(MENAFN- Somali Land Sun) Somalilandsun-A year and a half ago, I received news that the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of the Republic of Somaliland is planning toestablisha new directorateunder the name of'Petroleum Directorate, and this section will be responsible for themanagement and supervisionof the exploration and extractionprocessesoftheoil resources in the country. As I have learnedalsothat the ministry is looking for geoscientists specialized inearthsciences to be a part of the technical team of this directorate.
At that timeI was in Sudan, beingcompleted my university studies in geology and earth sciences;I decided to apply for one of thevacanciesavailable at that new department. A year ago, I got aresponsethatI was initially accepted as a geoscientist in the petroleum department pending uponinterview, and soa while laterI becamea member of the Ministry of Energyand Minerals.
Now that a year has elapsed since I joined the ministry, I want to sharewithyou my experienceat the ministryin that year.
Like most peopleabroadorinthecountrybelieve,when we mention a government institutionthe first thought thatcomes tothemind immediatelyis a financiallycorrupted and unorganizedinstitution, whichdoes not rise to theexpectations and the standardsof work quality that arerequiredof a state institution,thatalsolacks the basics of good governance, and this vision prevailingin the community stems from experiencingmore than twenty years of state institutionsfullof financial corruption andlack offair suitableleadership,a leadership thatin turncanactivateand triggersystemsofaccountabilityand responsibility to benefit the countryto the maximum extent possible.
It is obviousthat there is aneed for well-regulatedgovernment institutions that are characterizedby the principles of accountability, responsibility and transparency.This frequent sceneof corrupted underperforming state institutionshasmadethe wordsof [corruption| unorganized]synonymous withgovernment institutions.
But thetime I spent in the ministry proved to me thatthere is always a beacon of hope and light even in the darkest situations and toughest timesguardedby men whocare abouttheir countryandits development.
When youenterthe ministry, the look of the ministry'smodern buildingis the first thing that attracts your eye, this building isconsidered an architectural masterpiece inthe heart of Hargeisa,and you may think that you arein one of the developed countriesthat normally havesuch beautiful buildings and wonderful gardens. This beautiful buildingsurrounded by breathtaking gardens, which you may considera comfort for the eye and a pleasure for the heart, was not builtin an easy way, it is the product ofgreateffort, hard workandmany countlessextra hoursof work to realize this dream and translate this visionfroma mere architectural scheme to a lofty building on the ground.
As it is saidbefore;the real development is notmeasured by the number of stones that make a nice building, but the levelofknowledge of thehuman beingswho occupy it, when you enter into the offices of the Ministryyou will findawell-trainedemployeescoachedto serve the country and the peoplein thisspecific area(Energy & Minerals).
Youwillfind a minister; who is the first to arrive and the last to leave, a minister whomakesthe policies that guide the work of the ministry and restrict it to a system characterized by diligence, hard work and personal and collective development to provide the best, a minister who is the role model for hisemployees, and comes withhimageneral director with the same attributes, who ensures that the ministry's workis carried out andbased on the aforementioned vision.
You will find a management who sets out responsibilities, duties,expected results, the basis ofevaluation andaccountability andregulationsto be followed by the ministry to ensure that each employee performs his work in full. It is this leadership that drives employees to challenge themselves and compete with their peers to providea work theycan be proud of.
The three most importanttoolsthat characterize the work of this ministry and I think it is behind making this ministry amodel worthy institutionin our countryare:
1.Accountability: It requires determining the working hours,assigning specific tasks and duties to specific employee andidentifyingtheexpected results, all these together facilitate the process of revisionand evaluation of employees, and also it helps insourcingproblems and obstacles that could prevent the Ministry offunctioning in a successful manner and then findingradical solutions. 2.Transparency: Due to the magnitude of the projects implemented and managed by the ministry through last year,and some of these projects budgets could reachmillions of dollars, it is imperative to regulatethefinancial matters in a clear and transparent form that puts an end to any small possibility ofafinancial corruption. 3.Continuoustraining andhumandevelopment:Continuousin-housetraining,givingthestaff specialized courses in recognizedtraining institutes in the country, especially theCivil ServiceInstituteis a part of the work and duties that must be performed by all employees, which contributes to the work of the ministryand employee's benefitbyimprovingtheir level ofeducation andskills.
Somaliland Minister of Energy and Minerals Eng Hussein Abdi Duale at his offices in Hargeisa The combination of these toolsis what made the ministrymore valuable than its peers in the country. With the availability of a system governed by accountability,definition ofresponsibilities,transparencyand clarity andcontinuous training, the ministry is able to do its work to the fullest and play its role in servicing thisnation.
The Ministry isnowable tomanagelarge-scale projects that are conducted in a world-class manner withcertificationsof international companies.One of the biggest oil exploration projects in the world is currently taking place in Somaliland, the biggest 2D Seismic acquisitionprojectin Africa is managed by the ministry, and more than %50 of the targeted area of 3000 Km has completed successfully under the management and supervision of the ministry.
All these achievements andthis great work isheaded byMinisterEng. Hussein Abdi Dualeh, whocame to this ministry, which was nothing, and brought it to be the mostdisciplined, organized, functioning and beautifulministryin the country whichevery politiciancraves, andfor thathedeservesmuchofappreciation and gratitude.
Mustafa Osman
J. Geo-scientist
Petroleum Directorate
Ministry Of EnergyandMinerals
Tell: 063 4072179 - 065 9747024
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