BY YOHANES JEMANEH
ADDIS ABABA – Since members of Ethiopian Diaspora and overseas friends of Ethiopia have keen interest on supporting the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of GERD announced it is working on soliciting funds needed for GERD.
The office noted that it would mobilize the public particularly the Diaspora community to keep on assisting the GERD by their own and activating international development partners to support it through advocating its significance to Ethiopia and downstream countries.
Office Director General Aregawi Berhe (Ph.D) told The Ethiopian Herald that Ethiopians who live abroad need to work together to strengthening international support by propagating the fact about the project.
He said that GERD is a multifaceted project which has something to do with diplomatic relations, national sovereignty, economic and social improvements and so on. And the public is actively engaging in various activities to achieve this national project.
The recent law enforcement operation in Tigray state has created some sort of attention shift of the government and the public, he recalled.
However, the public is currently remobilizing support considering the 75 percent completion and satisfied by the initial filling of the dam, he added.
“Although it is only 25 percent of the total project is left, it is not easy without active participation of the public at home and abroad. It may take more investment than it took in the previous construction stages.”
The people have to reenergized and support the project as a new one to see its completion and to share the needed gain from it, improving lives and country’s progress, he urged.
As to him, his office is working on coordinating efforts for active participation of Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia who live abroad to actively engage in advocating the significance of the project to the world besides to supporting it in various mechanisms including in finance and knowledge.
“We hope the Diaspora will play a significant role to bring diplomatic, political and material support to the project through lobbying the international community by telling the significance of the project to Ethiopia and the downstream countries.
This will enable us to withstand the international influence that instigated by Egypt and Sudan in halting support to the project.”
In fact, the Diasporas are supporting the project though it is not enough compared to their number and huge potential, according to Aregawi.
The effort is to design and apply a sustainable resource mobilization schemes for active participation of Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia in supporting the dam until its completion, he noted.
Some 1.2 billion Birr has been generated for the dam over the last six months as the general public has shown keen interest in the flagship project. About 14.7 billion Birr has been funded for the project since its launch, it was learnt.
It is to be recalled that Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Dr. Eng. Sileshi Bekele and Board Members of Ethiopian Electric recently visited the Dam’s site and evaluated the progress made so far. As to the minister , the construction of the GERD is going on per its schedule and in a way it is desired.
The Ethiopian Herald February 4/2021
