Ihusaan rebuts mayor’s ‘drama’ claim, says Addu projects will be completed this term

Home Minister Ali Ihusaan has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Addu Mayor Ali Nizar’s remarks characterizing President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to Addu last November as a political performance. Ihusaan’s response came after Nizar criticized a newspaper report quoting Ihusaan as saying the Addu City Council had obstructed government efforts over the past two years.

President Muizzu laid foundation stones for 14 development projects across Addu during his November visit. Ihusaan clarified that he was not in the Maldives at the time and therefore did not witness the visit, but rejected the mayor’s framing of it as “drama.”

“If the mayor calls the launch of public service projects a drama, it will be clear to the people how interested he is in completing them,” Ihusaan said. He affirmed that all 14 projects will be completed and inaugurated during the current term.

Ihusaan also raised concerns about the stalled construction of a police station in Maradhoo:

• Challenge to council: He asked whether the Addu City Council had formally allocated and registered land for the police station and handed it over to the police. If not, he urged the mayor to “stop talking nonsense” and enable the project to proceed.
• Conditional apology: Ihusaan stated that if the land had indeed been allocated and handed over, he would apologize to the mayor, council, and public for the misunderstanding.

In closing, Ihusaan emphasized the importance of reading full reports rather than reacting to headlines, suggesting that selective interpretation fuels unnecessary drama and distracts from public service delivery.