Somalilandsun-A year and a half ago, I received news that the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of the Republic of Somaliland is planning to establish a new directorate under the name of “Petroleum Directorate”, and this section will be responsible for the management and supervision of the exploration and extraction processes of the oil resources in the country. As I have learned also that the ministry is looking for geoscientists specialized in earthsciences to be a part of the technical team of this directorate.
At that time I was in Sudan, being completed my university studies in geology and earth sciences; I decided to apply for one of the vacancies available at that new department. A year ago, I got a response that I was initially accepted as a geoscientist in the petroleum department pending uponinterview, and so a while later I became a member of the Ministry of Energyand Minerals.
Now that a year has elapsed since I joined the ministry, I want to share withyou my experience at the ministryin that year.
Like most people abroador in the country believe, when we mention a government institution the first thought that comes to the mind immediately is a financially corrupted and unorganized institution, which does not rise to the expectations and the standards of work quality that are required of a state institution, that alsolacks the basics of good governance, and this vision prevailing in the community stems from experiencing more than twenty years of state institutions full of financial corruption and lack of fair suitableleadership, a leadership that in turn can activate and trigger systemsofaccountability and responsibility to benefit the country to the maximum extent possible.
It is obvious that there is a need for well-regulated government institutions that are characterized by the principles of accountability, responsibility and transparency. This frequent scene of corrupted underperforming state institutions has made the wordsof [corruption | unorganized] synonymous with government institutions.
But the time I spent in the ministry proved to me that there is always a beacon of hope and light even in the darkest situations and toughest timesguardedby men who care about their countryand its development.
When you enter the ministry, the look of the ministry’smodern building is the first thing that attracts your eye, this building is considered an architectural masterpiece in the heart of Hargeisa, and you may think that you are in one of the developed countries that normally have such beautiful buildings and wonderful gardens. This beautiful building surrounded by breathtaking gardens, which you may consider a comfort for the eye and a pleasure for the heart, was not built in an easy way, it is the product of greateffort, hard work and many countless extra hours of work to realize this dream and translate this visionfrom a mere architectural scheme to a lofty building on the ground.
As it is said before; the real development is not measured by the number of stones that make a nice building, but the level of knowledge of the human beings who occupy it, when you enter into the offices of the Ministry you will find a well-trained employees coached to serve the country and the people in this specific area (Energy & Minerals).
Youwill find a minister; who is the first to arrive and the last to leave, a minister whomakes the 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 his employees, and comes with him a general director with the same attributes, who ensures that the ministry’s work is carried out and based on the aforementioned vision.
You will find a management who sets out responsibilities, duties, expected results, the basis of evaluation and accountability and regulations to 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 provide a work they can be proud of.
The three most important tools that characterize the work of this ministry and I think it is behind making this ministry a model worthy institution in our country are:
The combination of these tools is what made the ministry more valuable than its peers in the country. With the availability of a system governed by accountability, definition of responsibilities, transparency and clarity and continuous training, the ministry is able to do its work to the fullest and play its role in servicing this nation.
The Ministry is now able tomanage large-scale projects that are conducted in a world-class manner with certifications of international companies. One of the biggest oil exploration projects in the world is currently taking place in Somaliland, the biggest 2D Seismic acquisition project in 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 and this great work is headed byMinister Eng. Hussein Abdi Dualeh, who came to this ministry, which was nothing, and brought it to be the most disciplined, organized, functioning and beautifulministry in the country whichevery politiciancraves, and for that he deserves much of appreciation and gratitude.
Mustafa Osman
J. Geo-scientist
Petroleum Directorate
Ministry Of Energy and Minerals
Tell: 063 4072179 – 065 9747024
