February 17, 2015
Fake Medias, courts, parliament, Election Board, investments, diplomas…
Fundamentally tyranny is rotten to its bones and the principle reason why society under its rule is ill-governed; poor, without freedom and rights. Similarly, what TPLF led ethnic tyranny brought on the people of Ethiopia is a tragedy beyond comprehension that will have far more implication in the future over and above what we experienced in the past. Surprisingly, it managed to fake its stay by committing appalling atrocities and corruption and elaborately covered it up for far too long.
by Teshome Debalke
Enough is said about Woyane ethnic tyranny over two decades. Enough time elapsed for the dimwitted regime and its operatives to learn something better beyond faking, committing corruption and atrocities and covering it up with elaborate propaganda.
And, more tragically; enough lives were lost, livelihood ruined and resources squandered to fulfill the twisted ideology of the ethnic tyranny to teach the regime’s apologists and everyone else to wake up and smell the coffee.
But, the naughty TPLF operatives are not listening. In fact, they are getting bolder and nastier than ever in the last hour– intensifying their atrocities and corruption and faking everything to preserve their beloved tyranny. Their violation of the unspoken rule; ‘you shall not fall in love with tyranny’ is making them irrational enough to bit everyone around them and beyond.
Quite honestly, they are confused of their own empty propaganda and in dilemma to tell the difference between the real from the fake things they do. In one hand, they feel faking to preserve ethnic tyranny is worthwhile undertaking in exchange for what it provides. In another hand, they know the real thing is going to expose and end its rule and the goodies that come with it. Therefore, they are in a hard place and a rock — ‘dumb if you do dumb if you don’t’ that consumed their humanity to turn them into a walking zombies against the people.
Sadly, they don’t even have the decency to respect the professions and the institutions they represent — be it Media, business, education, politics, the law… or whatever else requires professional integrity and ethics and independence. In the process, they not only threw their honor in the garbage bin but surrender their respective professions as instrument of tyranny at the expenses of our unfortunate people under them. Such self-infected wound often stays a lifetime and rarely heals – infecting the generation to come.
Equally tragic is most of our contemporary elites’ indifference not to institutionally challenge their compromised peers serving the ethnic tyranny — failing to subject them for the punishments they deserve.
Therefore, beside lots of blame to go around, Ethiopia today is not only a failed state under the mercy of a fake revolutionary democratic ethnic regime’ elites and the indifference of the rest held together by the faith of her regular folks. Her future is not promising due to the fragmentation of her people brought by the elites’ unchecked ego not to come together to challenge tyranny for the people cause.
The recent fiascos of the TPLF’s operatives illustrates the regime is held together by fake institutions run by fake professionals doomed to implode. Equally worrisome is the lack of institutions to break the cycle of the blame game to institute the rule of law to deprive a hiding place and punish the offenders of the regime and anyone that violates the rights and freedom of the people.
Take for instance the Ethiopian Election Board unprecedented breach of public trust again as it reached the bottom of the pits as reported recently. It is the tip of the iceberg of what TPLF run regime doing by infesting public and private institutions with cadres and pseudo professionals with bogus credential and lack of professional integrity.
Menga Bekana and Addisu Gebreigzabhier
The two principals that were handpicked since the formation of the Election Board were and still are the dishonorable Dr. Menga Bekana and Dr Addisu Gebreigzabhier (TPLF’s illusive operative with not much profile and image in the cyber space) along the rest of irrelevant members filling seats.
Their recent embarrassing behavior of sidestepping their professional duty, integrity and ethics as members of the supposedly independent Election Board by interfering in the internal affairs of opposition parties in collaboration with TPLF owned Radio Fana was the best example of pseudo professionals faking the role of Election Board unheard of even by the African standard.
That is not all, both officials of the Board were trained by Professor Ephraim Isaac, the controversial Founder of the Horn of Africa Peace & Development Center (PDC), the Coalition of Ethiopian Elders (CEE) and a Board of Advisor and expert in the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) along with the African Project Director, Ambassador Herman J. Cohen, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa in the administration of President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993), and senior advisor for African Governance at the World Bank, according to NCAFP’s website.
Currently, Ambassador Cohen is President of Cohen & Woods International and Project Director of the NCAFP’s Africa Project where Professor Ephraim is a Project and Country Director of the Peace Dialogues for a Sustainably Stable Ethiopia. https://www.ncafp.org/about-us/founders-and-principals.
‘In that capacity, on November 15, 2012 he (Prof. Ephraim Isaac) held by invitation only roundtable discussion at the Harvard Club in New York City titled “Laying the Groundwork for Democracy” as part of the NCAFP’s Ethiopia Project “Peace Dialogues for a Sustainably Stable Ethiopia”. Among the invited was “Dr. Addisu Gebreigzabhier, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia since 2007, and Professor Merga Bekana, Chairperson of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia’, according to NCAFP website. It goes on “As Chairperson of the Board, Professor Bekana has successfully managed both local and general elections in 2008 and 2010 respectively, in addition to having organized referenda and by-elections”.
No one knows what the ‘groundwork for democracy’ and ‘successfully managed election’ means in TPLF instigated votes robbery that net over 99% of all the previous elections and the treats and arrests of the oppositions go through to run for elections. No one also knows what responsibility the Professor would take as Project and Country Director of “Peace Dialogues for a Sustainably Stable Ethiopia” and how and with whom peace dialogue is targeted behind the backs of Ethiopians.
With the Professor public credential and caliber one would expect the highest degree of transparency and professional integrity. But, it appears he took the meaning of mediation, peace dialogues and election at a whole different level to preserve the regime than to bring about democratic governance and accountability. Simply looking at the past record and the Election Board website’s lack of transparency, including the absence of the identity and profile of the members alone would disqualify it to be considered an institution let alone as Election Board to publicly endorse it and the members as an impartial.
The question is why would Professor Ephraim put his reputation on line for the tyrannical and corrupt regime that doesn’t have any interest in peace dialogue or the Election Board members that don’t have the integrity to run anything let alone an important institution where the rights and freedom of Ethiopians depends on?
Sadly to say, no independent Media or any other institutions investigated and made the Professor and his associates accountable legally or otherwise on what exactly they do in the various organizations they are involved and what kind of training they provided to the Election Board members to behave the way they do in the name “Peace Dialogues for a Sustainably Stable Ethiopia”.
Constantinos Berhe, the Co-Founder of Lem Ethiopia
Another recent investigative report by the celebrated exiled journalist Abebe Gelaw of Addis Voice was the fake diplomas of ‘Dr.’ Constantinos Berhe, the Co-Founder of Lem Ethiopia, the Environment and Development Society of Ethiopia based in Addis Ababa that supposedly qualified him to teach Public Policy at Addis Ababa University.
Constantinos’ ‘bogus’ diploma from a fake university identified as American Century University in New Mexico run by an Iranian American national with one office and a secretory is the tip of the iceberg that would implicate all Universities in the country and the Ministry of Education itself.
According to Lem Ethiopia website, Constantinos claim a colorful profile as “author of numerous papers published in professional journals, presented to workshops and symposia. With a Ph.D. in Resource Management, his specific skills are in strategic planning and programming, resource management, sustainable human development, civil society development and sustainable livelihoods including participatory policy analysis, formulation, and management and governance and conflict management”
Some of his experience posted includes ‘a senior adviser for institution such as the EU, UNDP, UNECA, UNICEF, WFP, FAO, African NGOs and Governments of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Nepal, India and South Africa on the Development agenda. He has been extensively involved in policy research work in governance, poverty, and sustainable livelihoods’.
Whether all his work experiences are based on the bogus credential he provided to the various organizations listed is not clear and requires more investigations. But, it worth to ask, what does it take for 100s of Medias populating the cyberspace to investigate 100s of bogus businesses, Medias and organizations and 1000s of government officials and the ruling regime’s operatives with fake credentials?
Ironically, Lem Ethiopia Constantinos run have “ A Code of Ethics defining organizational relationships, popular accountability, and conduct of work and sense of direction is as much an essential point of departure for any agency or peoples’ organizations like Lem Ethiopia. In this regard, our organizational principles & values adhere to promoting sustainable development, participation, and empowerment, flexibility, transparency, gender equity, accountability, and dedication & commitment”, according its website.
The revelation says more about how the ruling regime undermines public institution– issuing and legitimizing bogus credential for its officials and operatives. After all, what does it take to verify a bogus diploma from the real at the Ministry and University level?
Abadula Gemeda and Shiferaw Shigute Wolassa
Unfortunately, the diploma mill is not an isolated incidence but said to be so rampant even the Speaker of the House and the former Oromia Region President Abadula Gemeda, bought Bachelor of Art and Master Degrees in Public Administration from the same American Century University and Military Science from a nonexistent Chinese college, according to report.
The Minster of Education Shiferaw Shigute Wolassa that oversees the nation’s education also acquired A Master Degree in Organizational Leadership from the Azusa Pacific University that is allegedly issued 1000s of bogus diplomas for the regime officials and operatives with two weeks long seminars.
Our inquiry in the matter reviled, the President of Azuza Pacific University appointed an independent internal investigation on all diploma holders acquired online, particularly from Ethiopia. The probe that began when the same reporter investigated the University’s plan to award an honorary degree for the present Ethiopian Prime Minster that was eventually canceled due to the regime’s human right violations. ‘No comment on ‘ongoing investigation’, according the PR official.
What followed the cancellation of the honoree diploma implicated more people and Media outfits including Voice of America Amharic program. It appears it is the beginning of what to come in unraveling the credential of all the officials, educators and operatives and bogus institutions fighting corruption and Medias providing journalism service.
Dawit Kebede
Another recent debacle that implicates all bogus Medias was journalist wannabe Dawit Kebed of Awramba Times that condemned Western institutions, including The Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) as promoter of ‘Neoliberals agenda that don’t want to see Ethiopia developed’. What followed in response to his allegation illustrates the crises the regime’s operatives go through reconciling their childish behavior to preserve the regime rule and running from their professional responsibility and journalistic duty when they get busted lying.
According to the report, ‘Sue Valentine, CPJ Africa Program Coordinator indicated that CPJ had requested Kebede to clarify his allegations, but blamed it on inaccurate translation. CPJ had the 28-minute long interview translated and verified that the former press freedom hero had indeed tried to defame the reputable defender of press freedom with allegations that are contrary to the missions of the organization. CPJ also campaigned for the release of Kebede when he was unjustly incarcerated in 2005’
The Oakland Institute and International River that were also accused by Dawit Kebede and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) that funds Awramba Times also responded in-kind to his allegation.
Jane Jacobsen, the NED’s Senior Director, Public Affairs said that the Endowment funded Awramba Times to produce and disseminate content that promotes good governance, transparency, rule of law, human rights and the importance of democratic institutions. “In light of concerns that Awramba Times was not meeting the above project objectives NED discontinued its funding in January 2014”, according to the report.
Dawit Kebede like many TPLF operatives couldn’t comprehend he can’t get out of his predicament double talking in different languages for different audiences. As expected, when caught; translation error became his hiding place from taking responsibility of his allegation. He isn’t alone; countless cadres are laboring to fake anything they can put their hands on the bogus Medias they run double talking to preserve the regime.
Peace and Development Center and Vision Ethiopian Congress for Democracy are not forthcoming in what they claim verses what they do among NED’s beneficiaries in Ethiopia that should be investigated.
Anteneh Abraham Babanto
The 100s of bogus institutions the regime empowered to receive foreign funding in violation of its own proclamation are not any different. In fact, it is not secret TPLF affiliated outfits are the only ones allowed to raise unlimited fund and operate with impunity while the real organizations are shut down. The bogus Ethiopian Journalist Union led by the dishonorable President Anteneh Abraham Babanto is a good example of civic organizations funded by Western’s fund gone out of control to cover up for the regime’s atrocities against independent journalists. Surprisingly, the Union is member of East African Journalists Association with no one challenging its membership.
Beruk Kebede
TPLF owned and operated Fana Radio’s Beruk Kebede’ interview with Semayawi Party’s Chairman Eng. Yilkal Getnet, is another sorry recent episode of the regime’s journalist wannabes operatives reducing the institution of Medias into tools of tyranny. It is common to see cadres posed as journalists making a jack ass out of themselves staging interviews and manufacturing propaganda to incriminate and marginalize the oppositions as Beruk attempted to do recently. Though the interview didn’t’ make it on the regime controlled airwaves unknown reason, the leaked content illustrates TPLF cadres pose as journalist are in full gear to preserve the Apartheid regime in collaboration with the Election Board and the security agencies by all means possible.http://ecadforum.com/ethiopianvideo/2015/01/27/ethiopia-radio-fana-semayawi-party-leader-interview/
Mesfin Bezu
Another recent drama TPLF led regime’s operative put out of the Washington DC area on a fake online Media called TG Television run by Mesfin Bezu. In an attempt to discredit the Ethiopian Satellite Television –Radio (ESAT) that is rattling the ruling ethnic tyranny from its foundations the drama was hilarious enough to qualify for comedy show. But, the cadre that is known to abuse the free public cable access available for community organizations previously misrepresented himself as a reporter for TG Television in the official US State Department briefing as reported on various Media. Once again he appeared on manufactured video clipping pretending to run a Television network on behalf of a tyrannical regime halfway across the world.
Somehow Woyane cadres feel they are untouchable due to lack of institutions that follows up on their activities and notify the proper authorities or challenge them in the courts of laws. Some in the Diaspora are reported to have a polotical refugee status claiming prosecution by the same regime they work for as undercover agents — disturbing the peace, destabilizing the community and frequently committing crimes against Ethiopians in Diaspora in violation of the US Foreign Agent Act without much challenge.
It is abundantly clear by now the ruling regime of Ethiopia managed to fake its stay in power with the help of its dedicated operatives due to the lack of independent institutions to make them accountable.
Therefore, the quagmire in Ethiopian politics is the lack of independent institutions with the sole objective of protecting and defending the public interest above anything else. Thus, the failure of the Ethiopian elites in general the political elites in particular to understand the importance of independent institutions to protect the public interest is the single most troubling issue facing our people and nation and the future of democracy NOT the brazen tyranny that took advantage of the vacuum to commit unspeakable crimes for the most part unknown to the public. It isn’t also secret the regime make sure no independent institutions exist or created to make it accountable. In fact, tyranny is the product of the elites’ collective failure to understand the importance of independent institutions to make one-and-all accountable.
Therefore, surrendering the important role independent institutions including the Media play for the ruling ethnic tyranny or anyone regardless of how good the intention may be continued to be the biggest hindrance to bring about democratic rule to the people and the nation and to punish the offenders.
Once again, until consciences Ethiopians come together to strength the existing or establish new independent institutions to monitor one-and-all individuals and institutions in the public interest the future of the people of Ethiopia and the nation would remain bleak.
Thus, if we love our people as we all claim, not using them for our individual and groups’ political and economic interest is the right thing to do. Thus, the only known method their freedom and rights will be assured is when independent institutions that look after their interest set the rule of engagement for one and all, particularly the ruling regime, noting less noting more.
The sooner the elites establish independent institutions to make everyone accountable the sooner the ruling elites would stop lying and stealing their way out of their predicament and the sooner the rest submit to the rule of law and the rights and freedom of our people and the better our people will be.
Once again ESAT as a Media institution proven to be the best thing that happen to the people of Ethiopia and an example for all other institutions to replicate.
The article is dedicated to Abebe Gelaw of Addis Voice for his extraordinary work of exposing the true nature of Woyane’s operatives. Every journalist must learn how to investigate the agents of tyranny and their bogus organizations and all others that stand against the interest of the people.
No comments:
Post a Comment