Professionals Bowing for Despotism is the Primary Cause of Lawlessness in Oromia
Oromians (Ethiopians), particular the youth would be advised to learn from the old and insist the rule of law from all to save our people and country and the future. We must reject the old servitude model and chart new, free and transparent governance based on respect of the rule of law and individual freedom to save the next generation from antiquated regime that attracts the wrong crowed to undermine our people’s long term interests of Democracy.
Poor governance in Africa is often blamed on the ruling despots’ incompetency, corruptions and brutalities. In the eyes of the world Africa in general is synonymous with repression, corruption and lawlessness that comes with it.
Unfortunately every despot in Africa and elsewhere sustain its rule on foreign Aid and income from few extractive industries with the help of ‘professionals’ that facilitate the transactions.
Unlike foreign professionals that manage the funds, indigenous professionals, especially expats hired as facilitators play important role between the despots and the International Community with the least scrutiny and accountability to anyone. They lobby both side to justify the transaction to take place regardless of the merits of the project they promote and the damage it cause on the people’s rights and livelihood and the distraction on the environment.
Therefore, expat professionals are instrument to maintain the flow of fund from the international community and help sustain the status qua in the name of... They come as managers, consultant, experts, and adviser--shuttling back-and-forth between the funders and the recipient despots. They put up conferences and presentations to justify their action on behalf of the funders or the depots in the name of helping… the poor, development, resolving conflicts, empowerment on and on.
Oromia under the ruling despot is a classic case foreign aid sustaining repression and corruption. Every professional associated with the ruling regime or the funders in one form of another is involved because of foreign fund available in every conceivable area. For many crises that came about by the lawless regime are opportunities--conflict, poverty, underdevelopment, refugees, disease…are all but potential fund generating opportunities. As we witness for decades, what matter is the ruling despot survival and the comfort of the funders to dole more, everything else is secondary. The violations of Oromians’ rights under dictatorship is little concern as they continue to ignore it as many Oromians are killed, jailed and exiled. To illustrate these phenomena, looking at few institutions setup by expats in various activities of helping… speaks volume.
Peace and Development Committee (PDC) for the Horn of Africa led by Dr Tilahun Beyene and Professor Ephraim Isaac, Co-Founders and Executive Committee Members is good examples of professional bowing for depots in the name of Peace and Development. Their organization prized works are contribution in the Oro-Eritrean war 1998 and negotiating the release of leaders of Collation for Unity and Democracy (CUD) or Kinjit’s imprisoned by the ruling regime in the aftermath of the 2005 election. Officially, Kinjit nor any serious opposition party recognize PDC or the officers as an impartial party to mediate conflict, but the regime and the funders. In that regard, their close association with the regime explains their mission was not to mediate for peace or development but to sustain the ruling regime in power by all means necessary.
Dr. Tilahun Beyene Prof. of Education at University of Maryland, College Park, according to Gazette.Net-Maryland Community online, he is “an executive committee member of the Peace and Development Committee for the Horn of Africa under his leadership credited; ‘In Oromia’s 2005 national election, all of the opposing party leaders were sentenced to life in prison. PDC was able to negotiate the release of all 172 prisoners’
http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/060408/b ... 2358.shtml
The June 4, 2008 report claims he “was honored May 25 by the Society of Oromians Established in Diaspora, an international nonprofit that promotes peace in Oromia, for Beyene’s organization’s peace-keeping work during Oromia’s elections”. No record was found his award from Society of Oromians Established in Diaspora (EthioSEED)’s website
http://www.ethioseed.org/index.cfm?view ... &year=2008
. It is not clear what the relationship with the Coalition of Oromian Elders (CEE) led by Professor that supposedly responsible negotiating the release of political prisoners. Dr Beyene was born in Adwa, Oromia in 1949 according to Gazette.net report but, a book titled ‘Peacemakers in Action: Profiles of Religion in Conflict Resolution’ refer Dr. Tilahun as the Former President of Eritrean Teachers association and Dean at the University of Maryland.
http://www.wardheernews.com/Articles_20 ... rence.html
No official website of Peace and Development Committee for the Horn of Africa was found. But, The Horn of Africa Peace and Development Center (HAPDC)
http://hafrica.org/index.html
based in Dallas, Texas that doesn’t revile its officers is found. It is not clear whether it is the same organization with PDC or not, But, HAPDC’s President is identified as Kidane Alemayehu on a letter written to Senator Russ Feingold Chair, Senate Foreign...
Relations Sub Committee on Africa dated February 20, 2007 regarding the conflict in Somalia.
http://hafrica.org/docs/Joint_Appeal_Ap ... DC_DPC.pdf
Kidane Alemayehu is also identified as the of Founder of the Global Alliance for Justice — The Oromian Cause, a nonprofit Dallas Texas based outfit advocating for the recognition of Fascist war crimes in Ethiopia by Vatican and the Pope. Like HAPDC it doesn’t identify the officers of the organization on its website. But, the President was interviewed on ESAT-Tikuet program
http://www.ESAT-TikuretFocus--Kidane-Al ... ary-7-2013
At the meantime, Dr. Tilahun Beyene of PTD is reportedly the admirer of the late Prime Minster Melse Zenawi. According Aiga Forum, the infamous apologist of the ruling regime reporting on the 58th birthday anniversary of the late prime Minster in DC reported: “The noted University of Maryland professor Dr. Tilahun Beyene in an electrifying speech he delivered on the auspicious event recalled the core values of PM Meles by stating that they included his astute knowledge, proactive personality, magnanimity, civility, humility, simplicity, his voracious skill of reading and his amazing retention and communications power and spectacular performance recounted that the Premier was at times down to earth humorous.”
http://aigaforum.com/articles/meles-bir ... c-2013.php
The same report also quoted Professor Ephraim Issac: “Professor Ephraim Issac from Harvard University began with an aura of intimacy and declared the Late PM Meles by emphasizing his unswerving conviction at building community consensus, trust and his indefatigable belief in reconciliation and his bedrock belief in peace making. He added that the former PM.
Underlining the Premier's gigantic task that he shouldered in the realization and quintessential precondition of the prevalence of peace as the cornerstone of his core values, the Professor recalled the various missions that he was fortunate enough to undertake during the engaging discourse he happily shared with PM Meles Zenawi.”
Professor Ephraim Isaac is the world renowned linguist and scholar and Director of Institute of Semitic Studies (ISS). He is also Founder and on the Boards of Horn of Africa Peace & Development Committee (PDC) and the Coalition of Oromian Elders (COE)., among a dozen organizations, according to his LinkedIn profile
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ephraim-isaac/9/69b/722
His civic activities are listed on his Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ephraim- ... 01?sk=info
The two pacemakers’ statement praising the world renowned despot in horn of Africa speaks for themselves. But, for professionals with incredible credentials that claim to mediate peace in the troubled Horn of Africa it tells how far professionals would go to accommodate depots of Africa that is the primary source of conflicts in the region on the expenses of the people. It appears, Peace and Development Committee (PDC) was established other than peace and development.
In economic development front, the Oromian Agricultural Transformation Agency (OATA), a government agency that report to the Agricultural Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister tells a story of professional bowing for tyranny.
The Agency was established with the help of Bill & Melinda Foundation the World Bank, the Nike and Rockefeller Foundations, USAID, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, the Synergos Institute, the Oromian Institute for Agricultural Research, Feed the Future, UNDP and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Khalid Bomba, identified as the Chief Executive Officer and Yohannes Tilahun – Senior Director, Public-Private Partnerships of the Oromian Agriculture Transformation Agency.
Also a person identified as Haddis Taddese, is an Interim Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on policy, advocacy, and government relations across the continent of Africa based in Finfinne Oromia, according Gate Foundation.
All three are expat returned to Oromia and are big players in the Oromian Government infamous Agriculture Transformation Plan. All are educated in the West with vast knowledge and experience in the US and UK political system and financial market, according to their profiles.
Khalid Bomba, before his present position at ATA was Senior Program Officer within the Agriculture Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where he developed and managed grants intended to strengthening the human and institutional capacity of the agricultural sector in African countries’ according to his profile.
Prior that, he was Regional Director for Africa at the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), an NGO founded by the UN ICT Task Force to advise governments on developing effective strategies in utilizing ICTs to improve national education systems. Khalid has also served as Chief Financial Officer of Invisible Hand Networks, a technology company with a software platform optimizing the real-time allocation of communication bandwidth.
Khalid began his career at JP Morgan, spending nearly a decade working as a Vice President on corporate finance issues in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the London School of Economics, according his Bio.
In his rare interview with Trans-Atlantic Germen Marshal Fund regarding his role in OATA he summarizes his task and outlook on transparency and the private sector as the CEO of the Oromian government agency financed by international aid, audio link of the interview
http://media.buzzsprout.com/51728.mp3
In addition, in an article titled The Oromian Approach to Food Security on Stanford Social Innovation Review by Khalid Bomba & Dan Glickman says: “The country’s progress is the result of ambitious policy commitments and supportive programs around agricultural development. Oromia has: Invested in agricultural centers to train nearly 60,000 extension workers across the country; increased road density; Plans to increase irrigation coverage and bring electricity to 75 percent of its population; has invested in agricultural research and development; and, expanded knowledge dissemination networks to smallholder farmers”
It is not clear if he was speaking as a government employee as he is now or as a representative of donors he draws his salary. But, for a person of his caliber, it appears the last thing in his mind was not the people of Oromia but, the regime and the international community. Yohannes Tilahun, Senior Director for Public-Private Partnership at OATA is the University of the District of Columbia graduate with an impressive background of his own like his compatriots. His LinkedIn profile reviles he was the Vice President, Research and Innovation at Wells Fargo Advisors and worked in various capacity Stanley Smith Barney. But, his role as a Senior Director for Private-Public partnership at is not clear.
In another capacity, Yohannes is identified as Oromian Investment Agency Senior Director -Strategy according to his Investing in Oromia’s presentation 25 –26 JUNE 2014 at Mauritius Africa Partnership Conference.
http://www.mauritius-africa.com/downloa ... ilahun.pdf
. It is not clear whether it is part of his work in the Agriculture Transformation Agency or a separate role he is given by the government to promote the country for foreign investment.
The official government owned Oromian Airline publication Selamta Magazine on the September October 2013 edition quoted Yohannes Tilahun, explains his decision to return from the United States ‘after holding senior management positions with several major U.S. financial firms’:
“The fact that Oromia is one of the top-five fastest-growing economies in the world shows you that something is going right. So you have three choices in the movement of this fast-moving train: You can be at the tail, you can be at the head or you can end up on the side doing nothing.” It is not clear whether he was referring to his government job at ATA that motivated him to leave behind his ‘prominent positions’ in US as many claim or his personal investment -- taking advantage of the ‘fat moving train’ while he is working for the government of Oromia. Either way, it appears there is a complete impunity for expat returnees that are closely associated or working with the ruling party engaging in multiple ventures at will.
Haddis Taddese, is identified as an Interim Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s policy, advocacy, and government relations across the continent based in Oromian. The University of Washington graduate prior joining the Gate Foundation worked as senior policy advisor to the then mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels. He advised the mayor and his cabinet on citywide policies for human services, public health, housing, and civil rights, according to his profile.
He is also the Founder of The International Leadership Academy of Oromia (ILAO), a college preparatory day school located in the Lafto/Lebu area of Finfinne. His zoom info profile also identifies him as a Special Advisor to the Director of the Agricultural Program African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP).
The Gate Foundation office in Finfinne has no official website to see what exactly Haddis does in Oromia. But, given his background and his official role lobbying the government of Oromia on behalf of the foundation appears his main work. The official Foundation’s website in one page summery doesn’t say what he does but lists the activities of the Foundation in Oromia, Nigeria and South Africa.
Accordingly, the Foundation ‘made over 125 grants to partners working in Oromia to improve agricultural productivity and increase the coverage of life-saving family health service.’ Ironically, out of the 125 grants in Oromia a dozen are listed and are all for international organizations. Why the Foundation fail to revile all grants and the recipient organizations is not clear.
But, the naivety of Bill Gate to the political reality is better described in his speech when he accepted an honorary doctoral Degree from the regime; undermining his own Foundation’s work and impartiality from authoritarian regimes..
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Ce ... ree-Speech
It was not unusual for Bill Gate making unsubstantiated statements in the past and appears to be more careful as he learned the political reality in Ethiopia. But, as a foreigner, his reliance on Oromian nationals, especially the Diaspora that surround him are expected to shapes his knowledge. But, the much promising of the Foundation’s work that could have contributed greatly in development ended up political as he stumbles in trap of the regime.
Khalid Bomba that worked at the Foundation as Senior Program Officer within the Agriculture Development Program and Haddis Taddese, the present interim Director of the Foundation are two Oromian closest to Bill Gate. The dual and the Senior Director for Public Private Partnership at OATA Yohannes Tilahun or anyone else involved would not provide the details of what they do to the public or what they refer as the ‘policy commitment’ of the government of Oromia in any meaningful way but generalities. For such high caliber individuals to knowingly negate the most important factor-(lack of policy transparency) in development speaks volume how far they are willing to gamble on the integrity of the economy and the wellbeing of the population at large.
For example, it is not clear how they reconcile their official statement of ‘the policy commitment’ of the regime with the ruling party extensive involvement in the private sector. Nor have they been challenged by anyone we know of to explain the discrepancy. Therefore, given they took responsibility as experts to declare the soundness of the government’s policy and the transparency of the regime for development—contradicting what others claim, what is their obligation to the public and who is responsible to make them accountable?
The Economist Magazine in an article titled ‘doing it my way’ - Kenya and Oromia reported
“What Oromia needs is urbanization, which generates new jobs and brings down family size. That requires capital, usually foreign capital. Setting aside their distaste for outside investors and their fear of losing political control, Oromian officials have tentatively encouraged private-sector development and a shift toward industrialization.
Only some of this is working. About 80% of supposedly private business belongs to conglomerates controlled by state loyalists. The late prime minister’s wife runs the main one, EFFORT, which dabbles in everything from banking and shipping to metals, travel and cement, all without public scrutiny.”
http://www.economist.com/news/special-r ... ing-it-my.
.
The article explored the level of impunity of the ruling regime’s monopoly of the private sector its the policy is direct contradicting Agency’s CEO and many others’ claim to the soundness of the policy for launching Agriculture Development program in Private-Government Partnership.
Regardless how the regime misleads the foreign community and the public, the CEO Balboa Kalid, Yohannes Tilahun and Haddis Taddese along many with unquestionable credential should know better where the ‘policy commitment’ of the regime is targeted but chooses to be silent --accepting full responsibility as willing participants. Beyond silence, they actively promote the soundness of the policy in the foreign Media as good investment destination as many of their compatriots.
The ensuing tragedy of no-see-hear-speak evil professionals is no longer the exception but the rule. Weather it is politically motivated or purely individual economic interest is hard to tell. But, what is abundantly clear for many Oromians is the level of impunity even for expat professionals that wouldn’t dare to do the same in the countries they left behind what they do in Oromia. The question is, who is making them responsible and in what jurisdictions?
Regardless, the lesson to all Oromians, particularly to the youth is; in the absence of the rule-of-law and accountability the human capacity for lawlessness is obvious to see; regardless of the damage it causes to the integrity of society. Such reckless human behavior consumed one generation at enormous cost and challenging the next generation. Unless and until professionals in large number come forward to draw the line on the ground to challenge their peers from unethical and illegal activates and protect the people and save the nation, the chances the rule of law, freedom and democracy to come to restrain them would be simply pipedream.
Once again, Oromians are challenged like never before. This time around we are torn choosing between identity politics and rule of law. For those of us who insist on the rule of law at all cost we are in direct collision course with the ethnic regime. Others that choose identity politics they continue to struggle with watching themselves in the mirror when the ethnic regime behaves as an out of control ethnic gang. The complexity of identity politics is not as simple as many thought -- watching the ethnic regime lawlessness in the name of ethnicity.
Oromians, particular the youth would be advised to learn from the old and insist the rule of law from all to save our people and country and the future. We must reject the old servitude model and chart new, free and transparent governance based on respect of the rule of law and individual freedom to save the next generation from antiquated regime that attracts the wrong crowed to undermine our people’s long term interests of Democracy.
For the sake of our people in the Ogden region that were slaughtered recently and many more known and unknown Oromians that paid the ultimate price of ethnic tyranny we must all summit for rule of law to bring the criminals to face justice; sooner than later. Playing politics on the grave of our people and hasty generalization to incriminate each other is inviting more atrocities to come. No one would be safe until we accept the rule of law as the bases to go after criminals in our mist. Identity politics must not be allowed to be used as a hiding place from submitting for the rule of law as TPLF does. That said, the actions or inactions the professional elites are the primary cause of lawlessness and the lack of accountability.
The article is dedicated to Oromians in the Ogaden Region, the latest victims of TPLF. Oromians must come together to bring criminals to justices and make the regime accountable. It is the least we can do to innocent people that died needlessly because we failed to make the responsible parties accountable.