By Samuel Estefanous
We laughed till we gasped for air. I guess that is what one does when the impropriety transitions to the domain of the grotesque and becomes so despicable that words wouldn’t characterize it. In the event you haven’t figured it out yet it is about CBE. Only a couple of months ago the Premier told us that the Bank was held firm in a brutal death throes and the government needed to knock at the doors of IMF and the World Bank to salvage it. You know to bail it out the way the Obama Administration had bailed out US Banks during the epic financial sector meltdown a decade and half years ago.
Except for the diehard ‘see no evil hear no evil’ blind folded loyalist You Tubers even the infamous Afe’ Caesars were mortally offended. One (who happens to be artlessly honest unlike the slickers) spoke for the rest of us when he said something like the existing CBE logo is worth billions of dollars in terms of trade good will. Makes one wonder what kinds of dilettantes are holding the position and roles of skippers at the Bank. They are expending 600 million birr to destroy a billion dollar wealth encapsulated in that eye-catching very familiar trade mark embossed on our collective memory. They don’t even realize that the logo represents not just CBE but the entire banking business in the country.
‘But why?’ We tried to fathom the motive. I mean the Bank is in dire straits as it is and it goes on ruining resources full throttle? We discussed many scenarios not excepting one alluding to the possibility of the administration being infiltrated by extremists to make the government look bad. Just to be on the fair side while discussing scenarios, you know. Some conjecture a bleak scenario. The Art of the Deal to amass unearned income according to EPRDF’s book of engagement is to create a fancy project…
1 – EPRDF’S Enduring Legacy
When corruption under EPRDF reached its natural tipping point it was able to establish a parallel government and whistle blowers were declared enemies of state worse than seditionists bearing arms. The tribal confederation espoused corruption like a festering wound breeds maggots. All an EPRDFite caught in the act needed to do was take cover behind his/her respective tribe and sad as it is, the tribal network protects its outlaws as well as it speaks for its honest sons and daughters.
‘At least the wealth stays in the community’ the honorable Elders reason. In this respect if PP truly means to break up the tribal confederation- de jure et de facto- it has a good chance of staying afloat. Otherwise its fate is pretty much charted out for it by the enduring legacy of EPRDF. In books reviewing corruption, the way the system works is defined in text book detail. They call it ‘creating a solid management team’ that doesn’t include any independent minded member capable of breaking ranks or broaching challenging ideas. Then the team is anchored to the big brothers-safely networked-to avoid any semblance of accountability. To understand it better one can simply read insider briefs by the likes of Berhan Tsigab or Bereket Simon or listen to their interviews. It creeps out one dead cold. All you could say is ‘who are these sick people!?’
In the early days of the 2018 popular movement we were marveled seeing EPRDF burst open from inside out. Its stinking innards were spilled out for all to see. Ethiopians stopped their noses and turned away-disgusted! All the maggots walked out of the broken slimy shell with eyes down cast shame dripping from every pore of their bodies. Some pleaded ‘mea culpa’ and apologized, the principal ones were sent packing to prison. The country celebrated. The savage fearsome parallel government exclusively run by TPLF was broken and the government was relocated to Mekelle. The weak pathetic figurehead ‘Vichy’ government of Hailemariam was dismantled. Hope reigned.
2 – ‘ባይተዋር ትዉልድ’ (The Alienated Lost Cynical Generation)
We assumed a new dawn had broken bright under the Ethiopian sky. We were proven dead wrong. Sadly we are making out unmistakable traces of deja vu. Ruling by intimidation is going legit. Early in the morning I read EZEMA’s press release and knowing how loyal it is to the incumbent, its statement made me cringe. You know why? It spoke larger volume than it actually divulged. In the face of all these tragedies the Premier is busy coining yet another list of outlandish obscure phraseology.
The only one I found relatable was ‘ባይተዋር ትዉልድ’. Dear Dr.Abiy, your trying to define Ethiopia’s version of the demographic segments from the Roaring Twenties to Generation Alpha is uncharacteristic of the reality. In the past five decades we have known only one Generation- the alienated lost and cynical generation. I wish he were to re-focus on Questions that matter. Otherwise we all heard how much the Premier had belittled the cancerous corruption that is choking the living light out of the country by denying trends of state capture in the country. He didn’t even realize how his statement is going to roll back the recent legislative endeavors meant to arrest the state capture in its infancy. Let us be honest, he wouldn’t even enforce the existing law obliging government officials to make their respective ownership public.
Officials are so emboldened that good meaning journalists are afraid to ask basic introductory questions like ‘what is your take on the popular grievance regarding unauthorized collection of contributions from the hard pressed residents?’. One such Shum-Scholar took offence and dismissed the question ‘ሽንኩርትና ድንች አስር እጥፍ ሲጨምር ዝም ብላችሁ…..I swear to God reading the report on TIKVAH I was so dumbfounded that I tried to google the official and understood the root problem-EPRDFism hasn’t bred out yet. Its notorious alumni are running the government. I guess all isn’t lost. In all honesty a government loyalist you tuber I follow is doing a good job of busting officials caught in the act of corruption but some of the protest comments published beneath the video reveal the sense of entitlement holding currency in the country; while not denying the crime they observe ‘how come you had lost voice during the reign of Woyane….’ Talk of entitlement! I bet only when it is too late will they have their lesson in history- those who live by corruption perish by corruption.
God Bless
Samuel Estefanous could be reached at : estefanoussamuel@yahoo.com
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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