Today Hiiraan Online published an article praising President Abdiaziz Hassan Laftagareen. An article poorly written praising the president’s achievement, work ethic and skills. This article written by Abdifatah M. Abdirahman is laughable and worrisome. One would ask, why does a president need such lavish admiration from his Chief of Staff? Who would write an article idolizing the president of the Southwest State? Would an independent, impartial news publish such an article? Let’s be honest, these are legitimate questions that any educated, independent thinker would have.
Let’s start with the publisher. Dear Hiiraan News, I have always been disappointed by your work and truly never cared about what you reported. Unfortunately, today this article was sent to me and wish I didn’t read it. Yes, I realize that it has become a common practice among our people to compromise their morals and that there aren’t many competent news reporters in the country. Furthermore, I am aware that Somalia lacks an independent news source; yet, this is the lowest I have ever seen. Let’s question our intelligence. How much did it cost to convince Hiiraan News to print this glorifying piece about President Abdiaziz Hassan Laftagareen? Some are better left untold.
Dear Abdifatah M. Abdirahman, it is appropriate that I list all of your titles. Aside from being President Abiaziz Hassan Laftagareen’s cousin and brother-in-law, he also serves as chief of staff for Southwest State.
What could motivate a man with so many titles to write such a vanishing piece about the president? I understand the job description of a Chief of Staff in a state government is very broad, and your duties could be modified when serving under anarcissistic leader. Oh, was this a big word for you? Please allow me to explain. Narcissism is a personality disorder that involves a pattern of self-centred, arrogant thinking and behaviour, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration.
A narcissistic leader is a leader who has grandiose belief systems and leadership styles and is generally motivated by their need for power and admiration rather than empathetic concern for the constituents and institutions they lead. Typical behaviours of narcissistic leaders, such as those exhibited by President Abiaziz Hassan Laftagareen, include:
1) People sing admiration songs while he nods his head and grins.
2) People line up to salute him every time he lands.
3) Host parties to commemorate him while there is famine.
4) Make guests take off shoes in his office while he wears them.
5) Visit IDPs camps in suites.
Before passing judgment, I try to see things from the other person’s perspective. Let’s imagine you wanted to highlight the president’s accomplishment, but your lack of knowledge and poor vocabulary in English put you in this situation. It is clear, given your English proficiency you didn’t write this article but we may say you gave instructions that consented to its publication.