Thursday December 19, 2019
Ahmed Omar Islow and Khadija Mohamed Diriye
MOGADISHU (HOL) - Deputy minister of Youth and Sports Ahmed Omar Islow has strongly criticized minister of Sports Khadija M. Diriye noting the minister had not made any contributions to advancing sports in Somalia and instead went ahead to block any meaningful progress.
Addressing journalists at Eng. Yarisow Stadium in Mogadishu, the youthful assistant minister said the Sports and Youth Minister should be replaced.
"The minister has not made any progress in the ministry in the last three years and she has refused to allow all of us directors and deputy ministers to make progress in sports," he said.
Islow urged Prime Minister Hassan Khaire to intervene and ‘appoint someone who understands sports’.
He also accused the minister of misusing funds meant for sports and youth development adding in some instances players representing Somalia in sports outside the country could not get air tickets to travel outside the country because of mismanagement of funds.
The remarks have raised questions on the coordination and working relationship between government ministers given it’s not the norm for ministers to publicly blast each other.