In a statement posted on his official Twitter account, the envoy said the statue of President Farmajo would be erected on the roof of the VIP section of Stadium Mogadishu.

"He is the president of the republic. We are still building a statue over the VIP area – ” . Said Qasim Gaboow.

Qasim, a supporter of the Peace and Life group, the Ruling party slogan, did not elaborate on the timing and purpose of the project, but it is feared that the project could spark a political crisis, as the organisation’s funding is dedicated to Somalia’s development.

The NIS, which has implemented a number of projects in Somalia, manages most of the donations from Norway and some EU countries to Somalia.

Many citizens have reacted on social media on the move coming at a time there are forthcoming presidential elections, and termed the move as scheme to campaign for the current President Farmajo and his team to display him on the screen of Stadium Mogadishu, which regularly displays his big picture during matches.

Renovation of the airport was supported by NIS.

"A screenshot of the stadium in Mogadishu, which is used to monitor the time and results of the match, is sometimes displayed with a picture of Farmajo,” Abdullahi Ahmed tweeted, adding a picture of the incident.

President Farmajo has previously repaired monuments in Mogadishu that were destroyed during the civil war. If successful, he will become the first Somali president to build a monument and the first president in the world to build a monument using aid money.

Source: Mustaqbal Radio -