Meles: From rags to riches

I was very
much surprised when I read a recent report on the internet that the ‘net
worth’ of the late Ethiopian prime minister was $3 billion. What is going
on, guys? My goodness, how on earth ‘the poor prime minister in the world
who was reportedly described two months ago as earning not more than $300 per
month on a government payroll’ achieve such a wealthiest status?! So why
does the TPLF-led mafia beg for the building of “Great Renaissance Dam”
from the poor folks you and me?! Do they know it? If not here is the news, man!
“Meles Zenawi Asres has $3 billion net worth”. It is not me but that
is what The Richest website said. Is it part of the legacy that we should
inherit? Or else, Take action!!

Many of us
in Ethiopia used to believe that the richest man in our country was Mohammud Ali Alamudi. Indeed he
is but our late top man was not a bystander. As compared to this story I feel Alamudi is the most generous business tycoon helping
thousands to live a better life with the money he gets inside Ethiopia. I wish
many more others in the Ethiopian business community get the best opportunity
in the country’s resources and grow like him. But I do not expect my
prime minister to compete Alamudi
and take away our money while he used to tell us that “the country’s
shame is birthed in poverty”. Is your action not more shameful, wodi Zenawi?! The news unfolding
proved that agony of “the thieves within the establishment”, in the
late premier’s own words, used to have been starting at the top. What
happened to this magical month May?! What is the purpose of the current anti
corruption theatre in the face of this news? What could be the rationale preying
foul of 3 million birr while the $3 billion net worth is out there?!

Politics or economics?

In the
last couple of weeks what the Ethiopian government media had been telling us was
that the anticorruption stance of the regime is gaining momentum. Equally, the
pro government private media outlets in the country are joining the chorus reporting
that there are complaints on the widespread inhuman treatment of the alleged
criminals. This leads me to comment on what is motivating the current rush to
incriminate folks in the establishment. I believe that which is in play here is
more of politics than economics. There are three reasons to think so. In the
first place comes who is behind the operation.  At the heart of the operation are the
long and heavy hands of Bereket and Getachew. Both of them consider themselves as members in
the generation of “the punching pads” who claim the prime
responsibility to defend the Meles legacy.  And that legacy in practice turned out
to be more and more not about class but about clones. If one sees this single
incident of alleged corruption for instance, one wing of the leading TPLF mafia
and its cohorts has been firmly implanting the parasitic network of looters as
prescribed by the revolutionary democracy ‘bible’ based on kins in the same fashion as the political structure.

In the
second place are the alleged culprits. In normal circumstances all evils are
doomed to be cursed. People who did corrupt practices are evils as far as
building the greater Ethiopia is concerned. This means those up in the echelon
should have also been held accountable. The problem with this operation however
is the “big evils”–the divisive devils of present day Ethiopia, the
ruling mafia—are being still left with their monstrous actions of kin
selections where the seemingly ‘bigger’ ones are as usual
sacrificed from the puppet ANDM. The ongoing action is presumably a fight on
corruption but surely with TPLF induced kin-based equation. Those who are put
under custody are the rank and file segments of the TPLF mafia. So the equation
becomes: save those with us, delete those with them!

The third
reason is the inhuman nature of the process of the corruption drama. Some of
the alleged culprits are complaining for the restoration of their immune right
and the right to be treated humanely in the prison. In fact it is naïve to
expect humanity from this regime. Impunity is always the pattern of the regime
especially the intelligence and security apparatus. TPLF had never had a humane
track record. Playing with the sufferings of others, humiliating personalities
in the face of their children and traumatizing them etc. is the sine qua none
of TPLF intelligence and security machinery. But the message in this
operation’s inhumanity is for the embryonic ‘anja’
who are seeking reforms within the ruling party to “stay silent,
stop” otherwise they will face the same fate not only on corruption
pretexts but also to be labeled as traitors and terrorist conspirators from
within. Don’t forget that Prime Minister Hailemariam
Desalegn in his recent report to the parliament
answering to the expulsion of the Amharas from Benshangul consciously recognized such dissenters from
within as “yeoneg amelekaket
teshekamiwoch”/carriers of OLF’s
political stances/ and partially shifted the blame on them. This branding of
“teshekamiwoch” has its own ethnic
facets. For the Amhara for instance if he shows some
differences he would be branded as “ye ginbot sebate amelekaket teshekami”/carriers of Ginbot
7 political stance/. This is the brand cooked at the epicenter of the woyane ethno-politics. Therefore in this corruption fight pomposity,
the heads in the mafia wing are never touched and I think will never be touched
in the foreseeable future (as far as the stronger TPLF mafia is relinquished)
because the other mafia wing needs this scenario for a calculated compromise to
deter the politico- economic suicidal game. The reason behind the case of
Justice Minister Birhan’s fate, once expelled
from office, to stay in limbo is part of the riddle to be solved in the drama.

Thus, the
question we are forced to ask now must be “has the operation been halted?”
Further up, most likely yes!! Horizontally, most likely no!!!Further down, most
likely no (with sectoral variations)!!!! What is in
it for the country and the people of Ethiopia as far as this operation is
concerned then? It is a face saving gesture for EPRDF wrapping a diversionary
poison pill for freedom fighters within the country and the people of Ethiopia.
The promise of a strong and democratic Ethiopia is in the hands of us,
Ethiopians in unison. Watch about the gimmicks, Awake!