Somali’s Minister for Information and Communication, Suleiman Yusuf Koore, was once a security guard.
Koore says that he worked as a security guard at Radio Hargeisa in 1984. The radio station is the state broadcaster of Somaliland.
Its offices are within the complex where the ministry is housed.
As the minister, Koore now enjoys the distinction of being the highest-ranked person in the entire building.
The minister told BBC Somali Service that while working as a guard, he was never allowed into the building.
Furthermore, back then, he earned a paltry monthly salary of $12.
Today, all Somali ministers earn a monthly salary of $2,000 on top of allowances of up to $705.
Koore has served in politics since 1995. Since then, he has also served the country as a minister in different sectors.
He has worked as the information and communication minister since 2019.
While speaking to BBC Somali, Koore said, “I feel special to serve as a minister in the ministry which I worked for as a young man. This ministry means a lot to me.”