BY MENGESHA AMARE
“Farmers from Wellega, Harar, Wollo, Sidama or Tigray discuss how to use fertilizer, animal husbandry, crop production and other related issues revolving around life when meet somewhere, whereas, we, the so called scholars talk about race, place of origin and issues widened disparity,” an official from the Office of Prime Minister said once.
This expression portrays that scholars are contributing a lot to the effort geared towards collapsing Ethiopia. Paradoxically, illiterate scholars have built the nation, but educated illiterates have been working to get the nation cracked. What a curse! Ethiopia is suffering from lack of citizens of the day!
Many countries of the world are running activities in a well coordinated manner to make a difference in all aspects, and so is our country especially since some two and half years ago. However, the intended target could hardly been hit as some have understood the freedom and the gut the government exhibited to accommodate a wide array of ideas and political ideologies as weakness, and some acted beyond limit up to provoking people as they are other organized government officials.
It is better to talk about Ethiopia taking these important members of the nation into account, how can they contribute their share to the development and prosperity of this great nation-Ethiopia.
A number of years have lapsed since Ethiopia started reforming itself for the better. Following the overthrown of the Dergue regime, Ethiopians started breathing a sigh of relief as at least they were not forced to send their children to the war front, especially to the late EPRDF administration there were changes registered particularly with regard to infrastructure development taking the issue of democracy aside since we don’t know where those who had reflected the idea deviated from the ideology of Revolutionary democracy had been taken.
Even in that line there were differences as the attempt of having multiparty system was introduced despite the reality on the ground doesn’t reflect that fact. Here, one needs to be cited.
The parties crafted by the potter TPLF-led EPRDF were very welcomed to merge with others or well organized themselves, but when they developed crucial ideas giving priority to serve the public and the country, the hatched cadres of the ruling party purposely injected there started to get the consolidated one split.
Such a deliberately orchestrated conspiracy helped TPLF/EPRDF to puff ineffectual propaganda against contestant parties running activities in different parts of the nation stating that, ‘Let alone leading the country, they themselves could hardly continue working together. Hence, there is no other party in the country to help have it prosperity or any form of change you name it.’
There are still living proofs, in various sector offices of course, who have swallowed a morsel of hardship merely talking about the importance of ‘accommodating the idea of many instead of imposing the already tailored state of mind is timely and a sign of civility, and it helps to pass a sound decision.’
These and other self-centered ideological decay forced the nation to incur immeasurable cost as the system didn’t open leeway to entertain collective thought in the country to help it come up with meaningful difference in all aspects.
We have been well experiencing the outcomes of hatred politics, running hidden agendum under the guise of serving the public, undertaking plundering of national property and wealth under the shed legitimate procedure and getting the harmoniously leading life citizens of the country clashed citing minor differences and exhibiting devastating past legends, myth perhaps.
This writer is not in a position to criticize the past regimes and applaud the incumbent, but the secret behind the sluggish pace of this great nation for change always clicks in his mind.
Frankly speaking, this country hardly lacks citizens thinking out of the box, even some who are optimistic and working day are in and day out for the progress and prosperity of the country are most of the time overshadowed by many opportunists.
Unless this egotistical sentiment is done away with forever and everyone starts thinking that their individual contribution counts and adds value to the entire change and growth of the nation so the saying goes, “A million mile starts from a span,” it is hard to think of a poverty-free and independent nation.
Even at individual level, citizens of a given nation have to develop sense of unity and fraternity as moving in unison helps people successfully overcome a number of unbearable burdens.
Yes, we have to transform from the ‘I’ domain to the ‘WE’ setting if we are to develop coexistence, listen to one another, share all what we have at good and bad times, appreciate governing ideas instead of being stubborn and envy of others as well as to confidently speak about our country.
Generally, Ethiopians especially elites, educated ones, professions, political parties and activists have to revolutionize mental setup as the general public doesn’t have any rivalry at all as stated from the outset.
The Ethiopian Herald December 29/2020
