BY MENGESHA AMARE
A number of years have lapsed since the youth population in Tigray state shouted to overtake the state with fresh mind and get it well developed in all aspects. However, their voices have echoed to the cliff and sprayed at the field with no effect as the old-aged and drivers of obsolete thinking have so long posted themselves on the authority board.
The well glued mentality of the power monger individuals has vehemently departed from crown following the law enforcement operation carried out in the state recently. As a result, the youth started breathe a sigh of relief and expressed their commitment to participate in various sectors to rebuild Tigray-the northern star.
Taking the youth diligence to bring about change in all aspects via participating in a range of activities as much as they can, this writer approached scholars to have a say on this fact and witness their understanding.
Dr. Aregawi Berhe, Chairperson of Tigray Democratic Party (TDP) said though Tigray has been rich in fertile mind and well educated sons and daughters, it has long been a center of actors of political, economic and social conspiracy who have mastered in getting Ethiopia collapsed and sucking the bloods of all Tigraways in particular.
Dr. Aregawi Berhe, who is also at present a Director General of the Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), added that it is the right time to well consolidate the unity of the country as the people of Tigray is not in a position to table their being Ethiopians for discussion.
Tiraway mothers have forcefully made their numerous beloved children rugs of firearms. This much is enough. The youth have to come to the forefront and given ample opportunity to participate in various social, economic and political engagements.
TPLF has nothing to do with Tigray and Tigraways hereafter as they had spent almost 30 years digging strongholds instead of changing the state and getting new generation participants of all affairs of the state.
Surprisingly, they had thrown to jail those who spoke of rights and exposed the maladministration which was highly rampant across Tigray.
The youth are expected to refrain themselves from being emotionally driven, but think rationally in a bid to push their country steps forward as they will take over this great nation with its future, he said.
The youth in Tigray do now regret on the time spent so far as a lot of things that should have been done for the overall change of the state lagged behind.
Dr. Almaw Kiflie Kotebe Metropolitan University instructor shared all Dr. Aregawi’s concerns and said that the youth are segments of the society who can potentially drive the economic, social and political wheel of the nation in general and that of the regional state in particular well.
Hence, he added, it is time to capitalize on the youth and equip them with the required knowledge, skill and expertise with a view to helping them diligently run activities to contribute their share to the development and progress of the Tigray state.
“The youth in general have to be well aware of the hidden agendum of some anti-peace elements who would always like to add fuel to fire whenever minor conflicts arise and sieve the seed from the chaff.
The youth are not expected to be emotionally driven, but identify what is where, who is what based on reality and rational thinking,” he said.
There are activists who attempt to twist the youth, he said, towards the direction they would like to trek; this time the youth are expected to be reasonable instead of being driven with emotion.
According to Dr. Almaw, the youth have to come out of the hatred politics that is driven by extremists; rather we have to work hard to come up with the youth who believe in competition and appreciate governing ideas.
“If the youth become civic-minded, productive and patriots, it is easy to build a country as they could never be bent by those who have shouldered ill-intention and destructive missions,” he underscored.
He said, “We have to run politics free from ethnic affiliation, religious-oriented, hatred attitude and anti-peace sentiment. The politics should be all-encompassing and capable of paving bridges for democracy and development.
All politicians have to be take care of running obsolete political ideology, and we all have to shape our thinking as per the requirements of the modern world.”
As to him, looking for likes or tribal cliques whenever one wants to carry out certain activities is a primitive politics pronounces hostility, divergence and sense of jealousy. Rather it is quite vital to build the politics passing it through discussion, knowledge and expertise channel.
He further elucidated that setting up institutions for every decisive sectors and principal national organizations is timely. For instance, there is no Derge defense force, EPRDF defense force, Prosperity defence force.
It is Ethiopian national defense force. Institutions have to pass from generation to generation, not serving a single party of organized group.
Whenever parties or governments change, institutions could never be altered. This is development, this is democracy. Banks, police for instance do not belong to any party or government; they are Ethiopia’s and Ethiopians.
If the police and defense force are wagging tails to party leaders and government officials, no country exists, he underlined.
“There are promising start ups now as the courts, the defense force and election board are well reformed; we have to make these changes sustainable and replicate the best practices into other sector offices at regional and national levels to have a well inclusive and prosperous nation since establishing a neural and all-encompassing institution is the call of the day,” he underscored.
The previous TPLF-driven government was a bandit itself; officials always cheated citizens under the guise of democracy, fair and free election, multiparty system and nation building because they didn’t want to create accountable and impartial institutions.
They always enjoy forging money, faking political parties, fictitious ideology, superficial unity and democracy, Dr. Almaw stated.
A variety of undertakings are well underway with a view to rebuilding Tigray together with various opposition party representatives, most of them are young ones, who are being assigned at leadership positions in the regional cabinet and various high level positions at the regional administration.
According to Dr. Aregawi, the door is open now to all to contribute a lot to the development of the state in particular and the nation in general despite opposition parties have been devoid of rights to organize and even present their manifesto to the general public for over twenty eight years so far.
He also that it is the right time to well consolidate the unity of the country as the people of Tigray is not in a position to table their being Ethiopians for discussion.
He further state that the federal government has to continue supports and efforts exerted to well rebuild Tigray as it is part and parcel of this great nation.
As the destroyed infrastructure and other public facilities are well reconstructed, all the service delivery is believed to take the right within the shortest time possible.
Besides, civil servants in the state have resumed their work now and things are getting the right track. This helps the state bring about the desired change.
The junta cliques are also handing over their firearms and expressed commitment to ensure peace and stability in collaboration with the interim administration.
In sum, the task of rebuilding the Tigray state shouldn’t left only to either the federal government, the interim administering or other concerned bodies and development partners. Rather it requires the combined effort of all such as primarily the youth, investors, Diaspora members and the like.
Here, it is not important to overlook the youth can play in due course of rebuilding the state as they are change engines in all aspects. Thus, inviting atmosphere needs to be created for the youth in the state in particular and in the country in general if we are to bring about real change in all aspects. Yes, injecting new blood to the economic, social and political nerves and fleshes of a given country always helps bear fruits.
The Ethiopian Herald January 8/2021
