BY SOLOMON WASSIHUN
They do not need guns, knives, AK- 47, or bombs. But they are accomplished robbers. They rob money from people’s pockets and state coffers. Usually, they do it secretly, in a well-lubricated network. Few know what crime they are committing, let alone who is committing it. They make patriotic speeches in which portray themselves as men/women of the people, and swear to serve their people with honesty and integrity. But behind the curtain, they abandon their responsibilities and disregard the interests of the people and the country in pursuit of their insatiable greed for personal gains.
Their unjust decisions ultimately lead to a loss of millions of dollars in lost income to the state and a loss of lives that could have been avoided. Because of these people, citizens could not get justice and equal opportunities. They bend and break the law and regulations with impunity. These dangerous guys are the smooth criminals, the corrupt officials, and their associates.
The last two years were the hay day for corrupt officials. It was a critical period in which the nation was fully focused on the struggle to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against insurrections from every corner of the county. When the government has been preoccupied with this relentless task, the corrupt officials used the opportunity to diversify and intensify their criminal acts in a way unheard of before.
Apart from the irreplaceable loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, the war has brought huge setbacks to the country’s economy. The destruction of infrastructures, the looting, and vandalism of public and private properties, the closure of factories, the diversion of the country’s meager resources from developments activities to the war effect and the turning of productive workforces into armed forces are among the negative impacts of the two years war on the Ethiopian economy.
As if this was not enough, the corruption situation has worsened and gone rampant to a scale that cannot be handled business as usual. A few weeks after the tension of the northern Ethiopian conflict abated following the signing of the Pretoria peace deal, the Ethiopian government quickly turned its attention to the other war front.- the fight against smooth criminals that are posing national security to the nation by jeopardizing the economy and the justice system.
The Ethiopian government has recently set up anti-corruption committees membered by top government officials including the justice minister and the intelligence chief. No sooner had the establishment of the commission announced than a series of news on the detention of high government officials suspected of corruptions began to inundate the media.
Among the big fishes that were caught by the latest anti-corruption net as suspects are the director- general of the Ethiopian Financial Security Services (EFSS), the governmental agency that coordinates various institutions involved in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Other corruption suspects who have been working in high positions in federal and regional offices have also been apprehended.
The federal anti-corruption committee has identified priority sectors that require an urgent response. These include the land and public houses administration, the security and justice system, the finance system, the Revenue and customs system, and service provisions and public procurement sectors.
Initiated by the drastic actions taken by the federal government, regional administrations have already begun making moves to establish regional anti-corruption committees. The Somali regional administration has announced the establishment of regional anti-corruption committee.
The Oromia region, the largest region in the federal system, reported last week the war on corruption is well underway and has brought to the book more than 1300 suspects, who were later convicted of corruption charges at the court of law. The regional government has also notified its anti-corruption actions in the region have resulted in among others the return of misappropriated land amounting to over 230 thousand square meters and embezzled public money amounting to over 70 million birrs.
Without any doubt, the drastic measures being taken by the government are most welcomed by the public. Even most of the people in the street are saying it is long overdue. It is not a tactical agenda that suddenly surfaced to serve another purpose, as opinionated analysts preferred to see it. Had it not been for the unforeseen series of political and social turmoil like the corona pandemic, the rise of insurrectionist activities, the draught, and most of all ,the eruption of the war in northern Ethiopia, it was the priority agenda of the reformist government to launch a massive campaign and movement against corruption since it came to power.
During his inaugural address in 2018, Premier Abiy said: Corruption is one of the main reasons that have galvanized the grievances of our people in recent years. I politely ask all of us to do all we can to ensure that Ethiopia won’t become a country where one works hard and the other simply snatch it away. In the new path that we just charted, we shall work tirelessly day in and day out to combat robbery, wastage of wealth, and fight organized corruption in a manner that will enable all our people to participate.” he said.
Even though it is not done with vigor and rigor as it is done this time, Abiy has previously launched several waves of corrective measures against the corruption practices since its accent to power about five years ago. The resolute stance of the Abiy administration has been recognized even by the foreign press. In its edition of 18 April 2019, the Paris-based news Journal, The Africa- Report wrote: “Ethiopia has arrested nearly 60 government officials over allegations of corruption and economic sabotage. Purging corruption has been at the center of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s political and economic reform, as he seeks to stabilize the economy while transforming it into a market-led economy.”
The public eagerly supports the anti-corruption committee by providing information and evidence-based tips on corrupt practices being perpetrated by public officials at every level of the administration from federal up to the woreda level. The public is giving tips to the anti-corruption in a secure manner without fear of reprisal. “So far have got some 250 information, and cases that are fit to be investigated and level charges are identified.” said the Justice Minister in a press briefing he gave last week.
Law experts and media analysts praised the latest firm and well-organized crackdown by the Ethiopian government on corruption. They believe the fight against corruption is among the top agenda that requires urgent action. “The anti-corruption struggle is a fight to save and protect our country from robbers. In that sense, it is another frontline of the struggle to ensure Ethiopia’s national security. Therefore, joining the anti-corruption campaign is a patriotic duty of Ethiopians that tantamounts to saving the nation from an existential threat.” says a law expert.
In addition to terrorism, religious fundamentalism, political extremism, and foreign intervention, corruption is a major threat to the Ethiopian state. Now, both the government and the general public are in the same boat when it comes to prioritizing the fight against corruption. The anti-corruption movement will soon intensify in every sector and at every level of administration with broad public participation. We expect more smooth criminals to be filtered out of the bureaucracy and political leadership at all levels of administration
We hope that the hemorrhaging economy, inefficient bureaucracy and gross failures in the judicial and security systems will soon improve massively as the anti-corruption movement continues and the smooth criminals are brought out of their clandestine, dirty and dangerous game.
The Ethiopian Herald December 8/2022
