The phrase ‘Corridor Development Project’ has been introduced to the Ethiopian public vocabulary to refer to what has been happening in Addis Ababa since some six months ago to redevelop certain old and congested neighborhoods by giving it a new façade and appearance. The city authorities have said that the inhabitants of those neighborhoods involved in the redevelopment schemes were given prior notice, explanation and enough time to welcome and adapt to the change. This was done through extensive public discussions with the authorities of the city council. Detailed information was given to them regarding the plans and projects of how their neighborhoods were to be changed. In the beginning, people were not well informed of what sort of ideas the municipality had in mind and what outcomes both in the short term and the long terms would follow.
Rumours were spreading like wide file that the city council was engaged in a mission of demolishing the houses of the poor to give them to the wealthy or so-called investors and that the poor residents would be evicted from their houses and be pushed away and that this campaign was targeting only the poorest of the poor. These words were creating anxiety among the Addis residents of poor old neighborhood’s, at first around the Piassa area. People were linking it with the inauguration of the Adwa Victory Memorial and that the entire quarter was meant to be of the same standard.
The notorious old and dilapidated neighborhoods around the centre of the city very near to the City Council Main office were all demolished to the astonishment of those who had little information about the new development. Many people were heard protesting and regretting that all their memories of their old neighborhoods were wiped out in no time and that was something that they could not digest easily because of their natural attachment to the centre of the city. Slowly similar initiatives were seen being taken in other neighborhoods, especially on the main roads of the centre of Addis and the project labelled ‘the Corridor Development Project became very familiar to residents.’
Extended explanations, justifications and updates were given by the government authorities including the premier and the mayor of Addis Ababa using all media outlets and several of them were finished in a few months as pledged and inaugurated by the premier and other top municipal officials. For instance, the redeveloped areas from Mexico Square to Sar Bet and the one around Arat Kilo and the British Embassy were inaugurated with their wide lanes, pedestrians’ sidewalks, cycling paths, fountains and green areas well decorated with an array of lights shining during evening hours.
Naturally, the first issue that was raised by those affected by the project was knowing where they would be placed and how would they be able to conduct their life. They said due to the implementation of the project they could lose their livelihood which relied on what they would do in the same neighborhood engaging in some form of trade in small holdings or even doing some daily labour. Moving away from that locality would suddenly make them unemployed. The authorities said that they have had several discussions with the inhabitants of these quarters and that adequate compensations were prepared in line with what sort of property these people had and what sort of activities they would be engaged in in their new quarters.
During the past several months this project has been expanding and the phrase Corridor Development joined the common conversation of people wherever there was some sort of demolition in the city, it was promptly labelled ‘that is Corridor Development’. As things were expanding and several neighborhoods besides areas around Piassa and Arat Kilo were demolished and wide open places were being seen in all those areas, people began to wonder about the extent of the renovation of the city along such lines as it was unprecedented. Many kept wondering why now and why with this speed and intensity. Many were those who began to openly oppose the scheme especially those who had families and friends directly affected by the project. Many even resorted to the media to air their complaints despite the authorities’ continued explanation of the nature of these activities.
In the meantime, the speed with which the redevelopment plan was being realized was astonishing because there were round-the-clock activities uninterruptedly and there was a huge workforce employed in the tens of thousands including daily labourers, truck drivers, construction huge machinery operators such as excavators, dozers and loaders etc. It looked like a sort of revolution underway and residents were stunned by the fervent activities involving so many actors.
During the recent session of the House of Peoples Representatives where the prime minister was present, it was inevitable that the issue of the Corridor Development was raised by the MPs for more clarification and explanation. The premier tried to give a detailed and impassioned explanation on the question going to great depth and detail about the rationale of the project and why it was destined to expand to other areas besides Addis Ababa.
The premier noted that possibly every urban area in the country would need revisiting and renovating to suit the current standard of the country because changing the lives of residents for the better could be achieved only by building better cities with the necessary amenities for residents. He added this project would also need to further expand even to the countryside and rural areas where the lives of citizens should be changed to a higher level. He said this was an activity long overdue because a country such as Ethiopia with a long history of independent existence should have attained better living conditions anywhere with hard work and relevant planning.
The premier told parliament that he regretted that past regimes or governments never thought about it or did not feel that it was necessary. Or maybe they did not figure out where to find the means to do that in a country where people are very much attached to their usual life. People are naturally resistant to change from their accustomed surroundings and would hardly be ready for any sort of redevelopment of their neighbourhoods or try to change their way of life uprooting them away from their ‘comfort zone’. People who have lived for decades in certain neighbourhoods without any change would only be suspicious and not willing to change if the government came and told them to do so.
The premier explained why this was a necessary operation because with urban areas continuously expanding with new houses and residents, it would be impossible to introduce the necessary services that would match the numbers. Most of the houses and neighbourhoods under the target of the municipality were too old and too congested with little running water, scant sewerage system and other sanitation facilities. The houses were so old that some were even about to fall apart unless serious maintenance or repair was done to them. And yet they are very near the principal centres of the city!
The project the premier said was well studied prepared and planned and all those to be affected were consulted and informed ahead of time. He said reparations and compensations were designed and to the extent possible all of the inhabitants were handed replacement homes around the same neighbourhood where they were living, if not, a bit outside the centre but with adequate sanitation facilities and space.
The premier said this project had several outcomes that are very useful for the entire population. It is a radical change of life because people need to live decent lives in clean houses and neighbourhoods and the city needs to have large free spaces so that residents can breathe fresh air using the large walkways with green areas, parks where people can pass their leisure enjoying the view of the fountains and the green vegetation. Addis does not have parks in every neighbourhood as is usual in many developed countries because no one ever thought about it. Instead, every open space between buildings has been sold to so-called investors so that they can build more houses of various types congesting the quarters and leaving no green space or court. Residents were practical without open spaces, and open-air areas and their kids could not even have space where to play.
With the Corridor Development Project, the premier said tens of small stadiums and green areas with fountains were built to provide children with playgrounds where they can play and grow in good health. Since this project came to light we have seen several large open spaces created by the roadside demolitions of certain makeshift shops and other business activities and they made way for sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists besides spaces for people with disabilities. Now there are wide avenues decorated with ample green sidewalks and benches where people could take some rest along the way or even sit with friends and engage in some sort of conversation.
At the same time all along all these wide streets clean and new toilet facilities have been built and that has contributed to discouraging any one from satisfying their physiological needs along the roads in open indifference to those who may be around them including in certain cases very near bars and cafes where people drink or eat. The premier said such bad habits need to be eliminated and to do that we need to provide people with proper sanitation facilities. He said this project aims to change the attitude and mentality of people in this sense. We deserve to have clean cities and that is part of a scheme to keep people healthy and away from transmissible diseases the premier underlined.
People need to keep their neighborhoods clean and healthy so that they can grow their children properly. Schools should help grow environmentally aware children while growing recognizing the importance of keeping their surroundings clean and tidy. They should be very sensitive to conserving the natural environment. People should be aware that the issue of climate change is real and very dangerous unless every one of us does what is expected of us such as planting trees and avoiding polluting neighborhoods, and roads with all sorts of waste and dirt dumped in the ditches.
The narrative that this Corridor Development Project is an attack on the poor or an attempt to evict the poor from the city to the distant outskirts is unfounded according to the premier. Development, growth and prosperity begin by building better urban areas because the economy grows and changes beginning in the big cities and centres. The lives of citizens must begin to improve in urban areas and then expand to more rural areas as well. Everyone has the right to a decent life in a growing economy. The premier said the government is bent on changing the lives of its citizens through hard work and that begins with changing life in the urban areas. It may take some time he said but the expansion of such projects to cities outside Addis such as Gondar, Harar, Jimma, Bahir Dar and other areas is already in the process and this is the beginning of a huge scheme that needs to eventually cover the entire nation.
The premier admitted that there could be some mistakes that may be committed during the implementation of this project as in any human activity it may be impossible to be perfect and without hiccups but the best part of it is that there is a mechanism of accommodating complaints and grievances that relate to relocation and/or compensation for the losses as well as the time that such activity may take. Errors need to be rectified and shortcomings should be immediately addressed and people should not be stranded anywhere. That is why before implementing such a project adequate research should always be carried out on the number and status of the inhabitants, and the kind of livelihood they conduct so that all these issues are addressed in time and adequately. Residents must be convinced to be willing and happy to be part of this very ambitious project that is aimed at changing their lives and millions of others.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2024
