Setanaw News
Saturday September 15, 2018
Although some say it was too late, the government of Dr. Abiye should be commended for decisive action it has taken against criminals who have wreaked havoc in Jijiga. Many are happy to see Abdi Iley and his murderous gang behind bars for the crimes they have committed against the law abiding citizens of the country.
In order to maintain his power and keep terrorizing people, Abdi ordered the murder of innocent citizens. He unleashed his Liyu police and unemployed youth to rape defenseless women. Churches were burned to the ground.
People who worked hard their entire life lost everything overnight. Taking down Abdi and his gangs was the right thing to do. He was a puppet of TPLF gangs who used him to enrich themselves by engaging in illegal contraband , drug dealings, and money laundering.
After displacing millions of people, Abdi realized through a hard way that there isn’t business as usuals anymore and the new sheriff in town is unlike he has seen before. I hope Abdi and his gangs face justices to its fullest extent.
People in Awassa expect the prime minister to take similar action he has taken in Jijiga against criminals who caused mayhem in Awassa during the 2018 Fiche Chembalala holiday.
In a manner that had completely contradicted to peaceful and brotherly spirit of the holiday, organizers of the crime killed, displaced, and robbed thousands of citizens.
People were burned alive. So far, we haven’t seen a tough action taken against the organizers and perpetrators of the despicable crime. What guarantee do the citizens of the city have if similar crimes will not be committed in the future?
Awassa has been and will remain to be the capital of every Ethiopian! It was established by all ethnic groups which lived side by side without any problem for more than half a century ago until TPLF invaded the country and spread its wicked ideology that disturbed the peace of the city. The TPLF goons created division and suspicion among different groups that lived together for many years. Once dubbed as the “ small Ethiopia” has now become a city of hatred, suspicion, corruption, manipulation, nepotism, and other vices.
Awassa has become a place where a few irresponsible government ‘officials’ do anything they want. For example, they deliberately turn off electricity in some part of the city when ever they please, while leaving power always on in area where people of a single ethnic group lives.
No one dares to ask the authorities to stop such a deliberate and deplorable apartheid like action because the people in different government organizations are related to one another based on kinship and protect each other.
For manny years, they have been left to do what ever they want and get away with it without being accountable for their action.
For the last twenty five years, a single ethnic group has been allowed to dominate politically and empowered economically in a region where 52 ethnic groups claimed to be represented. People who barely read and write have been given key government positions.
Forged degrees and diplomas are made available to select members of a single ethnic group so that they can easily get hired and advance to key government positions unchallenged.
Those who compete for open positions, do well in exams, and are from other ethnic groups are given various excuses from getting hired. As a result, many are either on the street or about to go to the street.
Higher learning institutions, colleges and universities, which are supposed to be sources of educated man power are not only victims of forged degrees and diplomas , they are at the forefront of this deplorable and scandalous activity.
They hire and promote incompetent instructors and administrators who produce bogus degrees and diplomas. It is open secret that students who dare ask questions to their quack instructors in class end up receiving a grade of ‘ F. ‘ As part of the new reform, I hope that the government will take swift actions against those ‘Degree’ and ‘Diploma’ holders and expose them to the public. I believe that thousands ‘educated’ instructors, administrators, chairmen, inspectors, and others are behind the mayhem in Awassa and resisting change because their network will be dismantled and they will cease to benefit illegally from the tax payers money . Unless the government deals with the quacks who are entrenched in the city’s bureaucracy decisively, they will never stop to be a menace to the government and citizens.
Economically, a single ethnic group has been allowed to benefit at the expense of other groups. Land, government contracts, and even low income housing have been made available to a single group of people because those who are running the government are from the same ethnic group. The offices government officials are always open to those who are from the same ethnic groups while others are forced to pay bribes and kickbacks to get things done. It isn’t difficult to see the disparity in the living standard among population of the city if one spends a couple of hours touring the city and visits some local hotels and restaurants.
Why is that a bunch of illiterates with a forged college degrees and diplomas are allowed to run the city and use government budgets for their personal benefits? Why is that in a city as divers as Awassa, a single ethnic group is allowed to dominate the bureaucracy, police force, higher institutions, law enforcement agencies, and others? I believe that a multi ethnic leadership and police force would have thwarted the attacks against ethnic Wolita during the past Fiche Chambalala Holidy. It is an open secret that the city police in coordination with the city leadership was encouraging the attacks on ethnic Wolitas and did nothing to contain the carnage. Those same members of the police force are still running the show.
As recently as a few days ago, the same incompetent people were raiding people from other ethnic origin for selling small staff in some corners of the streets. Wolitas know no borders and have always been hard working people. Many are still vey angry and disappointed by the actions of the criminal gangs and by the lack of tough action from the government.
The people of Awassa are waiting justices to be served and to get assurance from the government similar crimes will never be committed against the citizens of the city. People are eagerly waiting Dr. Abiye to take similar action he has taken in Jijiga.