BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
Everything has a beginning and a beginner. The beginner is the cause for a thing to roll in the right or wrong direction. The right direction gains acceptance without question.
It is the desire of all that nothing should become a problem for anyone when it happens. All things are for the benefit of those on their side; they progress toward their intended destination of enriching themselves without encountering any opposition.
The erring parties, taking the advantage of the situation, cleverly manipulate it by imposing their influence through the unjust method. This is where they feel that something is not right; it is not well; and thus, the outcome of the wrongly directed activities may not be the kind that satisfies their desire. If there is no one to be accountable for, to whom, then, should one turn to iron out the problem that could end up in a tragic consequence?
When the wrong path is pursued, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer; who is responsible for such economic disparity? A modest two-bedroom home is rented for an excessive amount of money. Food and drink in all the cities cost more than a hundred percent than it used to be some time ago. Who should be held responsible for such a heinous crime to the citizens?
The victims of the circumstance are alarmingly increasing and the solutions are so far away and totally out of reach; the way to deal with it is extremely difficult. The magnitude of the awkwardness of the situation is blown out of proportion that the enfranchising hope does not seem to appear on the distant horizon. It is completely out of reach and out of touch of human endeavor.
The social aspect of the issue is quite intriguing and difficult to figure out. How is it possible for generals and civil servants grow rich with meager monthly salaries? Why should anyone grease the palm of a receptionist or any public servant to get service while penniless others remain standing in the queue in vain?
Why again should they bribe a doctor, or whoever is responsible, to be admitted to the hospital? Overcharging is equivalent to robbing. Schemes are periodically designed to wheedle or rather to forcefully snatch somebody’s money.
This is a tactful method or coax to get what one wants. In this particular circumstance, the individual who seeks medical assistance and anything else, for the sake of his health and other benefits, deliberately exposes himself to the economic slaughter inflicted upon him by someone who cast away his professional ethics for pecuniary gain. Where does the solution to such a devastating problem lie?
Unless any problem of this sort is averted while it is still possible, it becomes very damaging to every objective designed to achieve. Recklessly dealing with vital issues, particularly in Africa, bitterly affects the country’s economy.
A great African nation, with rich natural resources was able to earn enormous annual revenue and the citizens enjoyed a relative economic advantage. But that county’s revenue plunged from $26 billion in 1980 to $10 billion in 1983. In the 1960s, before the world oil price went crazy, the same country was banking a modest $400 million a year from its petroleum production.
Then, almost overnight, the income soared to $9 billion a year. In this country, due to the excess flow of dollars, several projects were designed and budget exorbitantly allocated. While in such a dream, the country awakened one morning with a spending hangover.
The party was over. Its commitment to ongoing projects was four times the funding available. Frugality became the order of the day. To cut it short, the government put most of its flashy development plans on ice and banned a low list of nonessential imports ranging from toothpicks to macaroni.
Where is the essence of tracking the trends of international financial transactions through exporting and importing? Who should be held responsible for such an economic crisis that the poor citizens suffer? Too ambitious plan, without taking into consideration the objective reality that determines the eventualities.
Should not this be a lesson enough to learn from? Mistakes committed by other people, even though they directly affect them, are lessons for the onlookers. Rather than repeating the same mistake, we should be vigilant or on the lookout for the danger of any kind.
Politics, in any era, is seen rocking the society by dismantling the social fabric and crumbles all the economic structures in an attempt to start all over again. In an effort to appear better than the previous while the only purpose is to consolidate power, all kinds of havocs take place in the name of democracy or the people.
That’s what was done by the tyrannical government for almost three decades. Where is the honesty in serving the purpose of establishing a better system for economic development to lift the citizens out of poverty? When a genuine leader exerts all his energy in trying to reverse the downward trend of the economic, political and social movement, why can’t people stand by him and his dreams which is the people’s dreams? They remain adamant to the call by the genuine transformer; they don’t seem to be patient until the democratic election is held.
Therefore, if thing falls apart due to our negligence, who is responsible for the harsh consequences at the end of the day? The absence of human sentiment in treating a fellow citizen is the harsh situation experienced by many nations around the world. In Africa itself, the news of human animosity is common.
As it has been done in some countries, some mortgaged their services and relinquished their land to the ethnic group who considered itself superior in exchange for protection.
Why should one feel superior to others? In principle, people are equal and have the right to be equally treated and partake of the leadership of the country they live in. Whatever happens in the country is the concern of all.
In some African countries at independence, situations were such that the oppressed were conditioned not to disagree with whatever is proposed by the superior party. In case of deviation from the norm of the
stronger party, a simple solution is to massacre, particularly those with education, a government job or money. Such a harsh measure is taken just to satisfy one’s ego? Unlike animals, humans are expected to be guided by the intellect.
Animals, on the other hand, act according to dictates of their behavior, no left and right glance but blindly advancing unimaginatively forward despite the consequences. What is this madness? Who is responsible for such bloodshed that can occur due to this? Couldn’t there be other options that assist to come up with redeeming solutions?
It is the desire of any person to live in his birthplace. Yet, the exploitation of the wealth by few people that are not willing to invest in the development of the area of their origin is a problem. In the case of Ethiopia, the trend of wealth accumulation until recent times has happened in the already developed parts of the country.
Job opportunities are in the major cities, yet not allowing the youth to participate in the philosophy, from each according to his ability and to each according to his deed. In this case, the demands of life force citizens to migrate to places where they are assured to access job opportunities for survival.
This, in turn, will make life extremely difficult for the people already there. Having arrived in the city of ‘hope’, they find the situation rather disheartening. Cities have their own limits to host the continually streaming guests. People ravaged by hunger and diseases because of unemployment become a formidable force and resort to anti-social activities.
Therefore, who can come to the rescue of the people? Was it not the greed of the few that denied the people to have a stake in the fair distribution of wealth of the country? While less than 20 percent of the population through various dishonest schemes own 80 percent of the wealth, more than 80 percent scramble over less than 20%.
Racketing, robbery, murder and total social unrest are rooted in the wrong means of embezzling the wealth of the country; impoverishing the majority. Faced with such national crises, who should be held responsible? Each of us should find the right answer to the relevant question in cooperating with the enlightened people the country should depend on.
The Ethiopian Herald February 3/2021
