President Said Abdullahi Deni of Puntland State rejected the Petroleum Law, which President Mohamed Farmaajo of the Federal Government of Somalia recently enacted.
According to President Deni, the new law is “unconstitutional.” He further clarified that the country must discard the law for the sake of national unity.
Additionally, President Deni stated that FGS never consulted him or any of the other leaders of Federal Member States (FMS).
On Monday, the Upper House (Senate) passed the petroleum bill unanimously thus paving the way for the exploration of both oil and gas in the country.
Last year, the Lower House approved the bill too. While approving it, the Lower House said, “The bill marks the start of a new dawn for Somalia.”
President Farmaajo’s administration and politicians in Mogadishu believe that the Petroleum Law offers Somalis a chance to revamp the economy.
Somalia has failed to invest in the exploration of its natural resources because of decades of inter-clan conflicts and the recent emergence of the Al-Shabaab threat.
When he criticized the new law on Thursday, President Deni set the pace for the remaining leaders of regional governments to follow suit.