East African oil scene.

You might also like

Somalia’s next President: Here is our choice

We reject intimidation against free press

In Somalia’s looming famine, aid agencies may carry blame

Yet the trace from the dirt pool of this bogus arrangement could very well ensnare them if no whip is cracked on the culprits.

The noise emerged on Saturday after Somali Minister of Petroleum and Minerals Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed announced he had signed seven Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) with Coastline Exploration, an American firm in Houston, Texas.

Ahmed appeared to gloat over the deals, indicating they were bringing Somalia closer to tapping into its long-held potential for harvesting hydrocarbons. He explained how the money earned from these deals would be good for the country’s economic situation.

There is no doubt that Somalia’s potential for hydrocarbons is enormous. And given the recent seismic data collected between 2014-2016, Somali seas are abundant.

Except this was an awful deal. It is now clear someone tried to trick the country, whose attention is on who becomes elected next President, by signing contracts that would hurt the country in the future.

Ahmed’s seven Production Sharing Agreements with Coastline Exploration had been signed earlier, with the announcement only choreographed to hoodwink the public that it is a recent thing. The PSAs would, in theory, allow Coastline to survey the pre-defined areas for oil and gas in pursuit of a considerable commercial opportunity that would provide Somalia with a straightforward path for economic growth. It would also offer the most-deserving people a means to improve a presently below-average standard of living.

But it came when the government itself had banned such agreements. President Farmaajo had last year in August suspended negotiation or agreements ostensibly to guard against losing politicians exposing the country to risks they will not be around to face. It was also about protecting suspected theft of public resources by the very political figures well aware they won’t have another chance to loot.

If these were the aims of the ban, then both Farmaajo and Roble must bring us the heads of the people who violated it. It was shocking to hear the Minister insist the President had given him the go-ahead to negotiate and sign the deals. And yet it was surprising to listen to the Prime Minister, the supposed supervisor of ministers, disown the value. Just who is in charge of this government?

The question may never be answered. But if Mr. Roble is in charge of his cabinet, he should indeed ensure the violator faces the music.

We say this because there is a history. And these cracks in government over the deal may be a plastic, public show. For example, the Auditor-General’s office on Sunday claimed it had nullified the agreement and sent the document for investigations to the Attorney-General. But we hope it wasn’t another show to sweep the issue under the carpet and wait for the next leader to shoulder the burden.

GAROWE ONLINE

Tags: editorialfarmajosomalia

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

Share2Tweet1
Previous Post

A 5-year girl raped in Puntland as sexual assault cases skyrocket in Somalia

Next Post

How Somalia’s government disregarded advisory warning against oil deal

Recommended For You

Somalia’s next President: Here is our choice

05/14/2022
Somalia’s next President: Here is our choice

EDITORIAL: Somalia’s next President: Here is our choice Somalia’s Super Sunday is finally with us. And the country expects to have a new leader in place before people head...

Read more

We reject intimidation against free press

04/22/2022
We reject intimidation against free press

EDITORIAL - Garowe Online this week stands firm in rejecting an attempt by federal government agents to intimidate its reporting on political events in the country. On Thursday, we were...

Read more

In Somalia’s looming famine, aid agencies may carry blame

04/16/2022
In Somalia’s looming famine, aid agencies may carry blame

EDITORIAL- Somalia and its regional neighbors have for months, if not years, been facing erratic weather, including lower than normal rainfall, prolonged droughts, and the onset of pests...

Read more

Fahad Yasin defines chaos in Somalia, he should stay away

04/09/2022
Fahad Yasin defines chaos in Somalia, he should stay away

EDITORIAL | Fahad Yasin, the erstwhile spy chief in Somalia, is a man who leaves dirt on his trail. A former journalist at Al-Jazeera Arabic, his stint as...

Read more

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related News

From career diplomat to persona non grata: What went wrong for Amb. Madeira?

From career diplomat to persona non grata: What went wrong for Amb. Madeira?

04/07/2022
Jubbaland iyo dowladda federaalka oo ka gorgortamaya Gedo

Jubbaland iyo dowladda federaalka oo ka gorgortamaya Gedo

09/03/2022
We have not recognized Somaliland, Kenya says

We have not recognized Somaliland, Kenya says

01/24/2022

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cartoons
  • Editorial
  • Environment
  • National Security
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Somalia
  • World
Garowe Online

The independent news Web site GaroweOnline.com is the online sister publication of Radio Garowe, a community radio station based in Garowe, the State capital of Puntland, a self-governing region in northern Somalia.

CATEGORIES

  • Africa
  • Business
  • Business
  • Cartoons
  • Editorial
  • Environment
  • National Security
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Somalia
  • World

BROWSE BY TAG

Abdirahman Abdishakur Abiy Ahmed africa Africom Al-Shabaab Al shabaab alshabaab AMISOM ATMIS Biden Danab election elections Eritrea Ethiopia Fahad Yasiin farmajo featured federal Hassan Shiekh Journalist Kenya Madeira mogadishu NISA Oil Parliament Police Puntland roble Rooble Said Dani SNA somalia somaliland Tigray Turkey UAE Ukrain UN US USA Villa Somalia WFP world

Copyright © GAROWONLINE All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Somalia
  • World
    • Africa
  • National Security
  • Environment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Cartoons
  • Sports

Copyright © GAROWONLINE All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In