Washera_2
January 10, 2009
Both the print, Radio and TV vocal Diaspora are having a field day distorting the circumstances surrounding the re-arrest of Wt. Bertukan Mideksa. Whether out of a desperate move to restore the tattered image of the dying Diaspora opposition or to use this incident as an excuse to fill up their pockets or even out of sheer hatred for the steps that the Ethiopian government took to resolve the debacle of the 2005 elections, many in the Diaspora are engaged in a major smear campaign against the government and the steps it took to uphold the rule of law in the country.
Many questions have been raised and continue to be raised regarding the revocation of the presidential pardon for Wt. Bertukan Mideksa. But before responding to these questions or statements, let me place here and now, an English translation (by me) of the letter of apology sent to the Prime Minister by the accused prisoners.
Sene 15, 1999 (October 2007)
His Excellency Ato Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister
Ethiopian Federal Democratic Republic
Addis Ababa
We the undersigned Kinijit leaders and party members, aware of the misunderstandings created following the 2005 (1997EC) elections, take the responsibility for our wrongful attempts to change the constitutionally created government bodies, by illegal means. We take both individual and group responsibility for the mistakes that resulted. We affirm that, from here to for, we shall refrain from participating in such illegal activities and that we will, as part of our citizenship responsibilities, abide by and uphold the constitution of the country, and also accept and respect the role of the different branches of the government. Recognizing our contrition and our apology to the Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian people, we ask your Excellency to pardon us for our transgressions.
What is inherent in such an apology and what the law assumes is that there is sincerity in the request for pardon and that the parties involved will go out to carry their obligations in good faith and for the good of the country. If the motive of the apology is to trick, to cheat, to bluff or to be used as a ploy to get out of prison, then the spirit of the law is broken right from the outset. It would be better to rot in jail than be out by trickery.
Let us now examine some of the points raised in defense of Wt. Berukan and the response given by several government officials.
1. The Prime Minister promised to have the case annulled before the court ruled on it, but reversed his promise and allowed the ruling to stand before the pardon.
It is to be remembered that the PM appeared in parliament at that time and in response to an allegation that negotiations were going on with the prisoners, he unequivocally responded in the negative, further explaining that it is inappropriate to talk about an issue that is being looked at legally and one where the request of some elders to get involved in this case will be looked into after the legal aspect of the charges have been concluded. He also affirmed that these are prisoners who have no right to negotiate with the government and that such rumors are baseless and untrue.
Therefore, Wt. Bertukan’s allegation that the PM reversed his prior assurance of a pardon before sentencing is false and is fabricated to imply that the apology letter that they signed was based on false promises.
2. Wt. Bertukan’s statement of denial of apology expressed in just one forum cannot be a reason to send her back to jail, unless it is done to weaken the thriving UDJ party. Other opposition political party members have expressed similar sentiment in the past and were left alone.
During her visit to Sweden and Germany, Wt. Bertukan, on more than one occasion, has stated "we did not apologize; we were released through pressure put on them by the world-wide community and you in the Diaspora". This, however, was not the only reason for her re-arrest. On her return to Ethiopia, the responsible authorities had asked her to recant her false statements. She was asked to appear, within three days, on TV and Radio and correct her stand on the issue of the pardon. Her response, after serious deliberation, was made in mockery of the legal system. In fact, she went on to argue that legally, they did not ask for a pardon, since the Prime Minister was the one who entered the apology. Such a statement was not made in error, as an impromptu response or out of slip of the tongue. An extension of the date for her response would have simply looked as a weakness on the part of the government and no more.
3. Wt. Bertukan did not deny asking for a pardon. She was simply arguing that the pardon procedure did not follow the formal proclamations set up for a pardon and hence, does not qualify as a legal apology. The issue then becomes a procedural matter and her elaboration on this issue should not result in putting her back to jail.
Wt. Bertukan alleges that they did not apologize in the legal sense of the word, and the government claims that they executed the pardon according to the law mentioned in the Pardon Proclamation. These two positions differ not only procedurally, but also in the end result. To claim that they received the pardon illegally makes the pardon null and void. Hence, it means that Wt. Bertukan and her colleagues were out of prison for over 18 months illegally. This by itself is a self-defeating argument.
According to the Pardon Proclamation, the request is made by the involved party or by the government. In a situation where the involved party claims not to have apologized and the government claims to have not requested the apology by itself, there is no apologizing and pardoning party. The result: the government has to abide by the rule of law and put the convicted parties to jail.
4. According to the Proclamation of the Pardon procedure, the apology and request for a pardon should have been entered to the Pardon Board by the prisoner, a family member or a legal representative and not the Prime Minister.
It is true that on Hamle 12, 1999 (December, 2007) the letter of apology was submitted to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then passed it on to the Pardon Board. The Pardon Board members then visited the jail and spoke with each and every prisoner to confirm the validity of the apology and their request for pardon. Each prisoner agreed and signed the request again on Hamle 15, and entered the request directly to the Pardon Board. Thus, the claim that the apology and request for a pardon was not submitted by the prisoners directly to the Pardon Board is untruthful.
5. According to the law, an apology and request for a pardon is entered after a sentence has been rendered. In this instance, the request was made before the sentencing.
The sentencing occurred on Hamle 15 and the request for pardon was signed again after the sentencing. Other preparations for the pardon process, including collecting of signatures may have been accomplished prior to the sentencing. All such internal preparations do not amount to anything as long as it does not indicate that the pardon process relied on the pre-sentencing request. The only legal question would have been if the government had officially accepted the request for pardon prior to the sentencing.
6. Even if the concerned party denied asking for an apology in the legal sense, how does that qualify as a breach of the preconditions of the pardon? Isn't this in violation of the freedom of speech framed in the constitution?
The pardon process was activated as a result of the sentencing of Wt. Bertukan to life imprisonment. She was released from jail because of the successful execution of the pardon process as a result of her request for an apology. If Wt. Bertukan was released from jail without a proper legal process, it is either a mistake or the prisoner has denied the preconditions for her pardon.
Article 2 of the Chapter on Revocation of a Pardon states, "The decision to pardon would be null and void, if is found to have been obtained by cheating or deceiving." As a result, before entertaining the argument over the breaching of the preconditions, the whole pardoning process becomes invalid, if obtained by cheating. The result would be going back to jail and serving the sentence.
7. As stipulated in the Pardon Proclamation, when a pardon is revoked, the recipient is notified in writing about such and the recipient is allowed to respond within 20 days. Why was Wt. Bertukan denied her right for such a modes operandi and sent directly to jail?
First of all, the matter of pardoning an offender is purely a good will matter on the part of the government and not a question of one's legal right. If the pardon is revoked for any reason, the offender goes back directly to jail. As indicated in Articles 2 and 3 of the Pardon Proclamation, "...if it is confirmed that the pardon was obtained by cheating or deceiving... or if it is found that the preconditions of the pardon have been violated, the pardon will be worthless." And then on Article 4 it goes on to say, "in accordance with this Article and Sub-Articles 2 and 3, if the pardon is reversed, the Pardon Board can decide that the offender be returned to the prior area of confinement." The return of Wt. Bertukan to jail after the pardon was revoked was an appropriate and legal process.
The Pardon Proclamation elaborates as follows on the procedures to be followed after the pardon has been nullified.
"Once there has been enough evidence for the nullification of the pardon, the concerned party would be made aware of the decision in a transparent way and given in writing in a language that the party understands...The recipient party would be expected to respond to such a decision in writing within 20 days."
This article does not specify that the written notice be provided to the offender while outside jail. On the contrary, as mentioned on article 4 above, since the Pardon Board requires that the offender return to jail once the pardon is removed, it appears evident that the response from the offender is going to happen from jail. The removal of the pardon is followed by an administrative procedure and not a legal court battle and the offender can respond from jail. Also, there is no where in the Proclamation that obliges the Pardon Board to look at the response and make any other decision.
8. The Prime Minister promised to have the case annulled before the court ruled on it, but reversed his promise and allowed the ruling to take place before the pardon.
It is to be remembered that the PM appeared in parliament at that time and in response to an allegation that negotiations were going on with the prisoners, he unequivocally responded in the negative, further explaining that it is inappropriate to talk about an issue that is being looked at legally and one where the request of some elders to get involved in this case will be looked into after the legal aspect of the charges have been concluded. He also affirmed that these are prisoners who have no legal right to negotiate with the government and such rumors are baseless and untrue.
Therefore, Wt. Bertukan’s allegation that the PM reversed his prior assurance of a pardon before sentencing is false and is fabricated to imply that the apology letter that they signed was based on false promises.
9. Wt. Bertukan was manhandled at the time of her re-arrest. Her driver and Prof Mesfin were beat up. Why wasn’t she given the respect and dignity of a human being and president of her party when she was being taken to jail?
Every Ethiopian has the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In this regard, if such violations as mentioned above were committed, the alleged perpetrator shall be brought to the court of law.
However, the Addis Ababa Police Commission representative, during his appearance on Ethiopian Civility Pal talk Forum, has clearly indicated that no such violations were committed. It is possible that the elder Professor Mesfin is bent on using this incident to allege that Wt. Bertukan was treated in inhuman and degrading manner, so as to divert the issue to that of Human right violation. The alleged punch to his pelvic region by the butt of a rifle could cause serious damage to a man of his age and is too good to be true.
10. Even if Wt. Bertukan made a mistake, would it not have been prudent to exonerate her so as to deny her vocal supporters an excuse to rally around this agenda?
Indeed, the first issue that needs to be looked into is whether or not the lady is legally accountable for her transgressions and whether or not the government took steps, using the legal instrument of the law as set forth in the Pardon Proclamation. If looked at politically, differing opinions may surface. But, to ignore such transgressions, because of political considerations, will be tantamount to ignoring the rule of law and the enormous future ramifications of such an act. Lasting political gain can only come about through peaceful struggle and by accepting the rule of law.
The political instability that followed the 1997 (2005) elections did not come about suddenly. Opposition groups had been undermining the law of the land directly and indirectly. The space allowed to have a free and fair democratic process was gradually trampled on and reached a point of threatening the constitution of the country. If the audacity of Wt. Bertukan to repudiate the rule of law is left unchecked, the future consequences could be cataclysmic.
As very well articulated in an article by Adal Isaw, abiding by the Constitution is what is required of all citizens, no matter what their perception is. Safeguarding the Constitution from contempt is therefore unlike any other duty that we should be bound to carry.
“Washera” Or (Weyis) “Wushilshil”
05 February 2009
From YES WE CAN DO IT (ECADF)
I understand that almost all Ethiopians reach to the point that TPLF is an anti-Ethiopia party with rigid attitude and a story of all kind of fabricated lies. For this very reason TPLF (weyane) is too small to deserve a reply from Ethiopians but I am motivated to present my review to my fellow Ethiopians and innocent Ethiopians whom TPLF (weyane) tried to misinform. As I observed all parties in Ethiopia, TPLF is the only party that is formed without ear and conscious but only big mouth.
This literature is my review on the written document by “Washera_2” on January 10,2009 concerning the re-arrest of Judge Birtukan Mideksa by TPLF regime under the leadership of Melese Zenawi (http://www.ethiocivility.org/The_Desperate_Misinformation.html) had a smart approach in the beginning but suddenly it became contradictory , not only the reality but also with his own baseless literature. I we could say much more about his lies and disrespectful misinformation but I will bring out some of his fabricated lies and misconstrues as short as I can. Hereafter, for his literature is full of childish game, unlimited lies, bunch of contradiction and confused ideas, I prefer to his literature “wushilshil” hereafter.
Furthermore, to facilitate my style of writing as easy as possible to compare and contrast with all the ten points raised by “wushilshil” I will put my review for each issues point by point.
1. This first issue “wushilshil” raised that Wt. Birtukan’s allegation that the “The Prime Minister promised to have the case annulled before the court ruled on it, but reversed his promise” is false and is fabricated. Right from the beginning what “wushilshil” couldn’t realize that he is not one of the three groups who are directly involved in the process of reconciliation.
The prime minister.
The Board of Elders.
The CUD leaders.
Since he is not directly involved in the process of the reconciliation, the comment of “wushilshil” supposed to be as the fourth party who put his own position, not as the direct participant in the process of reconciliation. If that is so then he supposes to collect all the information from the above participants and let them to explain themselves.
On his literature “wushilshil” said that “the prior assurance of a pardon before sentencing is false and is fabricated to imply that the apology letter that they signed was based on false promises” This was the first and the main issue that “wushilshil” raised to disqualify the position of Judge Birtukan Mideksa.
My position on this deliberately fabricated issue is simply to here from the horse mouth.
If we click on this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGEWk6wVzxk) you will get an access to here from the leader of the Board of Elders, Professor Ephrem Isaq, confirming the position of Judge Birtukan Mideksa saying that “ The prime minister promised to annulle the case 5 (five) month before sentencing and the negotiation process took them about 18 month before sentencing” After we hear this story right from the leader of the Board of Elders , any Ethiopian can be able to conclude all the issues raised by “wushilshil” is completely fabricated and baseless. “Wushilshil” is engaged on baseless campaign against the truth with his completely blocked conscious in order to extend his financial link from TPLF.
2. The second issue that “wushilshil” pointed out his argument saying “ Wt Birtukan Mideksa had denied her apology” According to “wushilshil” Judge Birtukan Mideksa denied the reconciliation and the pardon process. My position to this baseless lie is to invite you to website that Judge Birtukan Mideksa gave her statement saying “The reconciliation and pardon process was through the Board of Elders but not through the so called Pardon Board of the government”. Click. According to this letter from Judge Birtukan Mideksa elaborated the negotiation of reconciliation and the pardon process was through Elders board but not the so called Pardon board of the government.
3. The third issue that “wushilshil” pointed out was that “The CUD party claimed that they received the pardon illegally”.
What “wushilshil” trying to deny is the intervention of the Elders board under Pro.Ephrem to facilitate the negotiation and reconciliation process and to replace with the so called Pardon board of the TPLF regime.
According to Ethiopian culture, we understand that in any kind of conflict, Elders can intervene to make reconciliation, not to take all issues to court case and it has been accepted legally and respected system in Ethiopia as the News transmitted by ETV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGEWk6wVzxk). Therefore, to explain the fact about the reconciliation and pardon process when and how it was done through the Board of Elders but not through so called pardon board can’t be an issue of illegality but it should be taken as clarifying the truth about the reconciliation and pardon process.
4. On the forth issue “wushilshil” pointed out that “It is the prime minister passed the letter of apology to the pardon Board” by which he wanted to divert the role of the reconciliation and pardon process from the Board of Elders to the so called pardon Board of the government.
My position to this big, fabricated and contradictory lie is to let the readers to compare what “wushilshil” said on his 4th point second paragraph. It reads as follows: “It is true that on Hamle 12, 1999 (December 2007) the letter of apology was submitted to the prime minister”. On the same paragraph the last line, it reads as follows: “Thus the claim that the apology and request for a pardon was not submitted by the prisoners directly to the pardon Board is untruthful”.
If you see these two sentences, we can understand that why I refer this man’s literature “wushilshil”. Someone with open and clear conscious can see that Judge Birtukan Mideksa is 100% right and “wushilshil” is writing nonsense to fill his hunger of lies. “wushilshil” said on his first sentence, it is the prime minister passed the letter to the pardon Board of the government, which was written and signed by CUD leaders but on the second sentence he said the CUD leaders gave their letter directly to the pardon Board. Again and again, this fact shows that “Wushilshil” can’t be qualified to discredit the honorable Judge Birtukan Mideksa at least until he learns and cease contradicting his own judgment. By now, we all understood the fact that “wushilshil” and the party he tries to defend are so dramatic to the extent to contradict their first and last sentences. For “wushilshil” to accept the truth, he doesn’t need an explanation from second or third person. If he is willing to believe his own literature, he would understand that Judge Birtukan Mideksa is clean and clear as crystal. At this stage I would like to advise, my fellow Ethiopian Brothers and sisters not to waste their time reading any kind literature written by “wushilshil”, even he himself doesn’t believe what he himself wrote a minute ago and write against it all of a sudden.
5. The fifth issue that “wushilshil” foolishly tried to complicate, as if the pardon process was not completed before the sentencing.
With all the evidences we have seen “wushilshil” has no concrete ground or base for his arguments. Since the Board of Elders witnessed that the negotiation, pardon and the reconciliation process started and finished prior to the sentencing. Therefore there is no doubt that negotiation, reconciliation process started and finished before sentencing. And the pardon process by the Board of Elders has no connection with the so called Pardon Board of the TPLF government.
6. The sixth issue raised, mixed and confused by “wushilshil” is deliberately denying and misinforming the different between:-
a. The Board of Elders: - Which interferes before the sentencing to point and facilitate common ground among the disagreed groups or parties and bring peaceful solution of reconciliation and Pardon.
b. The Pardon Board: - Which is a governmental organization that only sees the situation and a letter of apology of a criminal after the sentence passed and prisoned in the consequence of the sentencing.
Since the reconciliation and pardon process with CUD leaders started and finished through the Board of Elders with in the process of 18 month before sentencing, it is meaningless to quote articles, which are prepared for the so called Pardon Board . This simply shows that the writer is desperately tried to cover the open and clean truth by confusing and mixing the two parallel processes. The clear explanation of Judge Birtukan Mideksa on the differences between the two completely different processes can’t be interpreted as if she said either of the processes is illegal.
7. On the seventh point “wushilshil” tried to defend the truth on the fact why Judge….given only three (3) days while the displaced article states that is should be given 20 days.
My comment on this point is to remind the readers to differentiate the two processes, which are deliberately mixed by “wushilshil”. Since the Board of Elders is formed following the consequences of 2005 election, it has nothing to do with articles that are organized many years ago. But it absolutely a foolish approaches to present these articles as if they were made in 2005 for the Elders Board. Even if he want to you these articles where is not applicable, the article doesn’t talk about 3 days but only 20 days. This is one more an amazing story that shows the government of TPLF has never ever uses the law he claims that should be activated.
8. The eighth issue “wushilshil” mentioned has nothing new because he has raised it on his first point. The 8th point was just to play Psychological game to extend his points to 10 because he had no more lie to write. What “wushilshil” couldn’t realize is “false is always false, whether it is written one or more times”.
9. The ninth issue “wushilshil” mentioned that “In the government of TPLF, every Ethiopians has the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” quoting the position of un named police commission officer, who gave speech in one of anti- Ethiopia pal talk room.
A government who used excessive force, killed innocent people and jailed thousands of people, for being UN willing to give the power of leadership for the legal winner and elected party of CUD. Can these kind of massacred be reversed by a person denied all the excessive actions and talked about it through pal talk interview??
This dramatic situation reminds me the English expression “Action speaks louder than your words”. We have seen the blood of dear Ethiopians the streets our land, slaughtered, beaten, being made handicaps and thousands of people had been jailed. Isn’t foolishness to try to reverse all these actions, which we have seen with our own eyes with one day pal talk speech by unknown so called commissioner??
10. On the 10th point “wushilshil” sounds like he wanted to convict Judge Birtukan Mideksa, as if she made a mistake by presenting his contradicted baby style literature. But someone like “wushilshil” has no any moral and concrete knowledge of the law to convict Judge Birtukan Mideksa, in any measure.
As we have reviewed the literature of “wushilshil” he is totally confused and contradicting himself and mentally lost to understand the difference between the Board of Elders and the so called pardon Board of the TPLF government. Therefore he has no evidence to pull Judge Birtukan Mideksa into his ideal mistake.
Since all the points of “wushilshil” are denied the reality and full of contradiction, It seems he is engaged on this business only because he is badly hungry to support his blood baptized party (TPLF) but to strengthen his dollar strings from TPLF being out of conscious, without evidence and even having no harmony with his own writings.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, September 26, 2008
Breaking News on HR2003 or S3457
September 26, 2008
Washera_2000
Just like its predecessor Congressman Payne's HR2003, Senator Feingold's S3457 has come to a screeching halt on its way to the graveyard. A lame duck Congress has too many priorities on its table and the president has no intention of addressing this issue during his remaining term. So, S3457 or HR2003 is filed away, yet again!
This comes as a shock to its proponents like Prof (sic) Al Mariam and some desperate Diaspora opposition groups. What this means is that some misinformed Congressman has to give it, yet another name, and address it to the next Congress, after the US presidential elections. I can't imagine an Obama presidency will entertain such nonsense, let alone the next president, John McCain.
So, eat your hearts out Al Mariam. Good luck on your next dirty trick!
Washera_2000
Just like its predecessor Congressman Payne's HR2003, Senator Feingold's S3457 has come to a screeching halt on its way to the graveyard. A lame duck Congress has too many priorities on its table and the president has no intention of addressing this issue during his remaining term. So, S3457 or HR2003 is filed away, yet again!
This comes as a shock to its proponents like Prof (sic) Al Mariam and some desperate Diaspora opposition groups. What this means is that some misinformed Congressman has to give it, yet another name, and address it to the next Congress, after the US presidential elections. I can't imagine an Obama presidency will entertain such nonsense, let alone the next president, John McCain.
So, eat your hearts out Al Mariam. Good luck on your next dirty trick!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Prof (sic) Al Mariam's Verbal Diarrhea continues....
September 22, 2008.
Dear "fake" professor Al Mariam,
I read your article of September 22 on Barack Obama, that appeared on Ethiomedia and soon to be copied by similar blogs all over the cyber space. Like all your articles of past, and believe me I have read most from your blog, I read it with fascination and disgust. Fascinated with your mastery of the English language, disgust because of your ability to manipulate words and statements and play around with them to send your poisonous message to the unsuspecting public, as you mercilessly slaughter any one opposed to your ideas. For me, it comes out as a verbal diarrhea, nothing more.
Most of what you wrote in this article and many others are quotations, or copies from your old law textbooks or regurgitations of what you have memorized from those books. I will give you credit for the memory part. How you exploit those true words and sentences to express your personal hatred for Ethiopia and foment your anger for its leaders, is what is seriously disturbing. In the process, you have succeeded in misleading a certain segment of Ethiopians in the Diaspora and made them slaves to your toxic ideas.
I can debate you on the republican values in American politics any day. I will also hasten by saying that Barak Obama has done very well for himself and his family. He will probably charge 30 or 40 thousand dollars for an appearance, after the elections. A book will follow and then a movie deal, if they are not in the works already. On top of that, he will be on the board of many corporations and will be a millionaire many times over. So, I have no crocodile tears to shade for him. However, it does not mean that I do not appreciate the role he is playing in American politics. Because of him, America and its future leaders will seriously look into some of his proposals to make them a reality. As long as he lives, he will continue to be a great leader and contribute for the well-being of America and the world.
But, to single him out as the only Messiah for the global economic turmoil we are all in and to point fingers to one individual or another is naive, unschooled and irresponsible, especially coming from a glorified professor (sic) of political science. Further more; to think that American foreign policy will change drastically because a democrat is in office is simply to wobble in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Ethiopia has established a very strong relationship with America. That relationship will grow stronger and stronger for decades to come, no matter who is in the White House.
In conclusion, let me ask you one favor. Please allow me to re-write your Obama article word for word, but replacing McCain wherever Obama appears. All the quotations and words of the great that you pasted in your article apply to any aspiring leader. McCain will win, not because he is so much better than Obama, but because the republican ideals and the present global crisis needs a man of great experience, tremendous influence on the Hill and a man who can be militarily decisive if and when that time comes. A pre-emptive strike is one issue that McCain has no second thoughts about. Again, I can debate you about our achievements in Iraq in some future date.
Please do not hesitate to respond. If you do not, I will understand. This will not be the first time you ducked my challenges of past. The same goes for your sponsors at Ethiomedia. I will be surprised if this note appears on their blog. But, it will find its way in many other places.
With respect
Washera
Dear "fake" professor Al Mariam,
I read your article of September 22 on Barack Obama, that appeared on Ethiomedia and soon to be copied by similar blogs all over the cyber space. Like all your articles of past, and believe me I have read most from your blog, I read it with fascination and disgust. Fascinated with your mastery of the English language, disgust because of your ability to manipulate words and statements and play around with them to send your poisonous message to the unsuspecting public, as you mercilessly slaughter any one opposed to your ideas. For me, it comes out as a verbal diarrhea, nothing more.
Most of what you wrote in this article and many others are quotations, or copies from your old law textbooks or regurgitations of what you have memorized from those books. I will give you credit for the memory part. How you exploit those true words and sentences to express your personal hatred for Ethiopia and foment your anger for its leaders, is what is seriously disturbing. In the process, you have succeeded in misleading a certain segment of Ethiopians in the Diaspora and made them slaves to your toxic ideas.
I can debate you on the republican values in American politics any day. I will also hasten by saying that Barak Obama has done very well for himself and his family. He will probably charge 30 or 40 thousand dollars for an appearance, after the elections. A book will follow and then a movie deal, if they are not in the works already. On top of that, he will be on the board of many corporations and will be a millionaire many times over. So, I have no crocodile tears to shade for him. However, it does not mean that I do not appreciate the role he is playing in American politics. Because of him, America and its future leaders will seriously look into some of his proposals to make them a reality. As long as he lives, he will continue to be a great leader and contribute for the well-being of America and the world.
But, to single him out as the only Messiah for the global economic turmoil we are all in and to point fingers to one individual or another is naive, unschooled and irresponsible, especially coming from a glorified professor (sic) of political science. Further more; to think that American foreign policy will change drastically because a democrat is in office is simply to wobble in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Ethiopia has established a very strong relationship with America. That relationship will grow stronger and stronger for decades to come, no matter who is in the White House.
In conclusion, let me ask you one favor. Please allow me to re-write your Obama article word for word, but replacing McCain wherever Obama appears. All the quotations and words of the great that you pasted in your article apply to any aspiring leader. McCain will win, not because he is so much better than Obama, but because the republican ideals and the present global crisis needs a man of great experience, tremendous influence on the Hill and a man who can be militarily decisive if and when that time comes. A pre-emptive strike is one issue that McCain has no second thoughts about. Again, I can debate you about our achievements in Iraq in some future date.
Please do not hesitate to respond. If you do not, I will understand. This will not be the first time you ducked my challenges of past. The same goes for your sponsors at Ethiomedia. I will be surprised if this note appears on their blog. But, it will find its way in many other places.
With respect
Washera
Saturday, June 21, 2008
IS TEDDY AFRO'S "YASTERSERIYAL" A TEST FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN ETHIOPIA?
Washera_2000
June 21, 2008
Call me naive or clueless about Ethiopian politics, but my recent confrontation with the administrators of a paltalk room called "Ethiopian Forum for Political Civility" made me pause and take stock of what we have achieved or lost since the 2005 elections.
I have been a regular at many paltalk rooms over the last two to three years, mainly to use this medium to argue for the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia and introduce a new form of dialogue among all Ethiopians in the Diaspora. I felt that both the government and the prisoners had a lot to loose if this issue was not resolved peacefully. From the beginning, my position was for these elected leaders to accept the constitution unconditionally, join parliament and work side by side with their Ethiopian brothers and sisters, including those in power, to bring more democracy and good governance to our country. I strongly believed that they, the prisoners, owed the Ethiopian people and the government an apology for their mistakes and that such an apology will clear the way for the government to pardon them.
We spent hundreds of hours arguing this issue and some of us were fortunate enough to meet with some top officials in the Ethiopian government to register our concerns. To witness the release of these prisoners was the highlight of my trip to Ethiopia. However, my excitement for a bright day for Ethiopia would quickly turn sour when these prisoners showed up in the United States and started blasting the same government officials who secured their release. Worse of all, these were the same prisoners who had admitted their mistakes and asked for a pardon through the now famous "shimagiles", led by professor Ephrem Issac. If this was not enough, the so called "kinijit" ended up splitting into a multitude of mostly irrelevant entities. I never anticipated such a shameful end to what looked like a true democratic movement. One of those confused leaders who contributed to this deplorable act was one by the name of Berhanu Nega, who admitted that he was at a loss as to what direction to take in his struggle for "his" freedom and needed to climb up a Pennsylvania mountain for an epiphany, at the expense of my tax money. He is now back, actually he never left the paltalk rooms, and is seen criss-crossing the world, with "lame bora" money, preaching both peaceful and armed struggle to overthrow the Ethiopian government.
My paltalk days were numbered after the release of these prisoners and I started working closely with some government officials to add my two pennies worth to the democratic movement in Ethiopia.
That brings me to my present topic. My favorite paltalk room is Ethiopians Forum for Political Civility. I came across it during the numerous debates we had about the 2005 elections and have met most of the administrators and participants of that room. I appreciate their dedication and the service they bring to the Diaspora community and even to some people in Ethiopia, through the hundreds of interviews they have had with top government officials and other prominent individuals. We have struggled together to fight HR 2003 and many other anti-Ethiopian statements. Through it all, I have witnessed a fair and civil discussion in this room more than any other. The concept of EPRDF that empowers all ethnic groups in Ethiopia is one that appeals to me and is endorsed unanimously by the room's administrators.
Following a brief absence, I started showing up in this room occasionally and drop a word or two on issues of the day. Then one night, I put on the famous/notorious Teddy Afro song, "Yasterseriyal', hoping to comment on this song and his imprisonment. Within seconds, I was stopped and shut off from making any comments. My return a few days later to do the explaining did not last long and I was summarily banned from the room. I was told that such an insult to the woyane fighters was not to be heard or any commentary about the song was not to be tolerated.
The talk around town was that Teddy Afro was placed in prison for his temerity to speak against the leaders of the government in those famous/notorious words: " be 17 merfe bexeqomew qumixa; le lewix yagoferew zufan lay siwexa; indaminaw bale qen yaminawun keqexa; addis nigus inji lewux meche mexa." Translated loosely it means, "...When those fighters with afro hair-do, wearing tattered pants stitched together in 17 places climbed to the throne and started dolling out punishments to the leaders of the previous regime, it felt like the coming of a new monarch and not the expected change". He goes on to plead to the Almighty to forgive us all and teach us to live together in harmony. A few years ago, he allegedly refused to appear at a New Year concert at the Sheraton Addis, unless he was allowed to sing "Yasiteseriyal", forgoing $130,000 in appearance fee.
Teddy is an extremely talented Ethiopian artist, a well known composer, lyric writer and vocalist. He has since written and sang many famous songs and has toured the world attracting huge audiences, in the process becoming a millionaire many times over.
However, Teddy Afro is playing with fire. To expect absolute freedom, to go around the world and sprinkle his hatred for the EPRDF regime without some kind of repercussion back home, is being naive at best. Teddy Afro is no ordinary artist. He is famous and has sided with the opposition groups in Ethiopia and has upset many in the government. He should try to take a neutral position and work to bring opposition groups and the government together to resolve their differences. I have heard that he has apologized for "yasiteseriyal", and if true, I believe it is a good step in the right direction.
Having said that, I believe in his freedom of speech and most of all, I believe in the freedom of others to criticize or support his allegations in any forum they choose to. The cyber saber rattlers are in no position to curb such basic human rights and will only embarrass themselves. The fighters he refers to in his song, "yasiteseriyal", have nothing to be ashamed of because of the words he used to describe their clothing or the struggle they waged to come to power. To claim that he is in prison because these people were angered by his song is to demean the law of the land and to ignore the enormity of the crime that he has been accused of allegedly committing.
It is easy to see how his supporters, especially those demagogues in the Diaspora will run for such an excuse. But it behooves them to await the end of the trials before passing judgment on freedom of speech in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government should follow very closely the trial of this individual and see to it that justice is done to the perpetrator for the crime committed, but not as a vengeance for the words in his song "Yasteseriyal."
The other words in his song should be a lesson to all of us, including to Teddy himself. "Isti tewadedu be liyunetachihu; alebelezama bemin yastawiqal ignan mewudedachihu", which translates to mean, " Let our differences be a good reason for us all to love each other." Amen.
June 21, 2008
Call me naive or clueless about Ethiopian politics, but my recent confrontation with the administrators of a paltalk room called "Ethiopian Forum for Political Civility" made me pause and take stock of what we have achieved or lost since the 2005 elections.
I have been a regular at many paltalk rooms over the last two to three years, mainly to use this medium to argue for the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia and introduce a new form of dialogue among all Ethiopians in the Diaspora. I felt that both the government and the prisoners had a lot to loose if this issue was not resolved peacefully. From the beginning, my position was for these elected leaders to accept the constitution unconditionally, join parliament and work side by side with their Ethiopian brothers and sisters, including those in power, to bring more democracy and good governance to our country. I strongly believed that they, the prisoners, owed the Ethiopian people and the government an apology for their mistakes and that such an apology will clear the way for the government to pardon them.
We spent hundreds of hours arguing this issue and some of us were fortunate enough to meet with some top officials in the Ethiopian government to register our concerns. To witness the release of these prisoners was the highlight of my trip to Ethiopia. However, my excitement for a bright day for Ethiopia would quickly turn sour when these prisoners showed up in the United States and started blasting the same government officials who secured their release. Worse of all, these were the same prisoners who had admitted their mistakes and asked for a pardon through the now famous "shimagiles", led by professor Ephrem Issac. If this was not enough, the so called "kinijit" ended up splitting into a multitude of mostly irrelevant entities. I never anticipated such a shameful end to what looked like a true democratic movement. One of those confused leaders who contributed to this deplorable act was one by the name of Berhanu Nega, who admitted that he was at a loss as to what direction to take in his struggle for "his" freedom and needed to climb up a Pennsylvania mountain for an epiphany, at the expense of my tax money. He is now back, actually he never left the paltalk rooms, and is seen criss-crossing the world, with "lame bora" money, preaching both peaceful and armed struggle to overthrow the Ethiopian government.
My paltalk days were numbered after the release of these prisoners and I started working closely with some government officials to add my two pennies worth to the democratic movement in Ethiopia.
That brings me to my present topic. My favorite paltalk room is Ethiopians Forum for Political Civility. I came across it during the numerous debates we had about the 2005 elections and have met most of the administrators and participants of that room. I appreciate their dedication and the service they bring to the Diaspora community and even to some people in Ethiopia, through the hundreds of interviews they have had with top government officials and other prominent individuals. We have struggled together to fight HR 2003 and many other anti-Ethiopian statements. Through it all, I have witnessed a fair and civil discussion in this room more than any other. The concept of EPRDF that empowers all ethnic groups in Ethiopia is one that appeals to me and is endorsed unanimously by the room's administrators.
Following a brief absence, I started showing up in this room occasionally and drop a word or two on issues of the day. Then one night, I put on the famous/notorious Teddy Afro song, "Yasterseriyal', hoping to comment on this song and his imprisonment. Within seconds, I was stopped and shut off from making any comments. My return a few days later to do the explaining did not last long and I was summarily banned from the room. I was told that such an insult to the woyane fighters was not to be heard or any commentary about the song was not to be tolerated.
The talk around town was that Teddy Afro was placed in prison for his temerity to speak against the leaders of the government in those famous/notorious words: " be 17 merfe bexeqomew qumixa; le lewix yagoferew zufan lay siwexa; indaminaw bale qen yaminawun keqexa; addis nigus inji lewux meche mexa." Translated loosely it means, "...When those fighters with afro hair-do, wearing tattered pants stitched together in 17 places climbed to the throne and started dolling out punishments to the leaders of the previous regime, it felt like the coming of a new monarch and not the expected change". He goes on to plead to the Almighty to forgive us all and teach us to live together in harmony. A few years ago, he allegedly refused to appear at a New Year concert at the Sheraton Addis, unless he was allowed to sing "Yasiteseriyal", forgoing $130,000 in appearance fee.
Teddy is an extremely talented Ethiopian artist, a well known composer, lyric writer and vocalist. He has since written and sang many famous songs and has toured the world attracting huge audiences, in the process becoming a millionaire many times over.
However, Teddy Afro is playing with fire. To expect absolute freedom, to go around the world and sprinkle his hatred for the EPRDF regime without some kind of repercussion back home, is being naive at best. Teddy Afro is no ordinary artist. He is famous and has sided with the opposition groups in Ethiopia and has upset many in the government. He should try to take a neutral position and work to bring opposition groups and the government together to resolve their differences. I have heard that he has apologized for "yasiteseriyal", and if true, I believe it is a good step in the right direction.
Having said that, I believe in his freedom of speech and most of all, I believe in the freedom of others to criticize or support his allegations in any forum they choose to. The cyber saber rattlers are in no position to curb such basic human rights and will only embarrass themselves. The fighters he refers to in his song, "yasiteseriyal", have nothing to be ashamed of because of the words he used to describe their clothing or the struggle they waged to come to power. To claim that he is in prison because these people were angered by his song is to demean the law of the land and to ignore the enormity of the crime that he has been accused of allegedly committing.
It is easy to see how his supporters, especially those demagogues in the Diaspora will run for such an excuse. But it behooves them to await the end of the trials before passing judgment on freedom of speech in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government should follow very closely the trial of this individual and see to it that justice is done to the perpetrator for the crime committed, but not as a vengeance for the words in his song "Yasteseriyal."
The other words in his song should be a lesson to all of us, including to Teddy himself. "Isti tewadedu be liyunetachihu; alebelezama bemin yastawiqal ignan mewudedachihu", which translates to mean, " Let our differences be a good reason for us all to love each other." Amen.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
WHO IS BERTUKAN?
Translated by Washera_2000 from an interview by Addis Admas.
April 9, 2008.
Q: When and where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?
W/t Bertukan: I was born on April 23, 1966 (E.C.) in the neighborhood of the French legation (Ferensay Legasion) and grew up right here in Addis Ababa. My parents were poor and so I received my primary education at Miazia 23 public school and then joined the Etege Menen High school. From there I joined the Addis Ababa University and received my law degree.
Q: How did you decide to study law?
A: It is a long story. Since I was an only child, there was no one to tell me what career path to follow. My parents were not educated enough to advice me on this matter. Once, when I was in 7th grade, my geography teacher was talking to us about marble and said the AAU law school building was made of marble and that it takes a very good grade to get admitted to that school. That stuck in my mind for a long time. At about the same, I heard on TV about a female Supreme Court judge, I think her name was w/o Atsedework Tekle. Although the benefits of education on the legal system were not understandable to me at that age, these two incidents sparked a desire in me for that profession.
Medical school was the other choice I thought about when I was in 12th grade. My nephew was a medical student at that time and he told me that it was one of the best professions in the country. As a result, I made medicine my first choice and social science as my second. Because my GPA was only 3.6, I did not qualify for medical school. So, I joined the Social Sciences department at Sidist Kilo. During my first year of college, I came to have a better understanding of what area of public service I wanted to be in. So, I made law my first choice and political science my second. I was assigned to law school based on my first year grades.
Q: What kind of a child was Bertukan? Quiet, playful, trouble maker or reclusive?
A: I have never been in a fight. I was the peaceful kind. I avoided conflicts so much that my mom used to think it may be from fear. Overall, I never liked brawls and fights and I never had any altercations with my friends.
I grew up alone at home. My older half brother was about 18, and he moved out when I was still very young. So, I grew up knowing only the good and kind side of life. Even as an adult, I could never think that any one would hate me. Although my parents had limited income, they paid special attention to me as an only child and I grew up with love and affection. As a result, I never knew the origins of fights, hate, or hurtful feelings.
Q: How were you with your school education?
A: As I said, I was educated in the public school system. When I was in elementary school, I was first most of the time. In secondary school I was in a "special" class where the competition was severe and I was some where between 1st and 5th place.
Q: Where did you get a job when you finished law school?
A: Assistant judge at the Federal court.
Q: why did you quit that job?
A: When I decided to study law, my ambition was to find a way to serve society and not to get money or benefits from it. I went to law school with the belief that I can bring about change, I can make a difference and when that difference is tied up with law and justice, I felt I will get personal satisfaction. As I proceeded in my law education and got maturity, I wanted to be a judge to be able to administer justice. At that time, it was very difficult to become a judge right out of law school and my friends used to make fun of me for wanting to be a judge knowing how difficult that was. But, my desire was so strong that I believed I would find a way to do it. And when most of my graduating class was employed as assistant judges I was ecstatic. However, I was deeply disappointed with the injustice that I saw. The legal system was in shambles. Most of the existing judges had been dismissed and were replaced by incapable and inexperienced people. What is now being managed by 20 courts was handled by only four at that time. Prisoners were languishing in jails without any justification. Most were just given a court date way beyond the 48 hour limit. That was a painful experience. But because of my determination to become a judge and my belief that I can make a difference, I stuck to it and served for a little over two years. After that, I was elected to be a judge. My naive belief that things will change with time and that an individual can make a difference to change the system were gradually becoming unrealistic and dim. The injustice I witnessed continued for a long time and it was at its worst when I got involved with Ato Seye Abraha's case. Whenever it appeared to have interfered with political issues law and justice were ignored. There was no fear or hesitation to use whatever power was at their disposal to have their way. For example, when we dismissed Ato Seye's lawsuit and released him, they pointed a gun at him and took him back to prison, right in front of my eyes. That was a scary, bitter and hopeless experience. Because of that, I started receiving administrative coercion and I made a conscious decision to resign.
Q: What did you feel when you gave the order for his release and saw him taken back to jail? Did you feel that the verdict you gave was not correct?
A: I never doubted for a second my righteousness or the correctness of the verdict. Anyone arrested has a constitutional right to be released on bail. We do consider political circumstances a little differently. There is usually a lot of wrangling back and forth. But, it never occurred to me that the decision we took at that time would cause such a huge war-like drama in that courthouse. Above and beyond that, I never thought it possible that a new law would be promulgated within two to there days to justify his detention. We were ready for the consequences of our actions. We took it as a job related consequence. But, I can say that it was a moment that frightened me and made me loose hope in the justice system. I should mention one thing here that I never talked about before. After his illegal detention and second time appearance in our court, our verdict was that Ato Seye should be free to go. When I went home that night, I started receiving threatening phone calls. This one man called and said to me, "we do not appreciate what you did in the Seye case. Neither history nor the government will forget your atrocious act. We will see to it that you will die in a car accident and your corpse will be thrown to the dogs". Such intimidation and political interference in the legal system was truly frightening and uncalled for. At that moment, I realized how the system believed in force rather than justice. That realization was very disturbing and hard to deal with.
Q: During your stay in that job, what are the accomplishments that you are proud of? What are your regrets?
A: I don't think these are issues that can be looked at separately. There were three of us assigned to see criminal cases. Most of our cases were the most difficult federal cases. Some of these included OLF cases or those accused of committing serious crimes. At that time, these people were kept in prison for a long time with an excuse of investigating their case. Their right to be released on bail was not being kept. It was a messy situation and we tried to fix some of this. My belief was to use my profession in a just way and be prepared to pay the ultimate price. The other judge on the chair with me had similar beliefs. Within 15 days we changed the way things were done. If the prosecution brought a prisoner after keeping him/her for more than 48 hours, we would call their supervisors, we would give out warnings or punish them monetarily. We believed that this should be done by all courts. We were aware of the shortage of manpower. But we wanted to protect the constitutional rights of the individual. This kind of practice was unknown before our arrival. As soon as we arrived, we started to play strictly by the rule of the law. We did not allow the police to take more time than the 48 ours to do their investigating and bring the cases to court. This kind of practice was not popular among the government officials. We started receiving warnings and threats and intimidations. Some members of the police would send us messages saying that they would have us caught with secretly placed Hashish (marijuana) in our pockets. Our superiors would use warnings or threats to stop what we were doing. In one instance, Ato Menbere came to my office and asked me why I was doing these things.
Q: What was the issue?
A: An individual in charge of the immigration office allegedly involved in bribery was appearing in our court. After the initial investigation and with the concurrence of the prosecutor, the individual was freed on bail. Ato Mesfin Girma (now diseased), assistant to Minister Weredewold made serious accusations of our act to our supervisor Ato Menbere Tsehay. When Ato Menbere examined the case, he could not find anything wrong with our verdict. The immigration official was released only after Ato Menbere examined the case. This was not the end. This and other issues were added up and a 70 page accusation was leveled against us. There was a demand for our dismissal, but Ato Bereket Simon got involved and asked that our case be reviewed without dismissing us. Ato Abdu Hijira (Comrade Abdu) was assigned to review our case and concluded that we were right in our verdict. We were vindicated and not dismissed. I am proud of standing firm in doing our job, without fear of dismissal or death. That was a memorable and trying time.
Q: Any disappointing decision?
A: I am not sure if the outcome would have been much different in some cases irrespective of what I decided. There were some bank officials accused on issues related to Ato Seye. There were others accused of bribery in the sugar industry. The police never produced enough evidence on these bribery cases beyond some minor indications. So, we gave them seven days to get the case to court. We had agreed to release them if the prosecution did not come with enough evidence. One or two days before the court date, a new law was passed that would prevent their right for release on bail. The case was referred to another court and we were prevented from having a say in the case. What I regret most about that case was not giving the verdict the very day the case came to us. To think that we would have another opportunity to give a verdict on this case was very naive of us. It is also possible that even if we have had a second chance, the final verdict would have been reversed. We all know what happened to Ato Seyoum after he was released on bail. By the way, those businessmen languished in jail for four or five years before their case was thrown out and they were set free.
Some people stay in prison for many years and are released when no fault could be found. Some stay much longer than their case would allow if found guilty and are then released. According to the law of the land, these people could sue the government for reparations or compensations. But, who would do that? When we look at it from that perspective, the legal ramifications are clear for a prosecutor who causes harm to a prisoner by illegal means or keeps him in jail beyond the allowed time before bringing him to court. He can be made to pay compensations for the prisoner. But, what is the situation with our court system? We see things getting worse and not better. It is the government itself that abuses the law and keeps these people in prison for much too long, on tramped up charges or false accusations. It is becoming more and more impossible to find a court which will accept a suit against the government.
When a prisoner is released after seven or eight years of incarceration and no fault is found he says, "thank you for letting me go free. It could have been worse. I could have been in jail for life". This shows that the system has no checks and balances. It shows the lack of trust in the justice system.
Q: What did you learn from the 1992 elections?
A: In the 2005 elections I did run for a sit in parliament. There were 12 of us running for a single sit. It was clear that EPRDF had a better party and government machinery to field many candidates. So, it was clear that they would win. Still, they did not want to give the opposition any opportunity to win. There was massive election fraud. Their election officials and supporters were doing anything they wanted to do. Compared to the 1997 (2005) elections, it was outright stealing. I used to follow it very closely and I am amazed at the greedy way they went about to win. I run a major campaign, distributing leaflets, having town hall meetings, driving around in a car and agitating people to vote for me. I tried to talk to neighborhood elders and women, young people and workers and this allowed me to meet all kinds of people in our society. At that time, people were hopeless about politics and one elderly woman asked me why I joined politics under these circumstances. What difference would I make? Is it to earn the $2,000 Birr salary? Ok, I will vote for you for your sake. There was no belief that the system will change through the ballot box. This allowed me to appreciate the level of political awareness in our society.
Q: What about in the 1997 (2005) elections?
A: To be honest, I had less enthusiasm about it. I was pregnant. and just had my baby and although I was asked to run I could not do it.
Q: How did you join Keste Demena?
A: Around the time of the formation of Keste Demena, Dr Berhanu Nega came and talked to me. I wanted to think about it and took my time to do so. To join a political party and continue the struggle was not an easy decision to make. I was asked to become one of the founding members. But, it took me some time to look into every aspect of the decision. I finally decided that I should continue my struggle from inside the party rather than criticizing from the outside and thus joined them.
Q: What was your stay in prison like?
A: My own profession comes to play in analyzing the prison conditions and how to survive it. I used to look into the case of every prisoner and why it was taking so long to get justice. This was something I had known before, but to see the misery with my own eyes put me in a sad situation. The lack of justice in our legal system was distressing. If you ask me what I learned from this, what I can say is that prison gives you the time to think deeply about issues and analyze them patiently. Since my upbringing has helped me to look into the positive things in life and the good side of people, I had time to ponder about human behavior. It may not be a big mirror in life, but I have seen enough.
You could say it is a place where criminals congregate and talk about their injustice. But, most of the prisoners in Ethiopian jails are innocent and the rest do not have deep-rooted offenses and are not hard core criminals at all. I would sit there and think about human behavior, about how we love each other, how we clash, how we make compromises to balance our different needs, how very minor issues become a reason for division and separation among human beings. Seeing prisoners fighting one day, making up the next day or going to solitary confinement another day, has made me examine in detail how the larger society resolves issues. At the end of the day, it is all about how to accommodate different political opinions and making compromises in the best democratic way possible. I used to sit and think about what I would do in the future. It gave me plenty of time to think and to contemplate. This was the biggest challenge that I ever had in life.
No kind of imprisonment is easy. For me, what was especially difficult to bear was my separation from my daughter when she was only eight months of age. There are family and friends too. But, the relationship with my daughter used to torture me. I missed her. I could not see her growth and development. When she comes to see me in prison, she had no idea what was going on. That would torment me. In addition, I missed my friends and the conversations we used to have.
In prison, you are with people who are completely different from you. That has its difficulties too. But, when you start to think and believe how big and noble our cause was and when you think of the kind of democracy that can be built for our children and grandchildren, far beyond our dreams, it gave you a special strength to continue to give your best. After a certain period of time, I took it as a normal thing. I received a good lesson in how to deal with difficult situations and to build the capacity to think beyond the difficulties.
Thank you W/t Bertukan.
All I can say is that you are the product of the legal educational system. You have gone to prison and come out under the same regime. You have established a political party to fight the alleged injustice and repressions in the legal system. You owe it to yourself and your people to "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship..." to accomplish what you set out to do.
Thank you Ato Bereket for your timely and just intervention.
We wish you all success.
April 9, 2008.
Q: When and where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?
W/t Bertukan: I was born on April 23, 1966 (E.C.) in the neighborhood of the French legation (Ferensay Legasion) and grew up right here in Addis Ababa. My parents were poor and so I received my primary education at Miazia 23 public school and then joined the Etege Menen High school. From there I joined the Addis Ababa University and received my law degree.
Q: How did you decide to study law?
A: It is a long story. Since I was an only child, there was no one to tell me what career path to follow. My parents were not educated enough to advice me on this matter. Once, when I was in 7th grade, my geography teacher was talking to us about marble and said the AAU law school building was made of marble and that it takes a very good grade to get admitted to that school. That stuck in my mind for a long time. At about the same, I heard on TV about a female Supreme Court judge, I think her name was w/o Atsedework Tekle. Although the benefits of education on the legal system were not understandable to me at that age, these two incidents sparked a desire in me for that profession.
Medical school was the other choice I thought about when I was in 12th grade. My nephew was a medical student at that time and he told me that it was one of the best professions in the country. As a result, I made medicine my first choice and social science as my second. Because my GPA was only 3.6, I did not qualify for medical school. So, I joined the Social Sciences department at Sidist Kilo. During my first year of college, I came to have a better understanding of what area of public service I wanted to be in. So, I made law my first choice and political science my second. I was assigned to law school based on my first year grades.
Q: What kind of a child was Bertukan? Quiet, playful, trouble maker or reclusive?
A: I have never been in a fight. I was the peaceful kind. I avoided conflicts so much that my mom used to think it may be from fear. Overall, I never liked brawls and fights and I never had any altercations with my friends.
I grew up alone at home. My older half brother was about 18, and he moved out when I was still very young. So, I grew up knowing only the good and kind side of life. Even as an adult, I could never think that any one would hate me. Although my parents had limited income, they paid special attention to me as an only child and I grew up with love and affection. As a result, I never knew the origins of fights, hate, or hurtful feelings.
Q: How were you with your school education?
A: As I said, I was educated in the public school system. When I was in elementary school, I was first most of the time. In secondary school I was in a "special" class where the competition was severe and I was some where between 1st and 5th place.
Q: Where did you get a job when you finished law school?
A: Assistant judge at the Federal court.
Q: why did you quit that job?
A: When I decided to study law, my ambition was to find a way to serve society and not to get money or benefits from it. I went to law school with the belief that I can bring about change, I can make a difference and when that difference is tied up with law and justice, I felt I will get personal satisfaction. As I proceeded in my law education and got maturity, I wanted to be a judge to be able to administer justice. At that time, it was very difficult to become a judge right out of law school and my friends used to make fun of me for wanting to be a judge knowing how difficult that was. But, my desire was so strong that I believed I would find a way to do it. And when most of my graduating class was employed as assistant judges I was ecstatic. However, I was deeply disappointed with the injustice that I saw. The legal system was in shambles. Most of the existing judges had been dismissed and were replaced by incapable and inexperienced people. What is now being managed by 20 courts was handled by only four at that time. Prisoners were languishing in jails without any justification. Most were just given a court date way beyond the 48 hour limit. That was a painful experience. But because of my determination to become a judge and my belief that I can make a difference, I stuck to it and served for a little over two years. After that, I was elected to be a judge. My naive belief that things will change with time and that an individual can make a difference to change the system were gradually becoming unrealistic and dim. The injustice I witnessed continued for a long time and it was at its worst when I got involved with Ato Seye Abraha's case. Whenever it appeared to have interfered with political issues law and justice were ignored. There was no fear or hesitation to use whatever power was at their disposal to have their way. For example, when we dismissed Ato Seye's lawsuit and released him, they pointed a gun at him and took him back to prison, right in front of my eyes. That was a scary, bitter and hopeless experience. Because of that, I started receiving administrative coercion and I made a conscious decision to resign.
Q: What did you feel when you gave the order for his release and saw him taken back to jail? Did you feel that the verdict you gave was not correct?
A: I never doubted for a second my righteousness or the correctness of the verdict. Anyone arrested has a constitutional right to be released on bail. We do consider political circumstances a little differently. There is usually a lot of wrangling back and forth. But, it never occurred to me that the decision we took at that time would cause such a huge war-like drama in that courthouse. Above and beyond that, I never thought it possible that a new law would be promulgated within two to there days to justify his detention. We were ready for the consequences of our actions. We took it as a job related consequence. But, I can say that it was a moment that frightened me and made me loose hope in the justice system. I should mention one thing here that I never talked about before. After his illegal detention and second time appearance in our court, our verdict was that Ato Seye should be free to go. When I went home that night, I started receiving threatening phone calls. This one man called and said to me, "we do not appreciate what you did in the Seye case. Neither history nor the government will forget your atrocious act. We will see to it that you will die in a car accident and your corpse will be thrown to the dogs". Such intimidation and political interference in the legal system was truly frightening and uncalled for. At that moment, I realized how the system believed in force rather than justice. That realization was very disturbing and hard to deal with.
Q: During your stay in that job, what are the accomplishments that you are proud of? What are your regrets?
A: I don't think these are issues that can be looked at separately. There were three of us assigned to see criminal cases. Most of our cases were the most difficult federal cases. Some of these included OLF cases or those accused of committing serious crimes. At that time, these people were kept in prison for a long time with an excuse of investigating their case. Their right to be released on bail was not being kept. It was a messy situation and we tried to fix some of this. My belief was to use my profession in a just way and be prepared to pay the ultimate price. The other judge on the chair with me had similar beliefs. Within 15 days we changed the way things were done. If the prosecution brought a prisoner after keeping him/her for more than 48 hours, we would call their supervisors, we would give out warnings or punish them monetarily. We believed that this should be done by all courts. We were aware of the shortage of manpower. But we wanted to protect the constitutional rights of the individual. This kind of practice was unknown before our arrival. As soon as we arrived, we started to play strictly by the rule of the law. We did not allow the police to take more time than the 48 ours to do their investigating and bring the cases to court. This kind of practice was not popular among the government officials. We started receiving warnings and threats and intimidations. Some members of the police would send us messages saying that they would have us caught with secretly placed Hashish (marijuana) in our pockets. Our superiors would use warnings or threats to stop what we were doing. In one instance, Ato Menbere came to my office and asked me why I was doing these things.
Q: What was the issue?
A: An individual in charge of the immigration office allegedly involved in bribery was appearing in our court. After the initial investigation and with the concurrence of the prosecutor, the individual was freed on bail. Ato Mesfin Girma (now diseased), assistant to Minister Weredewold made serious accusations of our act to our supervisor Ato Menbere Tsehay. When Ato Menbere examined the case, he could not find anything wrong with our verdict. The immigration official was released only after Ato Menbere examined the case. This was not the end. This and other issues were added up and a 70 page accusation was leveled against us. There was a demand for our dismissal, but Ato Bereket Simon got involved and asked that our case be reviewed without dismissing us. Ato Abdu Hijira (Comrade Abdu) was assigned to review our case and concluded that we were right in our verdict. We were vindicated and not dismissed. I am proud of standing firm in doing our job, without fear of dismissal or death. That was a memorable and trying time.
Q: Any disappointing decision?
A: I am not sure if the outcome would have been much different in some cases irrespective of what I decided. There were some bank officials accused on issues related to Ato Seye. There were others accused of bribery in the sugar industry. The police never produced enough evidence on these bribery cases beyond some minor indications. So, we gave them seven days to get the case to court. We had agreed to release them if the prosecution did not come with enough evidence. One or two days before the court date, a new law was passed that would prevent their right for release on bail. The case was referred to another court and we were prevented from having a say in the case. What I regret most about that case was not giving the verdict the very day the case came to us. To think that we would have another opportunity to give a verdict on this case was very naive of us. It is also possible that even if we have had a second chance, the final verdict would have been reversed. We all know what happened to Ato Seyoum after he was released on bail. By the way, those businessmen languished in jail for four or five years before their case was thrown out and they were set free.
Some people stay in prison for many years and are released when no fault could be found. Some stay much longer than their case would allow if found guilty and are then released. According to the law of the land, these people could sue the government for reparations or compensations. But, who would do that? When we look at it from that perspective, the legal ramifications are clear for a prosecutor who causes harm to a prisoner by illegal means or keeps him in jail beyond the allowed time before bringing him to court. He can be made to pay compensations for the prisoner. But, what is the situation with our court system? We see things getting worse and not better. It is the government itself that abuses the law and keeps these people in prison for much too long, on tramped up charges or false accusations. It is becoming more and more impossible to find a court which will accept a suit against the government.
When a prisoner is released after seven or eight years of incarceration and no fault is found he says, "thank you for letting me go free. It could have been worse. I could have been in jail for life". This shows that the system has no checks and balances. It shows the lack of trust in the justice system.
Q: What did you learn from the 1992 elections?
A: In the 2005 elections I did run for a sit in parliament. There were 12 of us running for a single sit. It was clear that EPRDF had a better party and government machinery to field many candidates. So, it was clear that they would win. Still, they did not want to give the opposition any opportunity to win. There was massive election fraud. Their election officials and supporters were doing anything they wanted to do. Compared to the 1997 (2005) elections, it was outright stealing. I used to follow it very closely and I am amazed at the greedy way they went about to win. I run a major campaign, distributing leaflets, having town hall meetings, driving around in a car and agitating people to vote for me. I tried to talk to neighborhood elders and women, young people and workers and this allowed me to meet all kinds of people in our society. At that time, people were hopeless about politics and one elderly woman asked me why I joined politics under these circumstances. What difference would I make? Is it to earn the $2,000 Birr salary? Ok, I will vote for you for your sake. There was no belief that the system will change through the ballot box. This allowed me to appreciate the level of political awareness in our society.
Q: What about in the 1997 (2005) elections?
A: To be honest, I had less enthusiasm about it. I was pregnant. and just had my baby and although I was asked to run I could not do it.
Q: How did you join Keste Demena?
A: Around the time of the formation of Keste Demena, Dr Berhanu Nega came and talked to me. I wanted to think about it and took my time to do so. To join a political party and continue the struggle was not an easy decision to make. I was asked to become one of the founding members. But, it took me some time to look into every aspect of the decision. I finally decided that I should continue my struggle from inside the party rather than criticizing from the outside and thus joined them.
Q: What was your stay in prison like?
A: My own profession comes to play in analyzing the prison conditions and how to survive it. I used to look into the case of every prisoner and why it was taking so long to get justice. This was something I had known before, but to see the misery with my own eyes put me in a sad situation. The lack of justice in our legal system was distressing. If you ask me what I learned from this, what I can say is that prison gives you the time to think deeply about issues and analyze them patiently. Since my upbringing has helped me to look into the positive things in life and the good side of people, I had time to ponder about human behavior. It may not be a big mirror in life, but I have seen enough.
You could say it is a place where criminals congregate and talk about their injustice. But, most of the prisoners in Ethiopian jails are innocent and the rest do not have deep-rooted offenses and are not hard core criminals at all. I would sit there and think about human behavior, about how we love each other, how we clash, how we make compromises to balance our different needs, how very minor issues become a reason for division and separation among human beings. Seeing prisoners fighting one day, making up the next day or going to solitary confinement another day, has made me examine in detail how the larger society resolves issues. At the end of the day, it is all about how to accommodate different political opinions and making compromises in the best democratic way possible. I used to sit and think about what I would do in the future. It gave me plenty of time to think and to contemplate. This was the biggest challenge that I ever had in life.
No kind of imprisonment is easy. For me, what was especially difficult to bear was my separation from my daughter when she was only eight months of age. There are family and friends too. But, the relationship with my daughter used to torture me. I missed her. I could not see her growth and development. When she comes to see me in prison, she had no idea what was going on. That would torment me. In addition, I missed my friends and the conversations we used to have.
In prison, you are with people who are completely different from you. That has its difficulties too. But, when you start to think and believe how big and noble our cause was and when you think of the kind of democracy that can be built for our children and grandchildren, far beyond our dreams, it gave you a special strength to continue to give your best. After a certain period of time, I took it as a normal thing. I received a good lesson in how to deal with difficult situations and to build the capacity to think beyond the difficulties.
Thank you W/t Bertukan.
All I can say is that you are the product of the legal educational system. You have gone to prison and come out under the same regime. You have established a political party to fight the alleged injustice and repressions in the legal system. You owe it to yourself and your people to "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship..." to accomplish what you set out to do.
Thank you Ato Bereket for your timely and just intervention.
We wish you all success.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Intrinsic Genius of PM Meles Zenawi.
Washera_2000
March 16, 2008
I was preparing for a debate at the Ethiopian Television Network in Virginia on a variety of issues including the remarks of Senator Feingold on the senate floor of the Foreign Relations Subcommitte, Human Rights Practices in Ethiopia, the upcoming Ethiopian elections and whatever crumbs are left over from HR2003, when I stumbled across a document sent to me by a friend a while back. It was a Preliminary Draft (Not for quotation) prepared by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on "African Development: Dead Ends and new Beginnings". It was a 50 pages plus draft for discussion with selected extracts of a monograph under preparation. Over 190 references were also included at the end.
It has been a while since I concluded that the PM is a hard working and very intelligent individual. I must say I was truly touched by his analyses and supportive arguments in this document and also ended up well informed by the time I completed reading it. I hope to highlight some of his impressive arguments and personal views about how to tackle this vicious cycle of poverty and bad governance in Africa. I will also include definitions of a few economic terminologies that may sound Latin for the average reader.
The thesis of his argument is that the neo-liberal paradigm of pervasiveness and efficient competitive markets to promote economic development in Africa is flawed and as a result has failed. It has made colonial Africa a weakened and predatory state (rulers extract tax for their own use) that is rife with rent-seeking (making money by manipulating the economic and/or legal environment) political economy tittering on the brink of collapse.
Neoliberalism was a right-wing libertarian political philosophy that gained ground a great deal after the stagnation crisis of the 1970s and the Developing World Debt Crisis of the 1980s. As articulated by John Williamson's Washington Consensus, it felt that government control over the economy was inefficient, corrupt or otherwise undesirable. As a result it proposed a means of transferring control of the economy from the public to the private sector. Specifically, Williamson's list included 10 points: 1) Fiscal policy discipline, 2) Reduction of public spending in education, health and infrastructure, 3) Tax reform, 4) Moderate interest rates, 5) Competitive exchange rates, 6) Trade liberalization, 7) Liberalization of inward FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), 8) Privatization of state enterprises, 9) Deregulation, and 10) Legal security for property rights. Thus the neo-liberal paradigm was put into action in many countries including South America. Its disastrous dead end in the African context has been chronicled by many respectable economists and Nobel laureates and PM Meles Zenawi proposes an alternative approach to get out of this dilemma.
He argues that the state should not be restricted to protecting individual and property rights in the form of services like the Police, Judiciary, Prison and Military (Night Watchman State), but must actively participate in the social and economic development of its citizens. Letting the market do its wonders has wondered off the target for too long. He proposes a paradigm shift (major change in certain thought patterns) to create a proper blend of norms, values and rules for a needed accelerated economic growth and social transformation. He refers to this as a Democratic Developmentalist Paradigm and backs it up with an impressive argument for the establishment of a dynamic agrarian democracy, much like the one advocated by Thomas Jefferson and help it evolve into a mature urban democracy.
He proposes to convince the developed countries to put their money where their mouth is. In this age of globalization where African countries are important as sources of transnational security threats, a breeding ground for drug trafficking and killer diseases as well as hundreds of thousands of refugees generated by failing states, it behooves the developed world to invest in his win-win proposal. He points out that pulling Africa out of its misery and into a successful democratic development will be in their basic economic interest.
PM Meles goes into specific steps to follow to accomplish this, like removing the vertical linkages of patronage in the rural areas, political reforms to remove the predatory state (rulers extract tax for their own use) and overcome rural marketing problems, promote civic engagement through horizontal networks and associations, promote civic virtues and democratic pluralism including religious and ethnic pluralism. Although the skeptics may question his methods, he strongly believes that is where the NGOs and donors (FDI) should direct their resources.
Not only does he believe that the doctrine of "There Is No Alternative (TINA)" be replaced by "There Are Thousands of Alternatives (TATA)" precept, but that his highly articulated vision is the best among such alternatives and with the right leadership that works toward a global and a solid domestic developmental coalition, the African state can be rebuilt and the pervasive rent-seeking phenomenon drastically reduced.
PM Meles expostulates convincingly that in an environment where most (3/4) of the agricultural production is non–tradable and leads to low income, production constraints and limited growth of rural farm and non-farm income is the rule. He proposes a mechanism for removing this demand constraint through increased productivity through technological change and decreasing transaction costs. This in turn will lead to greater sale outside the locality in greater volume and/or value which boosts farm income. The non-farm activities will get a shot in the arm and further increase demand for agricultural products completing this virtuous (not vicious) cycle. To break the dead end that has been made worse by the failed neo-liberal agenda, PM Meles proposes a massive investment in rural physical infrastructure, in market support institutions, in institutions for technological capability accumulation and government intervention to save agriculture for the credit crunch ( a state in which there is a short supply of cash to lend to businesses and consumers and interest rates are high) that it finds itself in.
He chronicles how financial institutions have failed to perform their task of mobilizing savings and directing them toward profitable investments. He goes on to detail the issue of high interest rates, high incidence of non-performing loans, excess liquidity and low savings to accounts that has made them risk averse because they are operating almost in the dark. The absence of tax returns, proper audit reports or the absence of proper information on businesses has made them skittish about loans to ordinary businesses or the average guy. The financial sector liberalization as advocated by the neo-liberal dogma did little to resolve the problem and Meles believes that it contributed even more to the above dilemma. The liquidity in some banks was so excessive that some banks have been known to turn away savers.
Beginning with his belief that agriculture is the engine of growth, PM Meles writes that rather than a mere liberalization of agricultural products markets, equitable distribution of assets in the rural areas plays a critical role in accelerating agricultural development and structural transformation. The role of equitable asset distribution in accelerating the growth of technology, building linkage with other disciplines and accumulation of social capital which in turn accelerates development is beautifully contrasted with the neo-liberal theory that asserts that pareto efficiency (given a set of alternative allocations of, say, goods or income for a set of individuals, a movement from one allocation to another that can make at least one individual better off without making any other individual worse off) is neutral vis-à-vis equity.
In the context of reforming the agricultural sector, Meles writes about very high transportation costs, fragmented and oligopolistic (monopoly, dominance) private sector marketing that causes high transaction costs and low productivity that must be combated to increase trade volumes rather than deregulation and liberalization of markets which has failed miserably.
Arguably, PM Meles believes that vicious circles and poverty traps that these states face can only be removed by state action, provided we believe that development is a political process first and economic and social process later. He believes in the creation of a political set-up that is conductive to accelerated development.
This is where his political talent shines through. Starting with a consensus on the rule of the game, he explains why it is important to involve people to actively participate in public affairs. This builds social capital, politics is not taken as a zero-sum game and flourishes democratically relatively free of rent-seeking and patronage. That is why he argues for the need for stability and continuity of policy if there is to be sustained and accelerated economic growth and that such stability can be achieved through long-term coalitions which stay in power for a long period but do so by democratic means.
For PM Meles, that coalition building starts with the rural agriculture-dependent population which will be responsible for much of the work of accelerated growth. Whether through his socialist leanings, his acute understanding of the economic miracle in South East Asia or his long leadership experience, Meles strongly believes in the peasant, which has historically been the victim, as the bedrock of a stable developmental and political coalition force. By building rural infrastructure, spreading primary education, introducing the peasant to new technologies and commercialized farming, and also sowing the seeds of participatory democracy, PM Meles believes that a stable democracy can emerge even in a poor country and can be governed democratically.
He does not rule out the urban middle class and labor from this endeavor. On the contrary, he believes that this group could also be members of this coalition. Although this group has been known to benefit form patronage and rent-seeking, he argues in their favor by noting that they are easy to organize, more democratic in their orientation and will benefit from job creation in the context of accelerated growth that is broadly equitable.
I see a close relationship with this philosophy and with what EPRDF is trying to do to change the social structure in the rural areas to establish a solid base for a stable and politically strong developmental coalition. The upcoming elections are a work in progress in that direction. It behooves Ethiopian political opposition groups to understand this man very clearly and articulate an alternative vision for the country if they disagree with him, or stop wringing their fingers and join his efforts in tandem. Their zero-sum politics, as he likes to call it, or run to third parties to wedge complaints and accusations (sic HR2003) is not going to get them any closer to the people or renew their badly bruised political clout.
When PM talks about the African Renaissance and the need for a Paradigm Shift, he does not implicate the neo-liberal agenda for causing the dysfunctional economy and abject poverty of Africa, but blames it for making it worse.
With a need for building rural infrastructure including roads, irrigation and water harvesting facilities and capacity building, he emphasizes the need for attracting productive FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) while demanding a long-term non-reciprocal access to developed country markets to overcome the pervasive market failures in Africa.
PM Meles bases his arguments on all the above observations and taps a lot from the experience of some East Asian countries. His own personal experience and dedication to see the establishment of a healthy democratic pluralism of a broadly based agrarian democracy that is capable of evolving into a mature urban-based democracy is to be applauded.
This may be just a draft for a PhD thesis in Economics, but he has already won me over with his clear understanding of the economic and political dilemma that African states face and makes me proud to know that he is at the helm of the Ethiopian state steering it in the right direction.
I tip my hat off for all his efforts and I am proud and glad he is one of our own.
March 16, 2008
I was preparing for a debate at the Ethiopian Television Network in Virginia on a variety of issues including the remarks of Senator Feingold on the senate floor of the Foreign Relations Subcommitte, Human Rights Practices in Ethiopia, the upcoming Ethiopian elections and whatever crumbs are left over from HR2003, when I stumbled across a document sent to me by a friend a while back. It was a Preliminary Draft (Not for quotation) prepared by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on "African Development: Dead Ends and new Beginnings". It was a 50 pages plus draft for discussion with selected extracts of a monograph under preparation. Over 190 references were also included at the end.
It has been a while since I concluded that the PM is a hard working and very intelligent individual. I must say I was truly touched by his analyses and supportive arguments in this document and also ended up well informed by the time I completed reading it. I hope to highlight some of his impressive arguments and personal views about how to tackle this vicious cycle of poverty and bad governance in Africa. I will also include definitions of a few economic terminologies that may sound Latin for the average reader.
The thesis of his argument is that the neo-liberal paradigm of pervasiveness and efficient competitive markets to promote economic development in Africa is flawed and as a result has failed. It has made colonial Africa a weakened and predatory state (rulers extract tax for their own use) that is rife with rent-seeking (making money by manipulating the economic and/or legal environment) political economy tittering on the brink of collapse.
Neoliberalism was a right-wing libertarian political philosophy that gained ground a great deal after the stagnation crisis of the 1970s and the Developing World Debt Crisis of the 1980s. As articulated by John Williamson's Washington Consensus, it felt that government control over the economy was inefficient, corrupt or otherwise undesirable. As a result it proposed a means of transferring control of the economy from the public to the private sector. Specifically, Williamson's list included 10 points: 1) Fiscal policy discipline, 2) Reduction of public spending in education, health and infrastructure, 3) Tax reform, 4) Moderate interest rates, 5) Competitive exchange rates, 6) Trade liberalization, 7) Liberalization of inward FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), 8) Privatization of state enterprises, 9) Deregulation, and 10) Legal security for property rights. Thus the neo-liberal paradigm was put into action in many countries including South America. Its disastrous dead end in the African context has been chronicled by many respectable economists and Nobel laureates and PM Meles Zenawi proposes an alternative approach to get out of this dilemma.
He argues that the state should not be restricted to protecting individual and property rights in the form of services like the Police, Judiciary, Prison and Military (Night Watchman State), but must actively participate in the social and economic development of its citizens. Letting the market do its wonders has wondered off the target for too long. He proposes a paradigm shift (major change in certain thought patterns) to create a proper blend of norms, values and rules for a needed accelerated economic growth and social transformation. He refers to this as a Democratic Developmentalist Paradigm and backs it up with an impressive argument for the establishment of a dynamic agrarian democracy, much like the one advocated by Thomas Jefferson and help it evolve into a mature urban democracy.
He proposes to convince the developed countries to put their money where their mouth is. In this age of globalization where African countries are important as sources of transnational security threats, a breeding ground for drug trafficking and killer diseases as well as hundreds of thousands of refugees generated by failing states, it behooves the developed world to invest in his win-win proposal. He points out that pulling Africa out of its misery and into a successful democratic development will be in their basic economic interest.
PM Meles goes into specific steps to follow to accomplish this, like removing the vertical linkages of patronage in the rural areas, political reforms to remove the predatory state (rulers extract tax for their own use) and overcome rural marketing problems, promote civic engagement through horizontal networks and associations, promote civic virtues and democratic pluralism including religious and ethnic pluralism. Although the skeptics may question his methods, he strongly believes that is where the NGOs and donors (FDI) should direct their resources.
Not only does he believe that the doctrine of "There Is No Alternative (TINA)" be replaced by "There Are Thousands of Alternatives (TATA)" precept, but that his highly articulated vision is the best among such alternatives and with the right leadership that works toward a global and a solid domestic developmental coalition, the African state can be rebuilt and the pervasive rent-seeking phenomenon drastically reduced.
PM Meles expostulates convincingly that in an environment where most (3/4) of the agricultural production is non–tradable and leads to low income, production constraints and limited growth of rural farm and non-farm income is the rule. He proposes a mechanism for removing this demand constraint through increased productivity through technological change and decreasing transaction costs. This in turn will lead to greater sale outside the locality in greater volume and/or value which boosts farm income. The non-farm activities will get a shot in the arm and further increase demand for agricultural products completing this virtuous (not vicious) cycle. To break the dead end that has been made worse by the failed neo-liberal agenda, PM Meles proposes a massive investment in rural physical infrastructure, in market support institutions, in institutions for technological capability accumulation and government intervention to save agriculture for the credit crunch ( a state in which there is a short supply of cash to lend to businesses and consumers and interest rates are high) that it finds itself in.
He chronicles how financial institutions have failed to perform their task of mobilizing savings and directing them toward profitable investments. He goes on to detail the issue of high interest rates, high incidence of non-performing loans, excess liquidity and low savings to accounts that has made them risk averse because they are operating almost in the dark. The absence of tax returns, proper audit reports or the absence of proper information on businesses has made them skittish about loans to ordinary businesses or the average guy. The financial sector liberalization as advocated by the neo-liberal dogma did little to resolve the problem and Meles believes that it contributed even more to the above dilemma. The liquidity in some banks was so excessive that some banks have been known to turn away savers.
Beginning with his belief that agriculture is the engine of growth, PM Meles writes that rather than a mere liberalization of agricultural products markets, equitable distribution of assets in the rural areas plays a critical role in accelerating agricultural development and structural transformation. The role of equitable asset distribution in accelerating the growth of technology, building linkage with other disciplines and accumulation of social capital which in turn accelerates development is beautifully contrasted with the neo-liberal theory that asserts that pareto efficiency (given a set of alternative allocations of, say, goods or income for a set of individuals, a movement from one allocation to another that can make at least one individual better off without making any other individual worse off) is neutral vis-à-vis equity.
In the context of reforming the agricultural sector, Meles writes about very high transportation costs, fragmented and oligopolistic (monopoly, dominance) private sector marketing that causes high transaction costs and low productivity that must be combated to increase trade volumes rather than deregulation and liberalization of markets which has failed miserably.
Arguably, PM Meles believes that vicious circles and poverty traps that these states face can only be removed by state action, provided we believe that development is a political process first and economic and social process later. He believes in the creation of a political set-up that is conductive to accelerated development.
This is where his political talent shines through. Starting with a consensus on the rule of the game, he explains why it is important to involve people to actively participate in public affairs. This builds social capital, politics is not taken as a zero-sum game and flourishes democratically relatively free of rent-seeking and patronage. That is why he argues for the need for stability and continuity of policy if there is to be sustained and accelerated economic growth and that such stability can be achieved through long-term coalitions which stay in power for a long period but do so by democratic means.
For PM Meles, that coalition building starts with the rural agriculture-dependent population which will be responsible for much of the work of accelerated growth. Whether through his socialist leanings, his acute understanding of the economic miracle in South East Asia or his long leadership experience, Meles strongly believes in the peasant, which has historically been the victim, as the bedrock of a stable developmental and political coalition force. By building rural infrastructure, spreading primary education, introducing the peasant to new technologies and commercialized farming, and also sowing the seeds of participatory democracy, PM Meles believes that a stable democracy can emerge even in a poor country and can be governed democratically.
He does not rule out the urban middle class and labor from this endeavor. On the contrary, he believes that this group could also be members of this coalition. Although this group has been known to benefit form patronage and rent-seeking, he argues in their favor by noting that they are easy to organize, more democratic in their orientation and will benefit from job creation in the context of accelerated growth that is broadly equitable.
I see a close relationship with this philosophy and with what EPRDF is trying to do to change the social structure in the rural areas to establish a solid base for a stable and politically strong developmental coalition. The upcoming elections are a work in progress in that direction. It behooves Ethiopian political opposition groups to understand this man very clearly and articulate an alternative vision for the country if they disagree with him, or stop wringing their fingers and join his efforts in tandem. Their zero-sum politics, as he likes to call it, or run to third parties to wedge complaints and accusations (sic HR2003) is not going to get them any closer to the people or renew their badly bruised political clout.
When PM talks about the African Renaissance and the need for a Paradigm Shift, he does not implicate the neo-liberal agenda for causing the dysfunctional economy and abject poverty of Africa, but blames it for making it worse.
With a need for building rural infrastructure including roads, irrigation and water harvesting facilities and capacity building, he emphasizes the need for attracting productive FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) while demanding a long-term non-reciprocal access to developed country markets to overcome the pervasive market failures in Africa.
PM Meles bases his arguments on all the above observations and taps a lot from the experience of some East Asian countries. His own personal experience and dedication to see the establishment of a healthy democratic pluralism of a broadly based agrarian democracy that is capable of evolving into a mature urban-based democracy is to be applauded.
This may be just a draft for a PhD thesis in Economics, but he has already won me over with his clear understanding of the economic and political dilemma that African states face and makes me proud to know that he is at the helm of the Ethiopian state steering it in the right direction.
I tip my hat off for all his efforts and I am proud and glad he is one of our own.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi, Ethiopia's Eternal Love
An English Translation by Washera_2000
March 2008
We human beings are created in this world to live our assigned life both in happiness and sorrow. So what is the secret behind the differences in our nature and character? What is the measure of our success? Just like the differences in our creation, our interpretations of the world we live in are also different. This world has allowed us to see a lot and learn a lot. Most of all, we know that those who are blessed are the ones who are the first to come to the service of their country and their people. These are the people who leave their good deeds etched in gold to live from generation to generation. In our present world, there are very few people who can exhibit that degree of dedication. Among those few generous people, Ethiopia has produced one of its own such individual by the name of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. In this short video, we will take just a piece of his magnificent life and try to present it to you.
Born to this famine-stricken and destitute country, where misery and disease have ruled for centuries, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi was able to rise out of this misery, to be among the few richest people on the face of this planet, and also bring respect and hope to Ethiopia.
Born in Dessie and raised in Woldia, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi presently is the richest black man on earth. The 2007 Forbes magazine puts his total assets at eight billion dollars and ranks him at number 86, among the world's billionaires. Such is Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi's status that he brings pride to Ethiopia and allows our flag to fly wherever he is honored.
However, unlike many of these billionaires, worldly luxuries have not spoiled him and tempted him to stay away from the misery of his country of birth. He did not turn his back to the diseased and the poor of his Ethiopia. When the time came, he made his pilgrimage back to Ethiopia to fulfill his promise. He came back with the wealth that he had amassed over a period of many years through hard work. Most of all, he had packed abundant, limitless love for his motherland. This is all a new history for the new Ethiopia. This amazing journey starts right here in the old town of Woldia.
Woldia, the town that nurtured and blessed this national treasure of a man, is located in Northern Wollo zone, about 520km from Addis Ababa. Nowadays, the town is bustling with activity and growing left and right. So we asked this lively town several questions. How did you raise Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi? Who did he rough it up with while growing up? Where did he go to school? And later on where, how, when did you send him away? Woldia opened up its arms wide and invited us to view its surroundings from the comfortable view of its famous land mark, Mt Kore and we saw it all.
One of his childhood friends Wale Mekonnen:
" That Mosque you see in the distance is the location of Mohammed's childhood home. That neighborhood is called Mugad and the area around Kore is called Islam Kebele. He lived there with his parents while going to school at Taitu Butul School. In those days, it was all forest, no homes, very quiet and we came here in groups of 3 or 4 to study. Now, this area has been urbanized and is called Addis Alem (New World), where government officials and other civil servants reside. That flat open area below us is called Mechare Meda. This is a famous landmark and MIDROC calls one of its business neighborhoods by this name. The other landmark you see way out there is Dashen Bank. The people that lived where the new bank was built, were moved to new homes built in what is called MIDROC Neighborhood. They are happy campers!"
We take you now to the childhood home of Sheik Mohammed. Most of the homes are still the same. Sheik Mohammed's parents were business people. They had two connected houses, one for living quarters and the other for their garment business. So, who were his parents? What was their life like?
Their old neighbor, now a town elder, Haji Siraj Adem says this:
"The father of Sheik Mohammed is Sheik Hussein Ali Al Amoudi. His mother is called Rukia Mohammed Yasin. Both were very generous people. The father helped poor people all the time. When a poor man comes to his shop he knows him from a distance and goes to a drawer where he keeps money and just takes out a handful without looking at the amount and hands it to the beggar, pretending like he was shaking his hand. In our religion, you left hand is not supposed to see what your right hand does and that is what we would see him do time and again, as we worked alongside him in the garment shop. So that was what the father was like, always helping the poor.
"His mother had her own special ways. She would ask us to buy sheep for her. She will have it killed and divide the meat in several portions. She will then hide some cash and salt blocks inside the meat and ask us to deliver it to the elderly men and women in the entire neighborhood. She did this regularly.
"Their children are, Sheik Mohammed, brothers Seid, Hassen, Abdella, and Salih and his sisters Tuiba, Nur and Fitum. As the saying goes, the good deeds of his parents have crossed over to the children. God has created them to be useful to humanity."
Very close to Sheik Mohammed's house is the one that belongs to his childhood friend, Mr. Melaku Beza. He tells us about his memories as follows:
" Our neighborhood is Mugar. Growing up with Mohammed meant we walked to school together every morning. We will have our school and our fun all day and walk back from school together. We continued to be together late into the evenings too. In fact, there were these two rocks across from their shop and most evenings we would sit on those rocks and chat and laugh about our day in school, in the moonlight or even in the dark, since there was no electricity. During the day, we played soccer with balls made of cloth or plastic. We had fields lined by eucalypts trees where we played soccer after school.
"Mohammed loved soccer. He was also very good in Math. I think his ability to memorize all these phone numbers throughout the world is because of his Math ability. Even then, he never used a paper and a pencil to do Math problems. He did them all in his head. We were classmates until the eighth grade. "
This is the Etege Taitu Elementary school that was established in 1948. Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi finished elementary school here. At that time, this school auditorium was a famous land mark in Wolida. On Saturdays and Sundays this auditorium fills up to standing room only with people who come to see shows and musical events. And young Mohammed was a famous drummer of the music band. To this day, if he sees a drum he does not pass it.
"This house was the residence of the school director, the Indian Mr. Vias. It has since become a reading room. The current Director, Mr. Mamo Alemayehu has this to say.
" At present, I serve as the school Director for Etege Taitu Bitul full cycle Elementary school. In this school, we have 60 teachers, 5 administrative stuff and 2333 full-time students in 33 classrooms. Since we cannot accommodate every one, we teach in shifts. This has been all possible because of the huge generosity of Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi. The building was falling apart and the fields had become cattle fields. Now, you see the buildings renovated and a large concrete wall surrounds the school. In the name of the school and myself, I would like to send my sincere thanks to Sheik Mohammed."
We asked Etege Taitu Bitul School our last question. Do you have any concrete evidence of Mohammed Hussein's life with you? From a safe drawer came out this antique looking old ledger book. Written so very crisply, was the names of all the students treated between 1957 and 1962, by the school's medical officer, Aba Fenta Gebre. So, the Taitu Bitul of old still lives on with its memories. But that famous Woldia auditorium is no more. In its place stands the new Woldia Cultural Center, all paid for by Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi.
Down the street from Sheik Mohammed's childhood home is the home of his other friend Alem Chekole. He continues the story thus:
"Mohammed has been an activist for a long time. Many people follow him. He has many friends and some follow him to learn from him. Even in school, he had many friends that he helped and some even lived with him. His parents were well to do even then. They had a two-door house; one for living quarters the other for their garment business. Their garment shop also provided burning oil, eating oil, and building material for the entire area.
Any way, one thing I remember distinctly is his love for music. We had these University teachers who came on a national service program to teach us. Among them, I remember Gash Jami Mabi, Solomon Gebre Kristos, and Tsega Zeab Gebre Tatios. These people did not only teach us, but organized us into groups to play soccer and musical instruments. One of these teachers had a Clarinet and with the accompaniment of Jazz instruments and Masinko by a student called Mesfin Kassu, we made great music. Mohammed enjoyed playing in the band and loved that clarinet so much that he bought it for himself when the teachers left. "
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi continues to help Selam School too. The Director of the school:
"This school was built by Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. The school provides elementary school education from grade 1 to grade 8. We have 1,200 students at this school and we are preparing to open grades 9 and 10 next year. We also provide education at Fetah Elementary School for 300 students, for a total of 1,500 students. In addition, we have over 42 feeder schools around Woldia and in the countryside. These schools provide education for 6,000 students ".
Among the famous buildings built by Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi in our country, Nani Building is one of them. This beautifully exquisite building was designed by Architect Habte Gebriel Habte Selassie who is an old friend of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, and who has made a name for himself in the process.
"This is a big undertaking. When Sheik Mohammed gave me this opportunity, I accepted it with great excitement and anticipation. Located at the entrance of the Ghion hotel, it is a 21-story master piece that shows his knowledge and understanding of architecture. It has also given me fame and fortune. His important place has allowed us to be known and our profession to be respected. In building this tower, Mohammed has allowed me to reflect his respect for humanity and my own inner feelings about my work. I have done the same with the Volvo Exhibition tower and the Sara Electric Bulb Company".
After completing 8th grade, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi headed to Weizero Sihin Secondary School in Dessie. After that, he travels to Saudi Arabia and we witness the beginnings of his amazing business success. After completing his education in Saudi Arabia, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi went directly into the construction and real estate business where he first made a name for himself. He grew quickly and diversified into Oil, minerals, agriculture, hotel and tourism and engineering fields. He laid down an investment network in Great Britain, USA, and Scandinavian countries, Eastern Europe, Greece, Middle East, Asia and Africa.
The two major investment arms are the Coral Group and the MIDROC Group and between them employ over 40, 000 people. The MIDROC Group is divided into three parts as MIDROC Europe, MIDROC Middle East and MIDROC Ethiopia and is making significant contributions in the growth and development of these countries and in the improvement of the lives of their peoples. The Coral Group is making huge investments in Europe, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Africa, Angola, Morocco and Scandinavian countries including ownership of the Swedish Prem Petroleum Company. Prem Petroleum is the largest petroleum company in Sweden and provides ¾ of the refined oil needs of the country and ¼ of the needs of the other Nordic countries. Since 2005, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi himself chairs the board of Prem Petroleum and closely guides its progress. This shows how much attention he gives to these investments and as a result, the sales of Prem Petroleum in 2006 were 67.4 billion Kroger.
Prem Petroleum is the owner of two huge oil refineries. These are Premraf Lyski and Premraf Guttenberg. These two refineries have no equal in the world in their cutting edge technology. Between them, they produce 15 million tones of refined oil every year. In addition, these companies lead the refinery work in Morocco and gas and oil explorations in West Africa and North Sea shores.
These major investments are led by Svenska Petroleum Exploration A.B., which is also involved in oil and gas production in Angola, Cote de Voir, Norway and Great Britain. Svenska Petroleum Exploration A.B. is 100% the property of the Swedish Petroleum Company, but all these world-wide investments belong to Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. Because of these and other investments, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi is the major foreign investor in Sweden. In return, King Karl Gustav of Sweden has bestowed on him, the great Royal Order of the Polar Star medal, twice.
MIDROC Europe continues its investment in property development, newer technology areas, in consulting and contracting areas in Scandinavian countries and especially in Germany, France, Poland and Great Britain. This has resulted in its turn over in the past several years to surpass 3.8 billion Kroger. It employs over 2,000 people and continues to expand.
The Middle East part of the MIDROC Global Group is showing tremendous activity in the area of engineering, communication, oil production and trade. As a result it employs over 24,000 people of different nationalities. Its annual turnover has also risen to over 9 billion Kroger.
It is not going to be possible to try to document the world-wide investments of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi in a short video like this. He leads his business by traveling to Europe, America, Middle East and Africa, which adds up to bring him in equal standing to the worlds billionaires. Because his investments have included the development of countries and helping people, he has received many awards throughout the world.
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi travels the world to fulfill his commitments. As a result, he has built many residences in several countries. Because he does most of his work in the air, he has seven different size jet airplanes. He criss crosses the vast oceans with modern luxury liners and speedy yachts. It is the wealth accumulated through such hard work that he decided to come home to Ethiopia with.
After his arrival in Ethiopia, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi started laying down the foundation for developing Ethiopia in different areas. But, before anything else, however, to draw the world's attention to Ethiopia, he built a world famous hotel, the Sheraton Addis. Hence, Sheraton Addis became the symbol for a bright new future for Ethiopia.
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi:
"We have a rich history, our climate is good and the scenery is beautiful. Even though it took us a long time to build this hotel in the capital of Africa, in Addis Ababa, you can see the result by yourselves. Even if I don't tell you how much it cost us, you will understand when you go around and see for yourselves. Up until now, the workers and myself have worked hard on this project. From today on, it belongs to all of you, to receive your guests and for your own entertainment and relaxation".
After that, Ethiopia truly captured the fascination and attention of the world. Before long, Addis Forum conferences were being held at the Sheraton that attracted famous world leaders and businessmen. The wishes of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi were fulfilled. Our country became the central hub of Black Africans.
Why do we say that Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi is the exemplar son of Ethiopia, the redeemer, the benefactor? It is because he has built over 30 different companies worth billions of dollars to help in the basic infrastructure that has given a new possibility of growth and development for a new Ethiopia. The wealth he has poured on this country is not one he will benefit from in his life time. But in our countries history, he will be remembered as a martyr who paid the price for the success of our countries vision.
Dr. Arega Yirdaw, CEO of MIDROC Ethiopia tells it this way:
"The family of Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has invested in over 30 companies in this country. I was given the opportunity to run 14 of these as a holding company, for the first time in the history of this country. This is not only very challenging in terms of running the companies, but also in teaching people the kind of management leadership required to accomplish such a task. Sheik Mohammed's investment in Ethiopia is not only a profit based investment, but also a human investment. It is an investment based on guaranteeing people a job that will bring food to their children and afford them an education. MIDROC has had a huge contribution in this area and the country has been greatly rewarded.
When we look at the overall investment of MIDROC, we have over 15,000 employees. If you multiply this with the family members that are supported by these employees, the numbers are over 60,000. I manage over 50% of the investment and I have over 6,000 employees under me. The investment areas are highly diversified to include mining, agro-industry, real estate, factories, security and protection companies. When we look at all the investments of Sheik Mohammed, it includes several sectors like hotel, health, education and agriculture.
"MIDROC Ethiopia is a Sheik Mohammed and family investment. It is a home boy investment. It is a slightly different investment. Our focus is primarily on the employee. Which means, we are focusing on ways our employees can benefit from their job through education, through making sure their children are fed and educated? Just like the Ethiopianization of the Ethiopian Airlines, we want to prepare our employees and their children to run these companies. It is an investment not based just on profit making, but on their health and their future. That is why we are moving ahead with a healthy, happy and proud work force as we expand the economic scope of our country. Sheik Mohammed would rather see a lazy employee moved to a less demanding job or retired with full pay to support his family rather than being fired. If Sheik Mohammed hears that an employee was dismissed without pay, I think he will be distressed a lot.
"This is the kind of investment I am talking about. In one sense, many don't understand it, in another sense it has resulted in attracting more investment in our country. Other investors can pack up and leave if their adventure is not profitable. Sheik Mohammed and family have no such inclination. Their investment comes from the heart and is here to stay for good. There is only one thing I want to say to Mohammed. Continue what you are doing without wavering in your path. Continue your love for your family, your friends, your country like always, without any regrets. There is a certain belief in our country that eulogizes some one after they have passed away instead of honoring them while they are still alive. We have changed that in our company. We identify hard working and successful individuals and compensate them and thank them on the spot. So, we pray to the Almighty God for Sheik Mohammed's long and healthy life, to continue to help his friends and his country and keep enjoying himself while doing it".
In addition to this, Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi is the first one to respond when natural disasters hit, by being the right hand of development organizations in the different regions of the country. Beyond development, would it be too much to say that he has a pure and loving heart which worries for the well-being of all those he comes in contact with, paving the way for their contribution to our universal success?"
"My own personal story starts with a chance encounter that I had with him when he dropped by at my office to make a phone call. My boss, the General Manager of Sheraton Addis was out of the country and I proceeded to open his office for him. Sheik Mohammed refused that and said, "No, let me sit here with you and make my call". I gave him the phone. He proceeded to ask me about my health and my children. I told him I only have one child and all I do is to educate her and do everything for her. He looked at me and said, "From today on, don't worry about her. I will pay for her education". At that moment, I felt like God had just descended from heaven into my life because, I was so desperate at that time. Well, after that, I was able to take her to the United State all expenses paid and enrolled her at the George Mason University in Virginia. She graduated with honors in Biology and joined the Howard University Medical School, in Washington D.C. She will graduate in two years, God willing. In short, he educated one doctor for Ethiopia. I would like to thank Sheik Mohammed from the bottom of my heart for changing my life and my daughter's life. I wish him and his entire family a long life, health, love, peace and happiness."
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi asks all those he sends abroad for education to promise to come back and serve their country. One such Ethiopian is Meron Mengistu. Meron will graduate next year with a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology. Sheik Mohammed believes that the future of Ethiopia is in the hands of its educated youth. To that end, his commitment and support to youth organizations and individuals is boundless. Here are the comments by some of these young entrepreneurs who benefited from his help.
Young women:
"Addis Coffee is a four year old organization. It was established with the help of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. We started with one and we now have five branches and the expansion will continue. With his help, I was able to start the business with 30 employees. I now have 275 employees. "Your dream is to help the young to succeed. Your dream is coming true. We are helping ourselves and helping others. We attribute our success to your generosity. I pray to God for your health and long life".
A young man:
"My line of work is in renting construction equipment. We have a lot of employees who drive heavy trucks and thanks to Sheik Mohammed, our business is growing rapidly. In the name of my employees, my family and myself, I wish him a long and healthy life".
Another young man:
"I have listened to many of his speeches on many occasions. His speeches focus on the youth of our country. He wants to see the youth changed so as to change our country. I wish every one had the opportunity that I had".
Another young man:
"What I believe to be the dream of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi is to leave a successful youth for the next generation. That is what I heard from his speeches. He wishes he could help all. He is not one who lives at a distance or feared and avoided because of his beard or his wealth. He is a down to earth human being with good intentions for us all. Those of us who are lucky enough to get his help will continue to work hard and also help others in the process to make his dream come true."
To protect the honor and dignity of our country and not let her poverty interfere with her central place as Africa's capital, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has fulfilled his obligations and stands as a national treasure. This is what he had to say at the opening ceremony of Sheraton Addis:
"I would like to thank everybody who supported us with this place. This is a gift from my country to the whole of Africa. This is a gift to the whole continent of Africa. It will stay that way and we will keep it that way."
In the area of sports, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has not hesitated to pour his wealth to make Ethiopia the owner of a new history in the making. Beyond helping individual sports people and our national teams, Sheik Mohammed has sponsored the Middle and East African cup for three consecutive years. He has received recognition and multiple awards for his world-wide participation in humanitarian activities. Among these are the gold medal he received from Seth Platter of the Federation of International Football Association and the honorary doctorate degree bestowed on him by the Addis Ababa University.
"I focus more on satisfaction rather than profit making at the expense of my fellow citizens. This perhaps is the main reason why most of my advisors and business associates tell me that I do invest particularly in Ethiopia and in Africa with my heart. Let me tell you a small story. In 1985, my partners came to my office in Riyadh and they said to me "let us invest in Paris and other places." I said Paris is far away. I am telling you this is 20 years ago. I said I would like to start in Africa. They said, "why Africa? There is no stability, there is no peace." I said to them I want to be there first. When other investors come, they open the door and they see me there. Either they join me or they fight me."
We have tried to highlight only a few of the endless love and contributions that this great Ethiopians has made to his country. The number of young people abroad getting their education, the number he has helped with wedding expenses, the many he has pulled out of misery and destitution to success and self sufficiency is countless.
One of the civil servants of Sheik Mohammed's humanitarian concerns says;
"His humanitarian aid extends to the old, the weak and the sick. As a person involved in doing the paper work and arranging the transportation of the sick going for treatment to America, Bangkok or South Africa, I have witnessed the miraculous cure and turn around in the lives of many of these patients. I see Sheik Mohammed as a gift to his country sent to us by the Almighty God."
That is why we repeatedly applaud him and this truth and his story will be etched in the history of our land for ever. In the new Ethiopia, his noble deeds will be passed from generation to generation without losing its flavor. Beyond that, can we thank him enough or be satisfied with any kind of gift?
In our introduction, we had asked about what yardstick to use to measure his generosity. As we conclude our video, we wished that Ethiopia had the ability to voice its opinion. If you say why, it is because we are fragile beings who are bright one moment and gone the next. Instead, we wanted the eternal earth to be the witness. However, we still elected to hear from those who can articulate their story more succinctly.
Because we lack a Heart Center in our country, many young lives have been lost unnecessarily and many more are counting their days. Heart disease in children is especially mean. To combat this, one patriotic Ethiopian starts out with a dream to do something about it. His name is Dr. Belay Abegaz.
" When I first met Sheik Mohammed 18 years ago, he said, "Are you Dr. Belay? Is that you? I have heard a lot about you. I don't know when, but some day I will help you, I will help you well. Take care. Work hard." I said to him, I was doing a simple thing. Even my office is made of a container that I begged for. Since we don't have money, we can't afford to rent. I told him that I did not want to use the money I collected begging to go for rent. He said, " Listen, and let me tell you something. Starting from a house whose ceiling and wall were corrugated iron and the floor dirt, one can achieve greatness." He told me the name of such a person. I made a mental note of that. God willing, in the year 2007, we were able to open the first world class Heart Center here in Ethiopia, while still working from our container offices."
Twelve years ago Mr. Benyam Tilahun, let me mention his name, had gone and told Sheik Mohammed about my plan to take some Ethiopian singers to the US to raise money for my Heart Center. He let me to talk to him on the phone. I told him my plans. He said, "by the way, how much money do you need?". I told him two million dollars. He laughed at me. He said, "You can't build a hospital with two million dollars. I will give you two million dollars. When you need more I will give you more. But, let me tell you something. Go ahead and do your begging abroad. If you have to beg, beg for medical equipment, not money for building a hospital. We Ethiopians should be the ones to build the hospital."
I can in no way pay back for the support I received form the Ethiopian people. But, there are Ethiopians with at least one child. So I started a campaign to raise one dollar for one heart to raise at least 25 million dollars. Sheik Mohammed, in addition to the 8 million he had given me before, he gave me 25 million more just a few days ago. That is a total of 33 million. In addition, most of his organizations in the country gave me 3, 4, 5 million dollars. That makes the gross total to close to 40 million dollars. At a minimum, Sheik Mohammed has paid for 40 million families of my One Dollar for One Heart project. He has made me proud of my people and allowed me to see my dream come true before I die. It has been 28 years in the making and 25 years since my travails began and Sheik Mohammed has made it a reality. Mohammed has stood beside his Ethiopians. Any one who does such good deeds for children is one loved by the Lord. It is not money, it is not wealth. May God allow him to stand beside Him. May God pay him back in kind. I am not the one saying this. It is the children who have become beneficiaries of his generosity. Because of him, our country has become equal to the rest of the world. Let me just digress a little and mention that the only country with a population of 80 million that did not have a heart center was Ethiopia. I can only thank him in the name of these children or else I have no right to talk about this. May their God find him a place next to Himself. I have no other wish for him"
Professor Yonas Kinfe has been serving his country in his profession for over 40 years.
" I describe his help as a "soft" help. It is about preventing immigration out of the country and bringing home those who have immigrated and it is much bigger advantageous for the country than these edifices and construction investments. I would not have been able to expand into research and to travel the world and participate in international forums, if it were not for his tremendous encouragement and financing. This is an investment that is not conspicuous, but prevents brain drain. Sheik Mohammed has allowed me to proudly serve my country and help myself in this profession.
"The other chapter of my life is about my health. Last year, I lost my vision because of retinal detachment. At a time when retirement income is not even sufficient for day to day expenses, Sheik Mohammed came to my rescue and I was sent for an emergency surgery at a world renowned center and gained back my vision. What else can I say other than thank you? There is nothing you can give him in return. May God bless him with more. And that is why He will give him more."
Sheik Mohammed laid the foundation for the history of our musical king, Tilahun Gessese, which would have otherwise been lost and forgotten. Every time Tilahun fell ill, Sheik Mohammed was always there for him. And we continue to have our now fragile Tilahun Gessese.
"He allowed me to be with you now. He is my right hand, my mother and father, my brother and my friend. I have no words to say about him when you ask me. My life was going to be cut short. He came and saved me. I am able to sit, eat, talk and walk, all because of him. I wish him and his family plenty of healthy years."
Bethlehem Abebe is a 27 year old young woman. She was only six months shy of a Sociology degree from Addis Ababa University and her family was preparing for a grand graduation when she suddenly fell ill and started a long fight for her life.
" My problem was with my immune system. My immune system is very aggressive not only to diseases, but also towards my own organs. At one point, I was very sick and in a delirious state, they tell me that I referred to him as my uncle. I truly thank him."
Her Father: " For me, this was something completely unexpected. I had lost hope and had given up. I was waiting for the day when I would carry her to her grave. God had another miracle for me. May he not show me his illness. May I pass away before him. He does not know me, but this is what humanitarian help means. My wish is to meet him some day and thank him in the name of my family. May God bless all that He has given you."
There was no Ethiopian that was not shocked and angered by a horrifying incident that happened to a young girl. Her name is Kamilia Mehadi. She was sent to France by Sheik Mohammed to get a very specialized medical treatment. We were able to talk to her while she was on a brief visit to Ethiopia to see her parents.
"When the doctors saw my picture, they assured me that they will make me much better. What they have done now is just an emergency procedure. I am here to visit my parents. When I go back they will put me back to what I looked before this accident. Sheik Mohammed saved my life and the lives of my family. There is nothing I lack while I am getting treatment. I also get a chance to come and visit my family in between. I don't know how to express my happiness with all this generosity. May Allah reward him for this. My parents and I will always remember him in our daily prayers. May he live a long and healthy life."
And the father says:
"When all that poisonous acid was poured on her body and was burning her and tormenting her beyond belief, Sheik Mohammed came to her rescue. Alhamdulilah! I have no words to express his kindness. He has arrived for her like St. Gabriel to cure her. Alhamdulilah, may the Almighty prolong his life."
And her mother says:
" I told the doctors to take skin from my face and use it for her. They took a piece for testing and told me it does not match. I tried everything to help. Finally, I thought about taking my own life by drinking poison. They told me I was loosing my mind and I was in constant pain. I raised her and put her through school and then this happens. If it were not for Sheik Mohammed's help I would have lost her. He saved all of Ethiopia, not just us. My Allah give him health and long life."
Sofanit Debalke was an Ethiopian beauty working as a hostess with the Ethiopian Airlines. While on vacation to visit her family in America, she came face to face with an unexpected horror of her life, breast cancer! She lost hope. She said farewell to her parents and came back home to count her last days. Sheik Mohammed heard about the ordeals of this young lady and came to her aid.
" As we all know the name itself is very scary. After that fact, I never knew there was a chance for a life. I cried a lot. I had children and I was very sad to realize that I could not remain a mother to them. Sheik Mohammed, my gratitude is so great that I can't thank you enough. May you and your children live long and happy. May God bless you."
Hiwot Yeyesuswork is a mother, who suddenly found herself with breast cancer. All her dreams were coming to an end when Sheik Mohammed showed up in her life. When we met her, she was unable to express her feelings, her pleasures. Her eldest daughter, Belen Legesse, a second year Addis Ababa University student was beside her and came to her rescue.
" It was a Saturday morning when she called me and showed me this lump in her breast. I was panic-stricken, but I reassured her and told her she will be OK. She was tested the following Tuesday and she came home with the devastating news. I had heard about cervical cancer before. I never suspected such a day will come into my family. I had lost hope completely. I never thought I would see the day where she would be sitting next to me like this. It is because of him that this happened. If she were not here, I would not have continued my education. Being the eldest in the family, I would have taken up many household responsibilities. And my mother was not only a mother to me, she is my best friend too. I have hope now and I have her next to me, thanks to Sheik Mohammed. I thank him sincerely in the name of my father and all of my family. I have nothing else to say. He did the unexpected for me. He gave me back my mother. I don't know how else to thank him."
Sheik Mohammed, may Allah bless you.
March 2008
We human beings are created in this world to live our assigned life both in happiness and sorrow. So what is the secret behind the differences in our nature and character? What is the measure of our success? Just like the differences in our creation, our interpretations of the world we live in are also different. This world has allowed us to see a lot and learn a lot. Most of all, we know that those who are blessed are the ones who are the first to come to the service of their country and their people. These are the people who leave their good deeds etched in gold to live from generation to generation. In our present world, there are very few people who can exhibit that degree of dedication. Among those few generous people, Ethiopia has produced one of its own such individual by the name of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. In this short video, we will take just a piece of his magnificent life and try to present it to you.
Born to this famine-stricken and destitute country, where misery and disease have ruled for centuries, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi was able to rise out of this misery, to be among the few richest people on the face of this planet, and also bring respect and hope to Ethiopia.
Born in Dessie and raised in Woldia, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi presently is the richest black man on earth. The 2007 Forbes magazine puts his total assets at eight billion dollars and ranks him at number 86, among the world's billionaires. Such is Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi's status that he brings pride to Ethiopia and allows our flag to fly wherever he is honored.
However, unlike many of these billionaires, worldly luxuries have not spoiled him and tempted him to stay away from the misery of his country of birth. He did not turn his back to the diseased and the poor of his Ethiopia. When the time came, he made his pilgrimage back to Ethiopia to fulfill his promise. He came back with the wealth that he had amassed over a period of many years through hard work. Most of all, he had packed abundant, limitless love for his motherland. This is all a new history for the new Ethiopia. This amazing journey starts right here in the old town of Woldia.
Woldia, the town that nurtured and blessed this national treasure of a man, is located in Northern Wollo zone, about 520km from Addis Ababa. Nowadays, the town is bustling with activity and growing left and right. So we asked this lively town several questions. How did you raise Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi? Who did he rough it up with while growing up? Where did he go to school? And later on where, how, when did you send him away? Woldia opened up its arms wide and invited us to view its surroundings from the comfortable view of its famous land mark, Mt Kore and we saw it all.
One of his childhood friends Wale Mekonnen:
" That Mosque you see in the distance is the location of Mohammed's childhood home. That neighborhood is called Mugad and the area around Kore is called Islam Kebele. He lived there with his parents while going to school at Taitu Butul School. In those days, it was all forest, no homes, very quiet and we came here in groups of 3 or 4 to study. Now, this area has been urbanized and is called Addis Alem (New World), where government officials and other civil servants reside. That flat open area below us is called Mechare Meda. This is a famous landmark and MIDROC calls one of its business neighborhoods by this name. The other landmark you see way out there is Dashen Bank. The people that lived where the new bank was built, were moved to new homes built in what is called MIDROC Neighborhood. They are happy campers!"
We take you now to the childhood home of Sheik Mohammed. Most of the homes are still the same. Sheik Mohammed's parents were business people. They had two connected houses, one for living quarters and the other for their garment business. So, who were his parents? What was their life like?
Their old neighbor, now a town elder, Haji Siraj Adem says this:
"The father of Sheik Mohammed is Sheik Hussein Ali Al Amoudi. His mother is called Rukia Mohammed Yasin. Both were very generous people. The father helped poor people all the time. When a poor man comes to his shop he knows him from a distance and goes to a drawer where he keeps money and just takes out a handful without looking at the amount and hands it to the beggar, pretending like he was shaking his hand. In our religion, you left hand is not supposed to see what your right hand does and that is what we would see him do time and again, as we worked alongside him in the garment shop. So that was what the father was like, always helping the poor.
"His mother had her own special ways. She would ask us to buy sheep for her. She will have it killed and divide the meat in several portions. She will then hide some cash and salt blocks inside the meat and ask us to deliver it to the elderly men and women in the entire neighborhood. She did this regularly.
"Their children are, Sheik Mohammed, brothers Seid, Hassen, Abdella, and Salih and his sisters Tuiba, Nur and Fitum. As the saying goes, the good deeds of his parents have crossed over to the children. God has created them to be useful to humanity."
Very close to Sheik Mohammed's house is the one that belongs to his childhood friend, Mr. Melaku Beza. He tells us about his memories as follows:
" Our neighborhood is Mugar. Growing up with Mohammed meant we walked to school together every morning. We will have our school and our fun all day and walk back from school together. We continued to be together late into the evenings too. In fact, there were these two rocks across from their shop and most evenings we would sit on those rocks and chat and laugh about our day in school, in the moonlight or even in the dark, since there was no electricity. During the day, we played soccer with balls made of cloth or plastic. We had fields lined by eucalypts trees where we played soccer after school.
"Mohammed loved soccer. He was also very good in Math. I think his ability to memorize all these phone numbers throughout the world is because of his Math ability. Even then, he never used a paper and a pencil to do Math problems. He did them all in his head. We were classmates until the eighth grade. "
This is the Etege Taitu Elementary school that was established in 1948. Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi finished elementary school here. At that time, this school auditorium was a famous land mark in Wolida. On Saturdays and Sundays this auditorium fills up to standing room only with people who come to see shows and musical events. And young Mohammed was a famous drummer of the music band. To this day, if he sees a drum he does not pass it.
"This house was the residence of the school director, the Indian Mr. Vias. It has since become a reading room. The current Director, Mr. Mamo Alemayehu has this to say.
" At present, I serve as the school Director for Etege Taitu Bitul full cycle Elementary school. In this school, we have 60 teachers, 5 administrative stuff and 2333 full-time students in 33 classrooms. Since we cannot accommodate every one, we teach in shifts. This has been all possible because of the huge generosity of Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi. The building was falling apart and the fields had become cattle fields. Now, you see the buildings renovated and a large concrete wall surrounds the school. In the name of the school and myself, I would like to send my sincere thanks to Sheik Mohammed."
We asked Etege Taitu Bitul School our last question. Do you have any concrete evidence of Mohammed Hussein's life with you? From a safe drawer came out this antique looking old ledger book. Written so very crisply, was the names of all the students treated between 1957 and 1962, by the school's medical officer, Aba Fenta Gebre. So, the Taitu Bitul of old still lives on with its memories. But that famous Woldia auditorium is no more. In its place stands the new Woldia Cultural Center, all paid for by Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi.
Down the street from Sheik Mohammed's childhood home is the home of his other friend Alem Chekole. He continues the story thus:
"Mohammed has been an activist for a long time. Many people follow him. He has many friends and some follow him to learn from him. Even in school, he had many friends that he helped and some even lived with him. His parents were well to do even then. They had a two-door house; one for living quarters the other for their garment business. Their garment shop also provided burning oil, eating oil, and building material for the entire area.
Any way, one thing I remember distinctly is his love for music. We had these University teachers who came on a national service program to teach us. Among them, I remember Gash Jami Mabi, Solomon Gebre Kristos, and Tsega Zeab Gebre Tatios. These people did not only teach us, but organized us into groups to play soccer and musical instruments. One of these teachers had a Clarinet and with the accompaniment of Jazz instruments and Masinko by a student called Mesfin Kassu, we made great music. Mohammed enjoyed playing in the band and loved that clarinet so much that he bought it for himself when the teachers left. "
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi continues to help Selam School too. The Director of the school:
"This school was built by Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. The school provides elementary school education from grade 1 to grade 8. We have 1,200 students at this school and we are preparing to open grades 9 and 10 next year. We also provide education at Fetah Elementary School for 300 students, for a total of 1,500 students. In addition, we have over 42 feeder schools around Woldia and in the countryside. These schools provide education for 6,000 students ".
Among the famous buildings built by Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi in our country, Nani Building is one of them. This beautifully exquisite building was designed by Architect Habte Gebriel Habte Selassie who is an old friend of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, and who has made a name for himself in the process.
"This is a big undertaking. When Sheik Mohammed gave me this opportunity, I accepted it with great excitement and anticipation. Located at the entrance of the Ghion hotel, it is a 21-story master piece that shows his knowledge and understanding of architecture. It has also given me fame and fortune. His important place has allowed us to be known and our profession to be respected. In building this tower, Mohammed has allowed me to reflect his respect for humanity and my own inner feelings about my work. I have done the same with the Volvo Exhibition tower and the Sara Electric Bulb Company".
After completing 8th grade, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi headed to Weizero Sihin Secondary School in Dessie. After that, he travels to Saudi Arabia and we witness the beginnings of his amazing business success. After completing his education in Saudi Arabia, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi went directly into the construction and real estate business where he first made a name for himself. He grew quickly and diversified into Oil, minerals, agriculture, hotel and tourism and engineering fields. He laid down an investment network in Great Britain, USA, and Scandinavian countries, Eastern Europe, Greece, Middle East, Asia and Africa.
The two major investment arms are the Coral Group and the MIDROC Group and between them employ over 40, 000 people. The MIDROC Group is divided into three parts as MIDROC Europe, MIDROC Middle East and MIDROC Ethiopia and is making significant contributions in the growth and development of these countries and in the improvement of the lives of their peoples. The Coral Group is making huge investments in Europe, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Africa, Angola, Morocco and Scandinavian countries including ownership of the Swedish Prem Petroleum Company. Prem Petroleum is the largest petroleum company in Sweden and provides ¾ of the refined oil needs of the country and ¼ of the needs of the other Nordic countries. Since 2005, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi himself chairs the board of Prem Petroleum and closely guides its progress. This shows how much attention he gives to these investments and as a result, the sales of Prem Petroleum in 2006 were 67.4 billion Kroger.
Prem Petroleum is the owner of two huge oil refineries. These are Premraf Lyski and Premraf Guttenberg. These two refineries have no equal in the world in their cutting edge technology. Between them, they produce 15 million tones of refined oil every year. In addition, these companies lead the refinery work in Morocco and gas and oil explorations in West Africa and North Sea shores.
These major investments are led by Svenska Petroleum Exploration A.B., which is also involved in oil and gas production in Angola, Cote de Voir, Norway and Great Britain. Svenska Petroleum Exploration A.B. is 100% the property of the Swedish Petroleum Company, but all these world-wide investments belong to Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. Because of these and other investments, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi is the major foreign investor in Sweden. In return, King Karl Gustav of Sweden has bestowed on him, the great Royal Order of the Polar Star medal, twice.
MIDROC Europe continues its investment in property development, newer technology areas, in consulting and contracting areas in Scandinavian countries and especially in Germany, France, Poland and Great Britain. This has resulted in its turn over in the past several years to surpass 3.8 billion Kroger. It employs over 2,000 people and continues to expand.
The Middle East part of the MIDROC Global Group is showing tremendous activity in the area of engineering, communication, oil production and trade. As a result it employs over 24,000 people of different nationalities. Its annual turnover has also risen to over 9 billion Kroger.
It is not going to be possible to try to document the world-wide investments of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi in a short video like this. He leads his business by traveling to Europe, America, Middle East and Africa, which adds up to bring him in equal standing to the worlds billionaires. Because his investments have included the development of countries and helping people, he has received many awards throughout the world.
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi travels the world to fulfill his commitments. As a result, he has built many residences in several countries. Because he does most of his work in the air, he has seven different size jet airplanes. He criss crosses the vast oceans with modern luxury liners and speedy yachts. It is the wealth accumulated through such hard work that he decided to come home to Ethiopia with.
After his arrival in Ethiopia, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi started laying down the foundation for developing Ethiopia in different areas. But, before anything else, however, to draw the world's attention to Ethiopia, he built a world famous hotel, the Sheraton Addis. Hence, Sheraton Addis became the symbol for a bright new future for Ethiopia.
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi:
"We have a rich history, our climate is good and the scenery is beautiful. Even though it took us a long time to build this hotel in the capital of Africa, in Addis Ababa, you can see the result by yourselves. Even if I don't tell you how much it cost us, you will understand when you go around and see for yourselves. Up until now, the workers and myself have worked hard on this project. From today on, it belongs to all of you, to receive your guests and for your own entertainment and relaxation".
After that, Ethiopia truly captured the fascination and attention of the world. Before long, Addis Forum conferences were being held at the Sheraton that attracted famous world leaders and businessmen. The wishes of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi were fulfilled. Our country became the central hub of Black Africans.
Why do we say that Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi is the exemplar son of Ethiopia, the redeemer, the benefactor? It is because he has built over 30 different companies worth billions of dollars to help in the basic infrastructure that has given a new possibility of growth and development for a new Ethiopia. The wealth he has poured on this country is not one he will benefit from in his life time. But in our countries history, he will be remembered as a martyr who paid the price for the success of our countries vision.
Dr. Arega Yirdaw, CEO of MIDROC Ethiopia tells it this way:
"The family of Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has invested in over 30 companies in this country. I was given the opportunity to run 14 of these as a holding company, for the first time in the history of this country. This is not only very challenging in terms of running the companies, but also in teaching people the kind of management leadership required to accomplish such a task. Sheik Mohammed's investment in Ethiopia is not only a profit based investment, but also a human investment. It is an investment based on guaranteeing people a job that will bring food to their children and afford them an education. MIDROC has had a huge contribution in this area and the country has been greatly rewarded.
When we look at the overall investment of MIDROC, we have over 15,000 employees. If you multiply this with the family members that are supported by these employees, the numbers are over 60,000. I manage over 50% of the investment and I have over 6,000 employees under me. The investment areas are highly diversified to include mining, agro-industry, real estate, factories, security and protection companies. When we look at all the investments of Sheik Mohammed, it includes several sectors like hotel, health, education and agriculture.
"MIDROC Ethiopia is a Sheik Mohammed and family investment. It is a home boy investment. It is a slightly different investment. Our focus is primarily on the employee. Which means, we are focusing on ways our employees can benefit from their job through education, through making sure their children are fed and educated? Just like the Ethiopianization of the Ethiopian Airlines, we want to prepare our employees and their children to run these companies. It is an investment not based just on profit making, but on their health and their future. That is why we are moving ahead with a healthy, happy and proud work force as we expand the economic scope of our country. Sheik Mohammed would rather see a lazy employee moved to a less demanding job or retired with full pay to support his family rather than being fired. If Sheik Mohammed hears that an employee was dismissed without pay, I think he will be distressed a lot.
"This is the kind of investment I am talking about. In one sense, many don't understand it, in another sense it has resulted in attracting more investment in our country. Other investors can pack up and leave if their adventure is not profitable. Sheik Mohammed and family have no such inclination. Their investment comes from the heart and is here to stay for good. There is only one thing I want to say to Mohammed. Continue what you are doing without wavering in your path. Continue your love for your family, your friends, your country like always, without any regrets. There is a certain belief in our country that eulogizes some one after they have passed away instead of honoring them while they are still alive. We have changed that in our company. We identify hard working and successful individuals and compensate them and thank them on the spot. So, we pray to the Almighty God for Sheik Mohammed's long and healthy life, to continue to help his friends and his country and keep enjoying himself while doing it".
In addition to this, Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi is the first one to respond when natural disasters hit, by being the right hand of development organizations in the different regions of the country. Beyond development, would it be too much to say that he has a pure and loving heart which worries for the well-being of all those he comes in contact with, paving the way for their contribution to our universal success?"
"My own personal story starts with a chance encounter that I had with him when he dropped by at my office to make a phone call. My boss, the General Manager of Sheraton Addis was out of the country and I proceeded to open his office for him. Sheik Mohammed refused that and said, "No, let me sit here with you and make my call". I gave him the phone. He proceeded to ask me about my health and my children. I told him I only have one child and all I do is to educate her and do everything for her. He looked at me and said, "From today on, don't worry about her. I will pay for her education". At that moment, I felt like God had just descended from heaven into my life because, I was so desperate at that time. Well, after that, I was able to take her to the United State all expenses paid and enrolled her at the George Mason University in Virginia. She graduated with honors in Biology and joined the Howard University Medical School, in Washington D.C. She will graduate in two years, God willing. In short, he educated one doctor for Ethiopia. I would like to thank Sheik Mohammed from the bottom of my heart for changing my life and my daughter's life. I wish him and his entire family a long life, health, love, peace and happiness."
Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi asks all those he sends abroad for education to promise to come back and serve their country. One such Ethiopian is Meron Mengistu. Meron will graduate next year with a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology. Sheik Mohammed believes that the future of Ethiopia is in the hands of its educated youth. To that end, his commitment and support to youth organizations and individuals is boundless. Here are the comments by some of these young entrepreneurs who benefited from his help.
Young women:
"Addis Coffee is a four year old organization. It was established with the help of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi. We started with one and we now have five branches and the expansion will continue. With his help, I was able to start the business with 30 employees. I now have 275 employees. "Your dream is to help the young to succeed. Your dream is coming true. We are helping ourselves and helping others. We attribute our success to your generosity. I pray to God for your health and long life".
A young man:
"My line of work is in renting construction equipment. We have a lot of employees who drive heavy trucks and thanks to Sheik Mohammed, our business is growing rapidly. In the name of my employees, my family and myself, I wish him a long and healthy life".
Another young man:
"I have listened to many of his speeches on many occasions. His speeches focus on the youth of our country. He wants to see the youth changed so as to change our country. I wish every one had the opportunity that I had".
Another young man:
"What I believe to be the dream of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi is to leave a successful youth for the next generation. That is what I heard from his speeches. He wishes he could help all. He is not one who lives at a distance or feared and avoided because of his beard or his wealth. He is a down to earth human being with good intentions for us all. Those of us who are lucky enough to get his help will continue to work hard and also help others in the process to make his dream come true."
To protect the honor and dignity of our country and not let her poverty interfere with her central place as Africa's capital, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has fulfilled his obligations and stands as a national treasure. This is what he had to say at the opening ceremony of Sheraton Addis:
"I would like to thank everybody who supported us with this place. This is a gift from my country to the whole of Africa. This is a gift to the whole continent of Africa. It will stay that way and we will keep it that way."
In the area of sports, Sheik Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has not hesitated to pour his wealth to make Ethiopia the owner of a new history in the making. Beyond helping individual sports people and our national teams, Sheik Mohammed has sponsored the Middle and East African cup for three consecutive years. He has received recognition and multiple awards for his world-wide participation in humanitarian activities. Among these are the gold medal he received from Seth Platter of the Federation of International Football Association and the honorary doctorate degree bestowed on him by the Addis Ababa University.
"I focus more on satisfaction rather than profit making at the expense of my fellow citizens. This perhaps is the main reason why most of my advisors and business associates tell me that I do invest particularly in Ethiopia and in Africa with my heart. Let me tell you a small story. In 1985, my partners came to my office in Riyadh and they said to me "let us invest in Paris and other places." I said Paris is far away. I am telling you this is 20 years ago. I said I would like to start in Africa. They said, "why Africa? There is no stability, there is no peace." I said to them I want to be there first. When other investors come, they open the door and they see me there. Either they join me or they fight me."
We have tried to highlight only a few of the endless love and contributions that this great Ethiopians has made to his country. The number of young people abroad getting their education, the number he has helped with wedding expenses, the many he has pulled out of misery and destitution to success and self sufficiency is countless.
One of the civil servants of Sheik Mohammed's humanitarian concerns says;
"His humanitarian aid extends to the old, the weak and the sick. As a person involved in doing the paper work and arranging the transportation of the sick going for treatment to America, Bangkok or South Africa, I have witnessed the miraculous cure and turn around in the lives of many of these patients. I see Sheik Mohammed as a gift to his country sent to us by the Almighty God."
That is why we repeatedly applaud him and this truth and his story will be etched in the history of our land for ever. In the new Ethiopia, his noble deeds will be passed from generation to generation without losing its flavor. Beyond that, can we thank him enough or be satisfied with any kind of gift?
In our introduction, we had asked about what yardstick to use to measure his generosity. As we conclude our video, we wished that Ethiopia had the ability to voice its opinion. If you say why, it is because we are fragile beings who are bright one moment and gone the next. Instead, we wanted the eternal earth to be the witness. However, we still elected to hear from those who can articulate their story more succinctly.
Because we lack a Heart Center in our country, many young lives have been lost unnecessarily and many more are counting their days. Heart disease in children is especially mean. To combat this, one patriotic Ethiopian starts out with a dream to do something about it. His name is Dr. Belay Abegaz.
" When I first met Sheik Mohammed 18 years ago, he said, "Are you Dr. Belay? Is that you? I have heard a lot about you. I don't know when, but some day I will help you, I will help you well. Take care. Work hard." I said to him, I was doing a simple thing. Even my office is made of a container that I begged for. Since we don't have money, we can't afford to rent. I told him that I did not want to use the money I collected begging to go for rent. He said, " Listen, and let me tell you something. Starting from a house whose ceiling and wall were corrugated iron and the floor dirt, one can achieve greatness." He told me the name of such a person. I made a mental note of that. God willing, in the year 2007, we were able to open the first world class Heart Center here in Ethiopia, while still working from our container offices."
Twelve years ago Mr. Benyam Tilahun, let me mention his name, had gone and told Sheik Mohammed about my plan to take some Ethiopian singers to the US to raise money for my Heart Center. He let me to talk to him on the phone. I told him my plans. He said, "by the way, how much money do you need?". I told him two million dollars. He laughed at me. He said, "You can't build a hospital with two million dollars. I will give you two million dollars. When you need more I will give you more. But, let me tell you something. Go ahead and do your begging abroad. If you have to beg, beg for medical equipment, not money for building a hospital. We Ethiopians should be the ones to build the hospital."
I can in no way pay back for the support I received form the Ethiopian people. But, there are Ethiopians with at least one child. So I started a campaign to raise one dollar for one heart to raise at least 25 million dollars. Sheik Mohammed, in addition to the 8 million he had given me before, he gave me 25 million more just a few days ago. That is a total of 33 million. In addition, most of his organizations in the country gave me 3, 4, 5 million dollars. That makes the gross total to close to 40 million dollars. At a minimum, Sheik Mohammed has paid for 40 million families of my One Dollar for One Heart project. He has made me proud of my people and allowed me to see my dream come true before I die. It has been 28 years in the making and 25 years since my travails began and Sheik Mohammed has made it a reality. Mohammed has stood beside his Ethiopians. Any one who does such good deeds for children is one loved by the Lord. It is not money, it is not wealth. May God allow him to stand beside Him. May God pay him back in kind. I am not the one saying this. It is the children who have become beneficiaries of his generosity. Because of him, our country has become equal to the rest of the world. Let me just digress a little and mention that the only country with a population of 80 million that did not have a heart center was Ethiopia. I can only thank him in the name of these children or else I have no right to talk about this. May their God find him a place next to Himself. I have no other wish for him"
Professor Yonas Kinfe has been serving his country in his profession for over 40 years.
" I describe his help as a "soft" help. It is about preventing immigration out of the country and bringing home those who have immigrated and it is much bigger advantageous for the country than these edifices and construction investments. I would not have been able to expand into research and to travel the world and participate in international forums, if it were not for his tremendous encouragement and financing. This is an investment that is not conspicuous, but prevents brain drain. Sheik Mohammed has allowed me to proudly serve my country and help myself in this profession.
"The other chapter of my life is about my health. Last year, I lost my vision because of retinal detachment. At a time when retirement income is not even sufficient for day to day expenses, Sheik Mohammed came to my rescue and I was sent for an emergency surgery at a world renowned center and gained back my vision. What else can I say other than thank you? There is nothing you can give him in return. May God bless him with more. And that is why He will give him more."
Sheik Mohammed laid the foundation for the history of our musical king, Tilahun Gessese, which would have otherwise been lost and forgotten. Every time Tilahun fell ill, Sheik Mohammed was always there for him. And we continue to have our now fragile Tilahun Gessese.
"He allowed me to be with you now. He is my right hand, my mother and father, my brother and my friend. I have no words to say about him when you ask me. My life was going to be cut short. He came and saved me. I am able to sit, eat, talk and walk, all because of him. I wish him and his family plenty of healthy years."
Bethlehem Abebe is a 27 year old young woman. She was only six months shy of a Sociology degree from Addis Ababa University and her family was preparing for a grand graduation when she suddenly fell ill and started a long fight for her life.
" My problem was with my immune system. My immune system is very aggressive not only to diseases, but also towards my own organs. At one point, I was very sick and in a delirious state, they tell me that I referred to him as my uncle. I truly thank him."
Her Father: " For me, this was something completely unexpected. I had lost hope and had given up. I was waiting for the day when I would carry her to her grave. God had another miracle for me. May he not show me his illness. May I pass away before him. He does not know me, but this is what humanitarian help means. My wish is to meet him some day and thank him in the name of my family. May God bless all that He has given you."
There was no Ethiopian that was not shocked and angered by a horrifying incident that happened to a young girl. Her name is Kamilia Mehadi. She was sent to France by Sheik Mohammed to get a very specialized medical treatment. We were able to talk to her while she was on a brief visit to Ethiopia to see her parents.
"When the doctors saw my picture, they assured me that they will make me much better. What they have done now is just an emergency procedure. I am here to visit my parents. When I go back they will put me back to what I looked before this accident. Sheik Mohammed saved my life and the lives of my family. There is nothing I lack while I am getting treatment. I also get a chance to come and visit my family in between. I don't know how to express my happiness with all this generosity. May Allah reward him for this. My parents and I will always remember him in our daily prayers. May he live a long and healthy life."
And the father says:
"When all that poisonous acid was poured on her body and was burning her and tormenting her beyond belief, Sheik Mohammed came to her rescue. Alhamdulilah! I have no words to express his kindness. He has arrived for her like St. Gabriel to cure her. Alhamdulilah, may the Almighty prolong his life."
And her mother says:
" I told the doctors to take skin from my face and use it for her. They took a piece for testing and told me it does not match. I tried everything to help. Finally, I thought about taking my own life by drinking poison. They told me I was loosing my mind and I was in constant pain. I raised her and put her through school and then this happens. If it were not for Sheik Mohammed's help I would have lost her. He saved all of Ethiopia, not just us. My Allah give him health and long life."
Sofanit Debalke was an Ethiopian beauty working as a hostess with the Ethiopian Airlines. While on vacation to visit her family in America, she came face to face with an unexpected horror of her life, breast cancer! She lost hope. She said farewell to her parents and came back home to count her last days. Sheik Mohammed heard about the ordeals of this young lady and came to her aid.
" As we all know the name itself is very scary. After that fact, I never knew there was a chance for a life. I cried a lot. I had children and I was very sad to realize that I could not remain a mother to them. Sheik Mohammed, my gratitude is so great that I can't thank you enough. May you and your children live long and happy. May God bless you."
Hiwot Yeyesuswork is a mother, who suddenly found herself with breast cancer. All her dreams were coming to an end when Sheik Mohammed showed up in her life. When we met her, she was unable to express her feelings, her pleasures. Her eldest daughter, Belen Legesse, a second year Addis Ababa University student was beside her and came to her rescue.
" It was a Saturday morning when she called me and showed me this lump in her breast. I was panic-stricken, but I reassured her and told her she will be OK. She was tested the following Tuesday and she came home with the devastating news. I had heard about cervical cancer before. I never suspected such a day will come into my family. I had lost hope completely. I never thought I would see the day where she would be sitting next to me like this. It is because of him that this happened. If she were not here, I would not have continued my education. Being the eldest in the family, I would have taken up many household responsibilities. And my mother was not only a mother to me, she is my best friend too. I have hope now and I have her next to me, thanks to Sheik Mohammed. I thank him sincerely in the name of my father and all of my family. I have nothing else to say. He did the unexpected for me. He gave me back my mother. I don't know how else to thank him."
Sheik Mohammed, may Allah bless you.
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