Actually that
statement might not be true. We do know our country is being sold but we
have no idea if the bidding has been open or closed. We have sold
almost all of Gambella, we have leased half of Afar and Oromia has been
parceled out bit by bit. Our Beer factories are under new owners, our
gold mines belong to the fake Ethiopian sheik, Telephone is under the
Chinese and our Airlines is looking for a suitor. Have we always looked
for outsiders to own us?
Not really when you consider that we celebrated the victory at the
battle of Adwa a few weeks back and that was the mother of all wars that
made it clear this African country is not for sale. We might not have
contributed much to the industrial revolution but we did manage to rely
on our own ingenuity to follow along and do things our own way. You
might not believe this but there was a time when Ethiopians actually
used to be involved in making stuff from scratch. You think I am making
things up don’t you? I don’t blame you because today you cannot even
come up with one name that stands out as an Ethiopian entrepreneur, go
getter or someone that shines like the north star based solely on his
own sweat and blood.
The things that were accomplished by earlier Ethiopians are all
around us but we don’t see them. All the things the current government
brags about have their roots in the yester years they so much condemn
and brush off. I don’t know where to start but here we go. Let us start
with hospitals. Bella Haile Selassie (Bella), Leelt Tshay (armed
Forces), Paulos, Haile Selassie Hospital (Yekati 12), Balcha, Ghandi,
Tikur Anbessa, Ras Desta, Minilik etc. The vast majority of the doctors
were Ethiopians, the hospitals were clean, well equipped and you don’t
even have to take your own sheets and blankets.
How about Hotels? Ethiopia, Ghion, Wabi Shebele, Ras, Bekele Molla
were the premier destinations. They were owned and operated by
Ethiopians. When it comes to Ethiopian Airlines the Pilots were proud
Ethiopians and the technicians were the envy of Africa. The Imperial
government built the Airlines from scratch. Trans World Airlines (TWA)
was a partner until we were able to train and staff our own and we did manage to do that.
If we talk about agriculture we did manage to establish the Sugar
estates of Metehara and Wonji not to mention Setit Humera, the wheat and
corn fields of Arsi, the fiber plants of Sidama and the cotton fields
of Awash Valley are testimonial to our ingenuity. The sixties saw the
emergence of the new educated Ethiopians that raised the bar of
excellence.
The establishment of Africa Hall was how Africans showed respect to
our Emperor and our old history when they choose Addis Abeba as the head
quarter for the continent. The University at sadist Kilo was a gift
to his people by the Emperor and it was a spectacular success. All the
teachers were highly educated Ethiopians and the graduates were the
pride of our country.
Why am I discussing such subject today? It is because two items
reported by the media caught my eye a few days back. Both are an assault
on our sovereignty and our ability to grow our own economy by
Ethiopians for Ethiopians. Heineken a Dutch conglomerate is building the
biggest brewery in Ethiopia and Guangdong Chuan Hui Group from China is
given 41,000 Sq. meter of land to construct hotel and industrial
complex. The way the story is being reported we should be jumping with
joy. What could be better than those two benevolent multi nationals
investing so much in our poor destitute country?
Is that how we should look at it? Is there another aspect to this
story? In order to see the pros and con of the question posed In front
of us it would have been nice if there has been a nationwide discussion
to see if the plan makes sense when it comes to our homeland. That is
how smart decisions are made. Open and vibrant nationwide discussion
regarding such important issues that impact our national economy and our
people’s well-being assures a better outcome.
That usually is not the case in our country. There are no checks and
balances. There is no independent legislative body and the judiciary is a
government tool. A single party the TPLF controls all and everything in
the country. Our political leaders have no faith in the ability of the
people to know what is good for them. That is why they approach their
job as being a ‘baby sitter’ and are constantly fretting about what the
people hear and read. Decisions are made by a few TPLF politburo members
to be approved by the rubber stamp Parliament. Anyone that questions
such a decision is branded as enemy of the people and dealt with.
Let us start with our beer story. You know beer is nothing but
European Tella. It is bottled fancy and costs a little bit more. How
long ago do you think we acquired the idea of brewing for a larger
crowd? Eighty years ago my friend! St George brewery was started in
1922. Meta Abo Brewery was founded in 1963. Meta Abo was a partnership
between government and private capital and started with a base capital
of 2million Birr. The military junta nationalized both and the current
TPLF Woyane regime inherited them with the rest of Ethiopia. What do you
think these successive regimes did with our own old industry and land?
Did they build on what was started? Did they reinvest the profit to make
the enterprises bigger and better? Did they run our industries,
enterprises and farms in a responsible and judicious manner?
Both St. George and Meta Abo are no more Ethiopian enterprises. BGI
(an internationally acclaimed Brewing Company that operates in many
countries.??) bought St George in 1998 for US 10 million ‘through
foreign direct investment’(??) Meta Ambo was sold to Diego Industries-a
British congalmorate for US 225 million. Heineken a Dutch
multi-national acquired 18% of Bedele and Harar breweries for US 163
million in 2011. Raya Brewery an idea that has not materialized yet but
promoted by Lt. General Tsadkan W.Tensai and investors such as Yemane
(Jamaica) Kidane and other TPLF officials sold 25% interest to BGI for
650 million Br and invited Brewtech a German company as a partner.
As you can see the TPLF regime collected close to US 400 million from
the sale of our home grown breweries. By all imagination that is chump
change when you consider the ownership is lost and the profit for
eternity belongs to the foreigners. Is this a good way to grow a
national economy? Has it been done before or is this another of that
failed ‘revolutionary democracy’ pipe dream?
BGI, Diego or Heineken are investing in our country to realize profit
for their shareholders. What is our country getting out of this? The
beer manufacturing business is a highly automated enterprise so it is
not about job creation. Most if not all of the high paying managerial
jobs will be occupied by the parent company. The malt, barley and other
ingredients are imported and are considered a trade secret. We all know
about creative accounting thus I am sure our country does not even
benefit from the profit because the bookkeeping is rigged to minimize
taxes.
Let us not even think of technology transfer since we cannot learn
what we have already mastered. Remember we have been brewing beer since
1922. I will tell you what we got out of this unequal relationship. We
as a people got royally screwed. The TPLF party officials got paid
plenty for their pimping effort. The regime in its insatiable appetite
for foreign currency bought a few months of respite to purchase oil,
wheat, cooking oil etc. to postpone its inevitable collapse.
There are certain things we know how a growing economy with a
nationalist government operates. We have seen how China, India,
Malaysia, Brazil and other emerging economies handled their growth
potential. They use what is known as subsidy to protect their infant
industries from foreign predators. They allowed investment where
technology transfer will bring benefit to their people but shielded
their home grown industries from foreign competition.
Why do you think the TPLF bosses are interested in selling our
sovereignty? I doubt it is because they are anti-Ethiopian even though
the late evil PM used to suffer from inferiority complex when it comes
to central highlanders. I believe it is because of their ‘get rich
quick’ philosophy. They are in a hurry to accumulate before their Ponzi
scheme comes crashing down. According to the UN billions of dollars are
leaving our country. They are buying properties in the US and Europe,
sending their children to expensive schools abroad and vacationing in
exotic places with the money they steal from our country.
What are we the victims doing about this rape and pillage of our
resources and the degradation of our national pride? I am afraid other
than insistently talking there is nothing more most of us are doing
about it. Why do you think that is so? I could think of a few things but
ignorance comes to mind first and foremost. Our ignorance prevents us
from connecting the dots and looking at the bigger picture. Our
misplaced pride does not allow us to listen to others and learn to be
able to formulate better solutions to our problems.
Today we have a population that is not familiar with its history.
Sixty four percent (64%) of our people are under twenty five years old
while twenty nine percent (29%) are under the age of 54 years. We have a
toxic population on our hands. Those under twenty five grew up under
the Woyane regime where being an Ethiopian is taken as a liability.
While those under fifty four are the result of the Derge era of
undermining religion, family, and stability. Ninety three (93%) of our
population is a fertile ground for evil Woyane to plant shame, doubt and
insecurity about being Ethiopian.
It is this population that is sitting on the side and cheering the
selling of their country. For most people what bothers them is not what
is lost but they spend endless energy to get a piece of the action. In
Ethiopia stealing, lying, being part of a criminal enterprise is
encouraged by the regime. When the recently dead Meles Zenawi said ‘even
being a thief requires being smart’ he was giving a green light to his
cadres and the population at large. The so called Diaspora is the number
one enabler of the criminal Woyane machine. They use their new found
riches to bribe Woyane so they could acquire stolen land to build their
flimsy unsustainable condominiums and spend endless nights worrying if
the next highest bidder will in turn take it away in broad day light.
This is exactly the reason we are having a problem forming a united
front to get rid of this cancerous body in our midst. This is the reason
even in exile we are unable to form a democratic, inclusive and worthy
association that will benefit the many. The ninety three percent are in
need of education in civic affairs and a dose of what it means to love
your neighbor as you would love yourself.
May be it is the lords way of teaching us little humility and
humbleness as he did with the children of Israel when he left them to
wonder for forty years in the wilderness so they know what is in their
heart. It is a choice we have-to be humble or perish due to pride.
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