Sulaymaniyah education director resigns amid controversial land allocation​

SULAYMANIYAH — Dilshad Omer, the director of the Sulaymaniyah Education General Directorate, has resigned following the allocation of approximately 45 acres of land, originally designated to the Ministry of Education, to an investor for residential projects.

In a statement on Monday, Omer expressed his hope that his message “would reach all officials, employees, and teachers.”

On Sunday, August 18, Omer told 964media, “If the decision to allocate the land in the Bakrajo neighbourhood of Sulaymaniyah to the investor is not reversed, I will resign.”

Omer had first issued his resignation threat in early July, giving the relevant authorities until August 20 to respond. With no action taken, Omer followed through on his promise and officially stepped down from his position.

The Barez Group, the company that received the land, defended the allocation in a statement issued on July 21. “The property has been designated for the residential sector according to the master plan of Sulaymaniyah city. It has been allocated by the Sulaymaniyah Municipality Presidency to our company for the purpose of developing a residential project,” the statement read.

The company also asserted that “all legal procedures related to the allocation of the land have been completed, and the permit for its utilization has been obtained.” Furthermore, “The Council of Ministers approved the allocation of the land within the framework of the applicable laws and regulations, with the condition that the specified infrastructure on the designated land be developed,” the statement added.

Omer, however, disputed the legitimacy of the deal, telling 964media that “the land was granted to the investor in exchange for a sum of money, facilitated by the influence and support of certain powerful and high-ranking individuals.”

As of now, the Sulaymaniyah Municipality has neither issued any statements nor commented on the matter, including whether the land was officially granted to the company. When 964media contacted Sardasht Raffia, Sulaymaniyah Municipality spokesperson, he said that “he is not aware of the matter.”

In his final message, Omer said: “During my nine years of working with you as the director of schools and head of departments, I have greatly benefited from your suggestions and opinions, which have shown your love for the process of education and learning. Although we faced many challenges, we were ultimately optimistic about the future. You never missed an opportunity to enrich the educational process. I hope and wish that we shared the same aspirations, and I will never forget your support while I held this position.”

Omer had served as the Director of Sulaymaniyah Education since July 5, 2015.