By Betty Luke
A section of Isiolo’s Somali elders have disassociated themselves from the community’s council of elders over alleged mistrust with some of the top leaders to the body.
Representatives from Isaq and Harti, Ajuran, Degodia and Murule sub-clans cited irregularities in the recently concluded vetting process for Bulapesa and Burat MCA aspirants accusing two officials of micromanaging the process and sidelining them.
A section of the elders on Saturday took part in the nomination process of the aspirants done through secret balloting and maintained that anyone eyeing any political seat in the county would be subjected to the same process.
“We have no faith with the Chair and Secretary General. We therefore pull out of Somali Council of Elders (SCE) until the two resign,” said one of the Ajuran elders Osman Bidhu.
His Isaq and Harti’s counterpart Mohammed Sheikh Isadin accused the two leaders of sidelining the four sub-clans in the vetting process and claimed that they were bribed to tilt the process in the favour of their cronies.
“We cannot allow two leaders to choose those to represent the community for MCA seats. Why are they so comfortable working as pair while sidelining the rest of the council leaders?” he posed.
The elders said they will conduct fresh exercise for the candidates who lost and pick two of them to battle it out with the pair selected by the other faction led by Shariff Abdullahi and Hassan Idle.
They said they would not accept a candidate with no touch with the community to represent the community at the expense of an aspirant who has been always available for the community in reference to Bulapesa MCA contest.
Mr Jamal Ahmed Bolti should have been picked and not Mr Ismail Sufi who had been outside the country, the elders said.
“From today, we are not part of the Somali Council of Elders and we will ensure the suitable aspirants go to the ballot,” the Ajuran elders Chair Abikar Mohammed said.
The elders accused the two leaders of pushing for their personal interests at the expense of the community’s agenda.
“Few people cannot claim to be representing the community while leaving out some sub-clans. We will only follow instructions provided for by our sub-clan’s chairpersons,” he said.
A commotion ensured on Saturday as supporters allied to Mr Bolti alleged interference in the process and bribery of some of the elders who took part in the exercise.
However, the council’s Chair Abdullahi Shariff maintained that the exercise was fair.
