[By Bereket Kiros and Teum Mezgebo]
First and foremost, we would like to acknowledge the current talk on good governance and corruption. We complement and support the efforts of the Tigray Interim Administration, which is undertaking the promotion of good governance in the right direction. We listened to the panel discussion on political discourse by General Tsadkan and a former Tigrai Administrator, Veteran Gebru Asrat, with interest and to what had been shared by two veterans and concerned Tegaru on various social media, in particular Tigrai Liberty Midia (TLM). Corruption, duplicity, cover-up, blackmail, repression, and disinformation are distinguishing characteristics of the TPLF’s administration intertwined with the works of its crimes; stealing food from its hungry people who are experiencing unheard of suffering is troubling. As promised, the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) must separate the government and party structures to ensure accountability and transparency. Crimes perpetrated by the TPLF and government officials are contrary to the government’s duty of nation-building, and measures must be taken against criminals and misuse of public assets. Thus, corruption, theft, and misappropriation of aid not reaching the needy will undermine donors’ and public trust in the reconstruction of Tigray.
The TPLF’s 27 years of maladministration brought its downfall from power. And yet again, the TPLF leadership and some of the TDF generals have not yet learned from their past mistakes. They carry on their repression against the people who tried to demand security, the return of IDPs to their homes, law and order, and amongst others, to name the few. The statements of Lieutenant General Taddesse and Major General Yohaness are very worrying, as they describe the “peaceful Romonat demonstration” as a “rebellion” that was suppressed by police violence. The police brutality against the Romonat protestors must be condemned unequivocally. The blatant use of deceptive information to cover the murder of Zewdu Haftu, rapes, corruption, and theft has been transformed into coercion and political manoeuvring against nationalist (ብሄርተኛታት) political parties when eventually met by strong public support from all walks of life, as in the case of the peaceful Romonat demonstration. If the leadership suppresses people’s voices from being expressed and not listened to, Tigray will not have any hope of being a democratic state or a land of freedom and good governance. Thus, it is every Tigrayan duty to say no to repression and human rights abuses.
There was no time lost; fear and bitterness have no place in national concern; however, lip service excuses must not be celebrated and promoted. The price for not speaking up or for hesitation has been enormous, and we challenge every Tigrayan who claims underlying love to put his or her words into action. We have to stay truthful to ourselves; justice is what the Tigrayan people need and demand. It is about time to say no to corruption and bad governance. It is about frankly acknowledging and admitting that the political system in Tigray is corrupt and benefits the few individuals in the form of an entrenched network within the TPLF structure and government ranks. No nation has ever built on a bad foundation. We must have the courage to face the truth about our people’s future and live to our own best ideals, honouring our martyrs and restoring our proud optimism. Abraham Lincoln reminds us that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
We need to build strong institutions where the tenets of accountability, transparency, responsibility, and justice are internalised to last longer than any individual or leadership interests. In a rapidly changing world, what has worked in the past is insufficient, and therefore one needs leadership that is able to adapt to the changing political environment and geopolitics around us. If the current leadership needs to stay in power, its political ideology must change in response to the needs of the people. Leaders who lack vision, knowledge, flexibility, and are blinded by their inadequacies should be humble enough to realise their shortcomings and drastically change their ways for the betterment of society or hand over their powers to visionary and better-qualified citizens to lead Tigray out of this genocidal war. During the Derg, over sixty thousand fearless fighters made such huge sacrifices in order to empower the mass, and now TDF is making huge sacrifices beyond imaginations, which should have the final say or be at the helm of all relevant issues and decision-making instead of taking a backseat. This should be a clear message that can energise and inspire Tegaru to be the bedrock upon which the future of Tigray needs to be built with a solid foundation.
Tigray needs strong civil society organisations capable of devising, imposing, and implementing new democratic conditions to pursue good governance and fight corruption. The reality is, however, that any dissent is not tolerated, and utter disregard for free thought, free expression, and free press is much more prevalent to the point of suffocation. Any form of coercion, intimidation, or instilling fear in the populace cannot lay the foundation for the democratic rights of citizens. Blaming rent-seeking by selfish individuals and lecturing about the micro-economy and GDP growth is absurd. Independent watchdog agencies must be established to oversee and audit institutions, economic performance, policies, and laws. Tigray’s leadership must be measured by its political and economic development policies in terms of job creation, justice, democratic rights, an equitable distribution of wealth and resources, and fulfilment of the basic necessities such as shelter, food, electricity, fresh water, etc. To be honest, the current situation in Tigray is due to the corruptive tendency of some public employees who, in a relatively short time, amass wealth and/or are owners of real estate, creating a wider gap in wealth distribution between the ruling elite and the ordinary people. Who is then accountable for the public resources, distribution of wealth, people’s living standards, and budget setting to be implemented in fiscal years? Why are individuals continuously allowed to lead the same office without any accountability or transparency? Where are the results of the recommendations by the auditor general? This is a serious matter that has been raised by everybody, but now and then they get accused by the corrupted officials of being power mongers, remnants of the old regime, enemies of the people, and using other negative words. People are now saying, No, we cannot be deceived in eternity and get down from our backs!
Thank you for the various media platforms that challenge and provoke us about the long-overdue topic of Pandora’s box. As a result of the TIRA investigation into humanterian aid and public asset thefts, the discussions on corruption and good governance have been flooding with themes of democracy, freedom, liberty, and good governance. We believe that the problems we see today did not come up suddenly; they were there for a long time, and therefore, they cannot be remedied by quick fixes. A system built on the culture of secrecy, parochialism, repression, and nepotism will always breed adverse political consequences, corruption, and self-interest, leading to the country’s and its people’s ultimate downfall.
The TPLF political ideology seems to expose its corrupt and weak leadership as it splits power sharing not in meritocracy but by allowing unqualified and unskilled office holders to even higher hierarchies and positions. We do know the idiom, “Scratch my back and I will scratch yours”. Tough and difficult times require visionary, articulate, and farsighted leadership. However, what we see presently in Tigray leadership is that it is not accountable for the people but for its own interests and power only. Being in public office should be rewarding for serving and uplifting the living standards of the people. As a saying goes, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Anyone who seeks to serve in public office has an ethical and fiduciary obligation to serve the public within the boundaries of policies and constitutional order by upholding the high moral ground of being willing to be a servant for the public and provide the services people deserve.
It is not appropriate to talk about the root causes of corruption and a lack of good governance without addressing its symptoms and its behavioural nature in any society. The term corruption has been used by scholars and known personalities all over the world.
Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary-General, presents the negative effects of corruption in this manner: “Corruption hurts poor people in developing countries disproportionately. It affects their daily lives in many different ways and tends to make them even poorer by denying them their rightful share of economic resources or services. Corruption puts basic public services beyond the reach of those who cannot afford to pay bribes. By diverting scarce resources intended for development, corruption also makes it harder to meet fundamental needs such as those for food, housing, health, and education. It creates discrimination between the different groups in society, feeds inequality and injustice, discourages foreign investment, and hinders growth. It is, therefore, a major obstacle to political stability and to successful social and economic development (Annan, 2003).”
Corruption comes in different forms, such as favouritism, nepotism, awrjaism, regionalism, ethnicism, personal interest, misappropriation of public funds, etc., through the amassing of wealth, abuse of office, power intoxication, bribes, and the seeding of undue gains and benefits. It is generally understood to contain the use of an official position for purposes of personal enrichment or illegitimate advantage capable of inflicting colossal damage on a nation and its people by truncating initiatives for economic growth and political stability, education, health, and social justice (Olawole & Olukayode, 2010; UNDP, 2008).
Source: Tigray TV, The video shows widespread corruption at every level of TPLF and Tigray government organs. The Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) acknowledges in its report that humanitarian aid and public assets theft are done in an organised way.
Tegaru must acknowledge the reality that corruption and thefts have damaged Tigray and that political corruption may lead to the extinction of Tigray if it is not addressed urgently. Let’s take one example: the humanitarian aid theft led to a complete suspension of aid. As a result, Tigray’s reputation has been damaged beyond repair; many people are dying of starvation, and Tigrayans’ patriotism has been turned into a national humiliation and shame by corruption, theft, repression, human rights abuses and bad governance.
It is disheartening to see that the people are enduring the brunt of deep corruption, bad governance, and endless crises of all kinds that have been created by irresponsible and corrupt leaders who are supposed to look after those at risk of starvation. The humanitarian aid theft has generated mistrust in the leadership, inevitably leading to public opprobrium and irreparable damage to the confidence of the people of Tigray.
Source: Tigray TV, Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) reporting on its investigation findings of corruption and humanitarian aid theft.
The Corruption Perceptions Index in 2014 ranked Ethiopia 110 out of 181 countries; in 2013, it ranked 111 out of 175; and in 2012, it ranked 113 out of 174. Criminalization and corruption are highly related and could be used interchangeably. In reality, corruption and criminalisation presume that there is a correlation between political power and wealth in Tigray. Perceived in the above context, the interaction of power with political ideology or the ruling TPLF elites has been engaged in activities of a criminal nature, such as money laundering, fraud, and theft of public assets. The control of the state apparatus by a few has led to corruption and the illegal transfer of public money, either abroad in foreign banks or in relatives’ bank accounts or properties. Ekpebu (1996) described the situation as follows: “In office, the politicians turned the government treasury into a large-scale private gold mine. To remain in office, they used armed thugs to ensure better representation for their political parties and rigged elections in broad daylight.” The Fkpebu statement seems to manifest clearly in Tigray under the TPLF administration.
Corruption has been personified in every facet of the civil service in Tigray; it is very visible and is not only endemic but systemic in everyday transactions in government institutions and the public and private domains, as well as misappropriation of public funds without recourse. Agbo (2010) states that in Nigeria, we breathe corrupt air, eat corrupt foods, and are constantly surrounded by corrupt elements, and that couldn’t be an exception to Nigeria if truth stretches its hands. It is very sad and deplorable that the people of Tigray are experiencing hunger, corruption and repression at every level of their daily lives by the party that fought to liberate them from the oppressive regime of the Derg.
In addition, the TPLF administration engineered the Food for Work (FFW) oppressive policy to exploit the people of Tigray, avoid setting budgets for reforestation development, not pay people for the work they perform, and misappropriate the money systematically. What upsets many experts and many people is that the food deficit is subsidised by donated wheat, which is known as Food for Work (FFW): for a certain number of kilogrammes, the peasant carries out backbreaking terracing work at afforestation and reforestation sites (Asghedom Ghebremichael, PhD, Canada, January 21, 2016). Communities participating in different FFW activities day and night, such as the construction of hillside terraces, planting and digging water reservoirs, and mothers carrying their babies on their backs with scorching sun and dust, is inhumane, unjust, and unacceptable exploitation. No nation in the world has developed with food aid. Being filled with arrogance, corrupt practices, and undermining the dignity of the people is a recipe for disaster. Accountability, transparency and prudence must be achieved if people are to immortalise the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the pursuit of freedom, liberty, and good governance. A party or government should be seen as a servant of the people and not as an instrument to gain wealth through short cuts, graft, corruption, stealing or misappropriation of public funds.
We, Tegaru, can save Tigray from the self-destructive “Revolutionary Democracy” political ideology, corruption, and bad governance if we rebuild an independent justice system and mechanisms that enforce accountability and transparency. We must have a tendency of zero tolerance towards human rights violations in all spheres of governance. Besides, it is time to be responsive to the demands of the people instead of using political blackmail, misleading statements, and prohibiting the right to protest to hang on to power by degrading, suppressing, and denying the people’s basic rights and freedoms. Tigray needs strong and visionary leadership that is inclusive, accountable, and transparent for the people. Political repression must end, as it has brought genocide into every household in Tigray. If we are unwilling to see the enemy within that is deeply involved in theft, corruption, and misappropriation of public assets, and if no radical change is made to the repressive political system, the entrenched corruption within the TPLF may lead to the complete collapse of Tigray and its people’s extinction.
In the meantime, we would like to end our thoughts by applauding the TDF for their bold struggle to defend Tigray, overcoming the challenges and shortcomings of the leadership’s political and diplomatic failure. It is time to face up to that reality and change the political landscape in Tigray, which can bring us unity and more friends to our side. By changing the undemocratic and unaccountable political system in Tigray, we can create a vibrant and forward-looking society that values its freedom, liberty, individual rights, and good governance. For that to happen, a radical change is needed to the current repressive “Revolutionary Democracy” political system and elect visionary leaders to rebuild liberal democracy, which is in the national interest of Tigray.
Good governance in Tigray (ሰናይ ምምሕድዳር ትግራይ).
ሓደ ካብቲ መዝገበ ቃላት ትርጉማት ብልሽውና ማለት “ኣእምሮኣዊ ምዝንባዕ ወይ ምብትታን” ማለት ምዃኑ ይሕብር።
እቲ ካልእ ምስ መንግስታዊ ባህርያትን ተግባራትን ዝተኣሳሰርን ዝሓጸረን ትርጉም፡ “እቲ መንግስታዊ ትካል ወይ ስልጣን ተጠቒምካ ናይ ገዛእ ርእስኻ ሃብቲ ምውህላል” ማለት ምዃኑ ብንጹር ይሕብር። ስለዚይ ብልሽውና ስልጣን ብዘይግቡእ ምጥቃም እውን የጠቓልል።
እዚ ብዘይግቡእ መልክዑ ርእሰ-ምህብታም ዝግለጽ፡ እቶም ኣብ ስልጣን ዘለዉ ሓለፍቲ ብመንግስቲ ዝውነን ንብረት ምስጢራዊ መሸጣ ክዋፈሩ ከለዉ፤ ንመንግስቲ ዝውዕል ኣቑሑት ክገዝኡ ዝተመደቡ ሰባት ንባዕሎም ክኽፈሉ ከለዉ (ብመንገዲ መንግስታዊ ዕድጊን ናይ ሓሶት ፋክቱርን ዝግበር ምምላስ ገንዘብ)፤ ኣብ ስልጣን ዘለዉ ውልቀሰባት ነቲ ተቖጺሮም ዝሰርሕዎ ስራሕ ንምፍጻም ጉቦ ክወስዱ ከለዉ፡ እቲ ጉቦ እንተዘይተደፊኡ ድማ ነቲ ዝተሓተትዎ ተመባጽዕናሉ ከምዘይንፍጽም ይዛረቡ፡: ኣብ ስልጣን ዘለዉ ሰባት ድማ ናይ ስልጣን ጸጋታት መንግስቲ ወይ ብዘይጥንቃቐ ወይ ብኻልእ ምኽንያታት ምብኻን እዩ።
ብተወሳኺ ብልሽውናን ሓደሽቲ ሰራሕተኛታት ክቑፀሩ እንከለዉ፣ ኣብ ስልጣን ዘለዉ ሓለፍቲ መጀመርያ ኣዝማዶም ወይ ፈተውቶም ወይ ናይ ገዛእ ርእሶም ጉጅለ ወይ ውድቦም ኣባላት ወይ ኣባላት ቀቢላ ኣድልዎ እናገበሩን ምስ ዝቖፅሩን (ዝሓዝነትን ምድንጋርን)፤ ኣብ ትሕቲ መንግስቲ ዝነበሩ ትካላትን ትካላትን ብሕሱር ዋጋ ንፈተውቶም ወይ ኣዝማዶም ክሸጡ እንከለዉ ብኻልእ መልክዕ እውን የጋጥም እዩ።