HAILE DEMEKE
Urbanization is recently a rising trend seen all over the world, mostly in an increasing rate in developing countries. Similarly, most towns in Ethiopia are recently becoming expanded towards the adjacent rural societies. The Expansions of these towns were resulted in the consuming and change of farm land to urban land uses and affects the agrarian livelihoods living in their respective areas.
Oromia Special Zone, Surrounding the capital Addis Ababa has been not immune of the problem. During the past administration, the farmers living in Oromia special zone around the capital Addis Ababa have been displaced from their land for different purposes.The farmers living at the outskirts of the capital, Addis Ababa, have been paying a high sacrifice for the expansion of the city and they have been facing severe economic, social and political hardship because of the expansion of the city combined with lack of proper management and failed promise to rehabilitate them following their eviction.
As a result, grievances over the land abuse have been central to the past protests in the region as the previous administration used to be busy in displacing farmers from their land for housing and other investment activities without considering the next fate of the farmers living in the area. Commendably, the current administration is working with commitment to relocate the displaced farmers and compensate them fairly following the legal procedures enacted.
Oromia Special Zone Administrator Girma Hailu Tola told Barisa Newspaper for the past couple of decades, farmers living around Addis Ababa, in the special zone of Oromia region were displaced from their land as the land was needed preferably for investment and other commercial activities. The activity of displacing the farmers from their land did not consider the future life of the farmers. Besides, the activity did not consider the interest of the farmers and as the city was expanding from time to time, farmers were frequently displaced from their land. It was difficult to relocate farmers as well.
But now, following the reform, initiated displacing and pushing farmers from their land is stopped and the town is working with the concerned stakeholders to relocate the displaced farmers and avoid extra problems related to displacement. As the area is centre of economic, social and political system, it is unable to develop as expected due to different problems.
The previous government displaced farmers from their land and farmers living at the outskirts of the city are highly vulnerable to problems of displacement and the government focused only on investment and other activities without considering the fate of the farmers. But following the reform which is induced in 2018, the government focused on rebuilding the displaced farmers as in tandem with investment and other activities.
According to him for the past three years the government relocated over 6000 displaced farmers due to investment, commercial activities, expansion of the city and delivered homes for each farmer in their respective areas.
On the other hand, the government is working with commitment to reduce unemployment rates in the area and the zone has created job opportunities for over 17,000 youths in the area. In the same token over 3000 farmers were joined investment. The government facilitated situation for farmers to provide credit and empower them to manage different investment activities in their land.
During this fiscal year, the government inaugurated over 105 projects in the area which is built at cost of 1.2 billion Birr and now operating in the area. The government is working with commitment to address the long aged question of the public and different social services are being undertaking in the area which will address the problems of the society and benefit the public at large.
The zone Administrator further said that it has covered over nine hectares of land with wheat by using irrigation systems during the current main rainy season. Close to 60 to 103 quintals of wheat is harvested per hectares. The zone is working focusing on irrigation systems so as to improve the livelihood of farmers and now farmers are harvesting their crops twice a year using irrigation systems, he stated.
Apart from the allocated budget from the government, the administration is working hand in glove with concerned stakeholders in the area including investors and others to benefit the society in the area. Accordingly, the administration built six schools at cost of 82 million Birr which will benefit the public. The administration announced that it has issued bids to build six more schools. On the other hand, the administration is working to support disadvantaged female workers who engage in collecting firewood. Over 800 females were identified and included to benefit them from the service.
After reviewing the results and benefits of the project, Oromia region allocated 50 million Birr budget to the zone. Other different developmental projects were also being undertaken in the zone and the projects will cost over three billion Birr. The zone is working with commitment to make the area where farmers and others are benefited from. They no more displaced from their own lands and chased bare hand, rather conducive situation is created for both the farmers and the investors to invest in the area jointly and change their lives.
Unlike the previous time, the capital Addis Ababa is following strategy of working and growing together and the zone is working with the city administration of Addis Ababa as well to go together and ensure multilateral developments. The City administration is supporting over 162,000 students who are in need and this kind of support is very helpful in ensuring quality of education and reducing dropout rates in the surrounding Oromia special zones.
In addition, Addis Ababa City Administration is working to provide potable water projects for the population and build over 13 potable water projects for the zones which is a promising activity. Moreover, the City Administration is working to avoid waste related problems using technology and others. The zone is working to link the area with the capital Addis in multilateral areas such as trade, culture and others so as to benefit both the people of the zone and the city administration.
The people of the zone were actively participating in the developmental activities which were being undertaken by the government and the people were widely participating in green legacy, irrigation, education, health and other voluntary services.
Different developmental projects which are being developed by the government were benefiting the people of the zone and the leaders at different hierarchy were also working with commitment to address problems facing the society in the area and beyond.
This year, many works have been done by the zone which will prosper the people of the zone and the nation at large and the zone will work with commitment next year as well to ensure prosperity as a nation. The work of participating youths in green legacy and volunteer activities is continued so far. This summer, with the scheme of voluntary services, 50 houses were renovated with an estimated cost of 2.2 million Birr. Regarding the green legacy, the zone prepared over 97 million seedlings for this summer.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD JULY 8/2021
