By Samuel Estefanous
(estefanoussamuel@yahoo.com)
In its 10 August 2026 edition BBC Amharic treated us to unusual news. In Ethiopia, domestic demand for flowers is growing at an unexpected rate. Unique breeds of Ethiopians are willing to part with half a million birr to purchase a bouquet of flowers to grace a traditional pre-wedding low key event. After a couple of days the flower wilts and becomes a waste management headache-half a million birr gone just like that.
Reporter Amharic caught on the trending news and came up with its own version of the booming flower market in the country. According to the report a single stem of rose costs more than one thousand birr and a bouquet consisting of six or seven strands could cost between seven and twenty thousand birr for the ‘less fortunate’ in town. You see, packaging isn’t cheap either.
If sustainable, naturally it is a thriving business that could create jobs for the urban youth and the supply chain isn’t negligible in terms of generating income. That is impossible to miss, the point here is otherwise. To begin with as one of the few bulk export items local consumption isn’t something to be commended just like in the case of coffee. Secondly local capital is expended on non basic consumables instead of being invested on something productive. Economists tell volumes regarding low capital formation of the ‘hedonistic treadmill expenditure’, particularly in struggling in low income economies like Ethiopia.
Anyway, both the two above reliable news outlets also covered the horrors of hunger displacing millions from Tselemet down to the rift valley lowlands. Involuntarily as it is I remember saying to myself I was glad the reports are filed in Amharic knowing very well that the ferenjis have a pretty good idea of the absurdity-particularly when it comes to the cycle of famine and the tragedy of hunger haunting us with no visible break in the foreseeable future.
Forget the economics, the shifting image from famine induced death reported in North Gondar to a half million birr flower bouquet in Addis is symbolic of major social and system breakdown.
A land of disagreeable Contrasts
Take the Premier. The way PP’s rising media starlet Fedila Biya characterized him one would assume he is second only to the Messiah. Moses delivered us from the wrath of the Pharaoh; her birthday wish was nothing less than a hymn of excellence composed in a state of euphoria. I have no doubt in my heart she meant every word of it.
At another desk somewhere in North America or Europe where diaspora communities freely share loss and diatribe he is depicted like a conniving savage maniac with a hidden agenda to ruin the Nation and they literally beseech him ‘…let our people go!’ The way Moses and Aaron had pleaded with Pharaoh. The truth is missed in between the two polarized extreme views and the country is paying the ultimate price lost to the golden mean as it is.
Fedila Biya and other groupies of the Premier forget the simple fact that as a parliamentary democracy the Premier assumes political power on the strength of the program of his party. More or less he is the spokesperson of the party in question.
Bottom-line election is about the contending parties and not leaders of government. People elect the party; the party bequeaths to the people its leader. In such circumstances there is little room for the Premier to stand out as a towering messianic figure. Remember the bickering between Bereket Simon and Hailemariam Desalegn. Berket to this day argues that it was the weakness of Hailemariam which had enfeebled and weakened the government. Hailemariam on the contrary blamed the leadership of EPRDF which had reduced his role to ceremonial status.
The Sickening rhetoric- ‘Finfine or Death’
Makes one declaim, however lamely, a line or two from Hamlet, ‘What is he to Hecuba and Hecuba to him’? I mean what is behind this theatrical posturing contending like losing Addis is tantamount to losing the soul of Oromia? I have got a question for those who are ready to compose a mournful dirge. How could one lose something he never had exclusively? What is the point of antagonizing the Oromo nation and people like this?
The fact of the matter is this indefensible blind drive has put the Amhara National Movement and EZEMA in a precarious position. Now they are unwillingly disembarking from the Prosperity Chariot one after another. If it knows what is good for it, PP wouldn’t alienate these two Parties and their respective leaders. In terms of bankable political capital, a single EZEMA or ANM member is a thousand times more valuable to PP than one of its 14+million members.
In the event you have missed it, the only thing ordinary Oromos get from this blunder is mistrust and isolation-talk of double jeopardy! I mean unless this whole thing is about the vicious cycle of “ሆድ መሙላት እንደ ስልቻ፤ በልቶ ለመበላት ብቻ” for the selected handful. (Incidentally I liked the latter verse better in Tsegaye Gerbremedhin’s inimitable Amharic rendition of the Shakespearean classic to the English original).
All is not lost, though; thank God there are rational reasonable voices to counter the toxic effect of the rhetoric. Two thumbs up for Professor H. Gabisa for courageously offering to be counted out in the quest to claim Addis for Oromia, ‘you won’t find me among the ranks’ he had said.
Look Dr. Lenjesso’s, a published academic cum noted opinion leader amongst the Oromo elite, goes on record contending that the City government of Addis Ababa should be under the tutelage and jurisdiction of the Oromia Regional State. How ironic! It was a deliberate statement. The timing was unfortunate, terrible and rather irresponsible. Now we have come to learn he was voicing the concerted, organized and dominating interest group among the elites however small the circle is.
The sad thing is the unmitigated sickening rhetoric is breeding extreme voices from another end. This group has begun to talk about ‘title deed’ in good earnest. Not virtual or one charted in one’s own fertile imagination but actual title deed of Addis Ababa-the City, not of Fin-fine the grazing meadow.
They are saying if we are talking about a City, let us talk about the City! One which was founded and built by Ethiopian chieftains irrespective of ethnicity! The former Cause of Action is long gone extinct in legal parlance. Now they are further talking about relocating at least a segment of the Regional Capital of ANRS to Addis. Where in God’s good name is this going to stop? I still keep my fingers crossed for the Dialogue Commission to deliver us from the impending conflict.
Patriotism or Sedition?
I believe no honest Ethiopian would cheer seeing Eritrean troops marching into the Sovereign territory of the FDRE unhindered. Did I say unhindered? Why were they welcome to the beating of drums and elaborate ululations. Loving their country as much as they do, I bet even the Eritreans would look down on us when we cheer them on to march deep into Ethiopian Sovereign territory. If you ask me, without batting an eye lid I would say-that is patriotism gone amiss.
No self-respecting Ethiopian should keep the prefix Patriot before his name after colluding with the State of Eritrea in the latter’s blatant reckless attempt to defile hallowed grounds of Ethiopian territory. I say hallowed because that part of the country has soaked in much sacred blood of its native sons and daughters fallen in its defense from time immemorial.
God Bless.
The writer can 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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