Two officials on Villa Somalia and Refugee Agency salary retained in polls team despite opposition protest

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Two senior officials at Villa Somalia who were later transferred to the National Refugee Agency were retained in the elections committees despite being flagged by the opposition, Goobjoog News can reveal.

Documents obtained exclusively by Goobjoog News indicate the two officials- Yonis Hassan Alifow and Khadar Harir Hussein both of whom currently serve as deputy chairman and senior executive officer respectively at the refugee agency were not removed from the electoral committees. Yonis serves in the HirShabelle state indirect elections committee while Hussein who was picked by DeputyPirme Minister Mahid Guled is in the Federal elections committee.

Yonis also earned a salary from both Villa Somalia and the National Refugee Agency, documents show.

The Council of Presidential Candidates(CPC) had identified the two officials among a list of 67 to be removed from both the federal and state level interim electoral committees. The Office of the Prime Minister only removed 34 names and retained 33.

The documents which Goobjoog News is in possession indicate that Yonis was among the eight officials appointed from Hirshabelle on August 29, 2020 but retained despite a dispute over his appointment.

Only Anas Abdicasis Ahmed whose appointment had been contested was the only one replaced.

Yonis Alifow, the deputy chairman of the Refugee Agency, was hired on 23/10/2019, grade (A), according to documents obtained by Goobjoog News.

Another letter seen by Goobjoog News indicates that Yonis was earning a salary from Villa Somalia and the National Refugee Agency. The Public Service Commission sent a letter to Yonis on 21/05/2020 demanding a refund of $ 63, 528  that he had been paid from Villa Somalia yet he was already employed at the agency.

The Commission also demanded that the Villa Somalia salary be stopped.