Over the last four years and more recently since 1918, the peoples of Ethiopia are being forced to live in constant threat to their rightful life of peace. Vandalism and vigilante justice have been attempting to disrupt the historic social fabric that bonded. With no exaggeration, the peoples of Ethiopia are the most patient and respectful people even by global standards.
Having been subjected to the most inhuman form of repression and suppression, they suffered from a double jeopardy of poverty and lack of good governance. Even then, they have coexisted together by tolerating their differences and capitalizing on their historically cherished common values. Over the past several months, self styled “liberators” who claimed to stand for self determination and democracy were busy looting public banks and blocking road facilities in the western part of this country.
According to the reports from the federal police and the defense forces, thousands close to million IDPs are still attempting to return to their homes with the support from the government. They are being forced to pay exorbitant prices both in their livelihood and their very survival. Why should the people of Ethiopia pay the price for the incidents that they have not caused?
Politics and polemics come after the sovereign rights to exist are respected for the peoples of Ethiopia. While our armchair politicians and political parties are busy negotiating and reorganizing themselves, the peoples of Ethiopia are being subjected to the most unprecedented suffering from their own kith and kin.
There is a lot of talk and action on the political reforms that are necessary for this country but all this could bear fruit only when peaceful life is assured for these proud peoples. The peoples of Ethiopia have already become victims of the most shameless social media mendacious propaganda calling for war and national chaos. False pictures and fabricated statements are out there to depict Ethiopia as purgatory on earth. Statements calling for civil war are being posted by fifth columnists among the peoples who labor around the clock to see weaker and bleaker Ethiopia.
It is a common knowledge that the 90 political parties registered in this country are expected to compete for political power in this country where democracy is at its infancy. But there is no strategy that they can forward to the public on who they can help to bring about peace in Ethiopia. The same problems and atrocities for which the defunct regime of the Derge is blamed are haunting the country today. Respect for the peoples of Ethiopia starts by full respect to the government and its institutions organized to serve the public.
The Ministry of Education has expended billions of Birr to construct universities in which highly qualified youth are expected to train. Today however, most of these universities have becomes centers for ethnic based conflicts in gross violation of the national objectives of higher education in the country. The government is trying to resolve some of these top urgent problems in its own way but there are also urgent measures that are required to be taken to save the country from an impending catastrophe. First and foremost, a national campaign of disarmament must first be conducted in the major cities of the country including Addis Ababa.
This might imply temporary shut down for some two days with full cooperation of the citizens in these cities. The process should be extended into the out backs of the country covering the most conflict prone areas. The reform programs conducted or under process need to be monitored and evaluated through the coordination with the Council of Peoples Representatives and the Federal Audit.
This needs to be done against institutional and individual accountability required of public servants and the leadership in every sector of public service. The Ministry of Trade and Industry needs to prepare a national register to enforce a modern national taxation system across all economic sectors and conduct a special national program to ensure an inclusive system of taxation that can be monitored every quarter of the year.
A package of nationwide training needs to be also organized for the small and median sector of tax payers on basic book keeping and accounting. The government is trying to keep off inflation at least to a manageable level but the private sector should show full respect to the public by conducting foreign and local trade transactions at a reasonable rate and the chamber of commerce across the country should volunteer to encourage their members and even non members to stick to the basic standards. Respect for the peoples of Ethiopia is manifested through due respect for the senior members and elders of the country who are making nationwide mobilization for peace in the entire country.
This is enshrined in the traditional values and ethical standards that have prevailed in the country for thousands of years. The issue of respect for the peoples of Ethiopia surpasses any level of political discourse because the peoples of Ethiopia are sovereign. When we speak of Ethiopia we are referring to its people and respect for the motherland is undoubtedly a respect for its peoples. The youth in Ethiopia fought at all wars of aggression to safeguard the unity and territorial integrity of this country but regrettably enough some of the youth who have no respect for themselves have attempted to molester the elderly who should have been respected.
Honoring the peoples of Ethiopia also implies respecting the armed forces and the police forces in Ethiopia which are established to protect citizens and the properties of the peoples of Ethiopia. For them it is an honor to serve the country and all sectors of the society need to pay due respect for them and for the lofty goals for which they are laboring from dawn to dusk.
Teachers in the entire public and private schools need to be accorded the respect they deserve as instructors of the future generation of this country. Ethiopia is what it is today thanks to her teachers who rose the country’s youth with respect and discipline. Senior men and women of creative arts as the most important sector of the society need to be respected both as professionals and promoters of the multi-faceted material and spiritual culture of this country.
The prevalence of a social discipline across the population of the country, adherence to the cultures of respect and ethics among the nations, nationalities and peoples, keeping up to the ethical standards that are to be respected across the social stratum in the country is some of the most important measures to be taken to restore respect for the peoples of Ethiopia. All the peoples of Ethiopia and Ethiopians deserve more.
This is a country that has set a vivid example for the rest of Africa and stands out as one of the most ancient country with a strong level of statehood. Tampering with the respect and dignity of the peoples of Ethiopia is a crime that even surpasses standard levels of litigation and due process of law. Again the sovereignty should be respected and these proud people should not be used as bait for any disruptive political motive that could negatively affect their livelihood.
Herald January 17/2019
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
