MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The daughter of the Somali speaker of parliament Habibo Sheikh Adan Madobe was appointed as a member of the Administrative Board of the National Statistics Agency which was approved in a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Caasimada Online news website reported on Saturday.
The appointment came amid allegations of widespread nepotism and corruption within federal government institutions, months after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed his daughter as an advisor on foreign affairs.
Mohamud defended his decision at the time, saying officials at the highest echelons of power have right to employ their sons and daughters who are qualified for serving the nation. The comments called attention to the government’s purported crackdown on corruption.
Weeks later, the Minister of Trade told a parliamentary committee that he had employed 10 members of his close relatives and will continue to do so if he receives an additional budget. The government has not yet commented on the remarks.
Last week, a Somali sprinter Nasra Ali Abukar ran “slowest-ever” in an international competition during World University Games in China, triggering backlash against authorities. Local media reported that a senior official with the Somali Olympics Committee had sent the untrained sprinter, but there has not been a sufficient explanation from authorities.
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