Abdullahi Mohamed Said is setting a new standard for his fellow officers in the police force, by registering for a degree course in community development at a Mogadishu university.
The father of six joined the police force seven years ago after completing his high school.
“The life of mankind is incomplete without proper education, and that is why I decided to enroll though I am a security officer, and I do sometimes skip class due to the sensitive work I am doing,” Abdullahi told Radio Ergo’s local reporter.
“A policeman without any education cannot serve the community well,” he said.
He called on other officers to sign up for educational courses.
Typically, the rank and file of Somalia’s police force and army are not known as being well educated.
Mohamed Jama Geddi, a soldier, joined the national army three years ago after dropping out of school.
He is currently enrolled to study Arabic and English languages at a local school in Mogadishu.
“I failed to continue my studies before because I was constantly being transferred. But now I have decided at least to study languages,” he said. “I have been sent on duty several times while trying to prepare for an exam, but you know one can’t defy military orders,” he added.
Abdullahi Gurey, a policeman, said he also aspired to study. “I love education, but time will not allow me,” he said. “But I hope to restart it when I get to a higher rank in the force.”
Veteran police officer Ahmed Abdullahi Adan cited numerous obstacles to learning in the forces. “Security officers on the frontline or at border points can’t think about education because they are attending to an important national issue,” he said. “When I joined the Somali police 40 years ago, I was illiterate, but I tried my best to get an education while on duty.”
