Did you people also strike oil recently?” I ask Mekonnen, my Ethiopian friend after we had driven across a large part but small portion of the vast, landlocked country.
“No no no, no oil,” he answers emphatically.
I ask about any other mineral wealth but nothing astounding is apparent. I tried some quick research in offices and on the Internet. But nothing could easily explain the construction boom going on in Ethiopia. Highways, railways, and of course dams, especially the Renaissance Dam.
For several days, Mekonnen takes me very close to the ground, meeting very ordinary people today, the elite the next day, eating all Ethiopian foods (the cooked variety) and drinking local wine from glasses that have a very narrow opening – to slow down the rate of intake, I am told.
Everyone I ask about the apparent new wealth that is powering the infrastructure boom says it is government tax revenues and donations. But even if the revenue authority is very efficient, there is a limit to what you can collect from these poor people. The biggest wealth seems to be the 50 million heads of poor quality cattle, which is not much for a population of 85 million. I remain puzzled.
I get the answer on my last evening in the New Flower – that is what Addis Ababa means. And guess what, the answer comes from a Ugandan. I meet this very senior Ugandan, who for obvious reasons shall remain unnamed, and I put the question that I have been asking all around.
“It is simple really,” answers the Ugandan. “While we struck oil, these people struck a vision.” “C’mon…” I protest, using the Ugandan’s official title. “There has to be a secret that is powering this construction besides a mere vision!”
“That’s the problem with us,” says the Ugandan. “In Uganda ‘vision’ is a mere blurred word from the mouth while here it is a real guiding principle. This country is poor but public funds go to the intended purpose. Grand corruption is not allowed.”
Before I can talk, the Ugandan continues, “Because big people here are not allowed to steal, everyone from donors to small taxpayers is encouraged to give the government money. In Ethiopia, money put in the government’s hands is safe. A clear vision and a clean government is the oil that the Ethiopians have struck.”
It all suddenly sinks in. I begin to understand how the Ethiopians are constructing a power dam that will generate 5,250 MW at a cost of a ‘mere’ Euro 3.3 billion from their annual budgets, which works out to about $800,000 a MW.
To imagine, using Hilary Onek’s figures, that Uganda uses about $7 million to create one MW capacity, I want to hide my face. What is wrong with us? And the Ethiopians are attaining all this infrastructure development without waiting for a lucky oil strike! Trouble with waiting for oil money to build a dam is that your Central Bank governor can forget where he kept the oil money and insist he used it to buy weapons, and life goes on.
Ethiopians are poor and the public servants’ salary is nothing to write home about. But the donors trust Ethiopia more than countries with a ‘free press’ and argumentative parliaments. And people are not stopped from going out to work in ‘freer democracies’ the way donors define them. In fact, for a country that has no colonial links, Ethiopia has a large Diaspora population. The dizzying number of Western Union outlets is testimony to this. Otherwise, there are no foreign banks here. All commercial banking must be done by Ethiopians.
Ethiopians were never colonised and have always dealt with external military threats effectively. But in addition, their military is economically useful. The army engages in real production rather than just talking about it and wasting taxpayer’s money in ghost ventures. Their army is now assembling buses to beef up the public transport.
A week’s tour has taught me a lot about the determination of the Ethiopian leadership. But I cannot get their quest for a green economy and clean energy out of my head.
I think of our energy officials fumbling before Parliament, burning millions of dollars on one-off thermal power generation of a few Megawatts. Rather than hanging around boardrooms and hotels abroad, why don’t they visit the Ethiopian Embassy in Kampala for some sensible answers to electricity production?
buwembo@gmail.com
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hackaddis
December 1, 2011
dudes what the heck is your problem esp ()
first off all what no one(one with understanding) denies is that Ethiopia is Growing and the other is that .. No mater what our differences are weather its political or just basic policy difference when it comes to our country we Ethiopians has always stood together as one that’s our pride reach or poor..
and one thing about you say’n the government being the no 1 corrupt government in the whole world ….dude do you even read papers or even hear news .. the government is working his ass to find and punish those involved in this kind of activity plus they are try’n hard to educate the young generation about corruption and its problems ..the problem is not with the government as a whole the problem is with people like you who don’t have the vision to see a wealthy Ethiopia as a whole rather they see them selves prospering ….
any ways what I believe is work hard(even though sometimes you hardly get what you deserve) ,think as a whole (not just for your selves) ..don’t be conservative whether politically or ideally (after all this is Africa and we don’t have the luxury to choose) …
craig
November 29, 2011
But you have tons of potash?????
Nels
November 29, 2011
Very inspiring article. Africa should unite. We should start to focus how we can use our natural and human resources in the manner of self determination for our prosperity. We should not longer allow others to exploit our resources. Africa should be a continent where people have the hope and opportunity to grow up and develop. That is the only way to kip human capital in the continent and to stop brain drain. Thank you for this article.
concerned
November 29, 2011
I’m saying if you want to talk Ethiopia, let’s talk Ethiopia. Why would you bring Eritrea as there is not a single reference on the original article about Eritrea. Ok, the Ethiopian teacher has different views than yours! Than attack his views. Why on earth would you feel the Eritrean reference would support your case. I checked what you wrote again. So let me quote you “….you could be an Eritean where seeing a developed Ethiopia be shame for you as your country is suffering a lot….”. How could an ordinary and honest Eritrean be ashamed b/c Ethiopia is developing. That might be true for the Eritrean government but you should differentiate the people with the Government. There are those Eritreans who wish ill for Ethiopia and there are those who wish peace and prosperity for both countries. I didn’t “Twist” anything. Sir/Madam, I respect your views and most of what you wrote originally is right. But I felt that some of your points where extreme. I share the love you clearly have for Ethiopia.
concerned
November 29, 2011
Wedi Asmara, I gather u get your informations via your government and some other rouge interest group news “agencies”. Ok, let’s say the government is corrupt, but claiming that u know better about the corruption in our country better than the writer of the article is just laughable. If there is a corruption u sure shouldn’t be the one pointing it out to us. And as for the Ethiopian teacher, I respect your views as I believe they are motivated by economic agenda and not a personal one. the Filipino argument is just a case of seeking out the similarities u desire. U find what u seek. Infrastructure is poor in this country and if there is to be growth that is beyond mediocre small scale improvement in the old way of doing business we have to invest big in our road network, rail network, dams and huge factories and mechanized farming. U can study any successful country that has advanced economy and you’ll see they first invested heavily on infrastructure. Case in point, the US rail network. And I believe many of the buildings you talk about in Addis are owned by the private sector and thus not built by public debt. I just want to point out to you that world bank estimates the philipins economy to be the 18th largest in the world by 2015, not too shabby. I personally believe South Korea would be a great model for our country in the economic sense. But you go to extremes when you talk about the Ethiopian people competing with vultures for garbage, true or not there is such a thing as defending the dignity and honer of your country. If u believe the Government is not capable of defending your country’s honer than at least you should try your bit. You just encourage stereotypical views of life in Ethiopia with that kind of emotional writing. And the Ethiopia first guy just goes too far. First of all the Ethiopian and Eritrean people should be brothers and sisters. It’s a pity that you are filled with hatred to think that any opposition that comes the way of the Government is from an Eritrean who wishes death to Ethiopia. The world has moved on from that sort of rubbish, narrow minded thinking. People on both side of the border should think of reconciliation and love. If our Governments are dumb enough not to reconcile we the people at best should reconcile, at worse not fuel the hatred. But again Ethiopia first also makes a great point in pointing out that the Abay dam is largely funded by the Ethiopian people and is not one of those WB projects. God bless Ethiopia, Ertirea and the rest of the world!
Ethiopian First
November 29, 2011
Hey man, don’t put your thought into my mind saying I am just hating saying I doubt him being an ethiopia. Again, whoever opposes the progress Ethiopia is making in general and opposite the Nile dam in particular, I will have a hard time accepting he is one of us. Not to mention the other ranting of his… I dont have to provide you any reason other than directing you to look at what redo amera( capital of Eritrea) wrote. So have every reason for my doubts on Ethiopian teacher.
Don’t play smart here by twisting what I said. I was not in any shape or form doubted him being one of us. Go back and read what I wrote as I clearly stated his rights to opposite the government. That is his birth right either to oppose or support. All I was saying was why bad mouth his own mother land in such cruel way. God bless Ethiopia and her people.
Ethiopian First
November 29, 2011
Correction …. One statement above should read as I was not doubting him being one of us because he was opposing the government rather it was because of his ranting…..
Dr.mike
November 29, 2011
well said ethiopian first well said
wedi Asmara
November 29, 2011
i can clearly see that the writer knows very little about the Ethiopian officials. Man, they are number one corrupter s in the world.
Ethiopian Teacher
November 28, 2011
All that glitters is not gold. Just as the regime in Ethiopia is doing today, 30 years ago, the former corrupt regime in the Philippines borrowed billions of dollars from the World Bank to construct irrelevant high-rise buildings in the capital to hoodwink the population into believing that they were seeing an “economic growth.” But 30 years later today, the phillipino people are stuck with astronomical amount of loan that 50% of the country’s national budget now goes into paying the interest of the loan whose benefit they never received. As a result, the capital city Manila is has become the sight of thousands of hungry people scavenging for food from the city’s landfill just as thousands residents of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa are now reduced to competing with vultures and wild pigs for garbage at a trash dump.
Ethiopian First
November 28, 2011
I can only say wow! You are filled with hate that forced you to be blind and not see the Ethiopians determination to pull themselves from poverty. But, for all we know, you could be an Eritrean where seeing a developed Ethiopia be shame for you as your county is suffering a lot.
Since when building roads, dams, railways became a luxury and you dared to compare it with high rising buildings with Philippines. How would I take you as Ethiopian where you seem to opposite even the dam that is being built on our pride river which is Abay (Nile). You trying to deceive outsiders as if all the development projects are being funded by World Bank. The dam on the Nile which would cost around €4 billion will be funded by her own people buy you seem to suggest other wise as if you don’t know the fact. How low could you get than bad mouthing your own county assuming you are one of us which I highly doubt. You can be an opposition to the government but how could you not see the progress Ethiopia is obtaining where the fellow from Uganda appreciated. So dont sneak into others websites and try to undermine the progress my beloved county is making driven by your hateful agenda! God bless Ethiopia and her people!