The 2018 emerged African leader Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has gripped the continent’s imagination because of the heady pace of change his appointment has engineered in the horn. He has brought new development strategies, particularly for both Ethiopia and the horn, generally for Africa. Dr. Abiy has carved a path to a holistic development. It is the way in which political, social and economic development would be boosted.
The style of leadership with the vision of true democracy and unity to transform the nation is different from anything seen before in Ethiopia’s ruling party. His trust in broadening political landscape to enhance the participation of all responsible citizens and concerned international develo – pment partners is one of the great changes he is lauding. He has also called for the diaspora to be partaker in the transformation of the country instead of observing and criticizing it from abroad due to the former economic and political exclusion that initiated them to help the nation through the diaspora fund. This also changed Ethiopians abroad eye return as reforms kick in back home.
This has provided opportunity not only to the diaspora but also to the armed political groups. His firm stand on reconciliation and winning political authority through discussion but not by killing or jailing and torturing the people has brought all the armed politicians home giving lessons to African leaders who want die on power putting their people in poverty. Before the era of Dr. Abiy, rival politicians and un-favored journalists were either in exile or locked in Ethiopia’s jails, including Addis Ababa’s infamous Maekelawi prison, where many alleged abuses took place. He shut down Maekelawi prison, freed journalists and invited all political exiles to return and stake their claim to a free and fair election.
As well, the position he has on women participation in development and politics is a new landslide aspect in the history of the country. He proved this by making 50 percent of his federal cabinets’ women and guiding the state to bring women forward in higher political positions. In the same way, the measure his government is taking on corrupts and human right abusers are among the new development hopes the nation and the horn is experiencing.
The grand projects construction delay caused by corrupts is improved and leading the revitalization of the country. Likewise, the new development alliance he has made with the international countries is also one of the 2018 products. For example, the 1.4 billion USD ultra-modern mixeduse development projects that will include apartments, hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and playgrounds is of paramount to mention.
It is funded by the Dubai-based Eagles Hills Real Estate Company; it’s also expected to create 25,000 new jobs. Moreover, the Prime Minister’s recent note on the current rank 159 from 190 Ethiopia has in Ease of Doing Business is a very critical and ambitious point. He described the current investment environment as inefficient, bureaucratic and cumbersome.
He emphasized that areas of reforms to be spearheaded by the ‘Doing Business’ committee will prioritize introducing legal reforms to create conducive investment climate, delivery of expedited government services and enhancing access to credit. And the national initiative in its 2020 vision is aimed at lifting Ethiopia’s Ease of Doing Business Rankings to the top 100 category through these reforms believing that it is possible if everyone works hard and faithfully.
These would be done by the nation’s industrialization strategy through the expansions and functioning of the industrial parks to create a wide employment opportunity to the women and youth. Besides this, the horn stabilization and economic integration is among the most essential transactional hope brought by the lead of Dr. Abiy Ahmed. He preached peace, democracy and unity to bring together the Horn countries to benefit the people. Africans are exhausted by the wars for political authority but strive modern political, social and economic development. Therefore, if all Africans follow the development strategies of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, poverty would remain literature from fact in the continent.
Herald January 4/2019
BY DIRRIBA TESHOME
