Mogadishu (BARTAMAHA) The Federal Government of Somalia today announced its first move to fight the widespread corruption within the government offices amid efforts to regain good governance in the war-torn nation, according to the Minister of Information Mustaf Dhuhulow.

The launch of a Public Awareness Campaign to combat corruption in Somalia will seek advocacy for good governance and end any kind of corruption in the public offices.

The Minister opened by stating: “Corruption takes many forms – taking bribes, skimming funds, giving jobs to friends and family, perverting the course of justice to name are just four. This is holding Somalia back and it must be stopped. The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) will provide the legislation and all the necessary support but it is only the Somali people who can actually stop the corruption.”

The Minister announced that he would direct the programme himself, describing the fight against corruption in all its forms as ‘a personal passion’. The campaign will consist of a series of programmes on Somali Media Outlets such as TVs, Radios, newspapers and websites (online) and social media, and will include information announcements on what to do when a citizen encounters corruption, along with debates, discussions, call-in programs and public events, all aimed at informing and engaging the population in the battle.

The Minister also announced that there would be an accompanying civic education programme: “We must ensure that tomorrow’s citizens of Somalia as well today’s are fully aware of corruption in all its hideous forms and know what they can do to help stamp it out: the laws, the ways to report it and the punishments.”

The Minister noted a number of improvements that had already been made to improve the accountability of the government: sound financial management of government funds under the Auditor General and Accountant, overseen by the Financial Governance Committee, and the extension of the activities of the Attorney General across the country, including into newly recovered areas.

The Minister concluded by saying: “The FGS is committed to dealing with the issue of corruption and from now on we will show zero tolerance. Somalis are known throughout the world for their business acumen. Unfortunately, Somalia is also judged to be amongst the most corrupt countries in the world, along with the likes of Afghansitan, North Korea and Iraq.

We have picked up a number of ‘bad habits’ in ‘the way we do business’, some of which are symptoms of the modern world, some of which go back for generations. We need to move away from practices like bribery, nepotism and so on, and modernize our ideas if we are to take full advantage of the natural resources and the skills of our population if we are to flourish and prosper as a nation.”

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