A government project for the government

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading your front page story of last month, and reading the one paragraph in the middle of the article was what summed up my grasp of the issue all together. “…Ethiopia has chosen the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s office as the focal point for APRM activities and appointed Neway Gebrebab, special advisor to the PM, as the APRM National Focal Point for Ethiopia.  Subsequently Ethiopia has also formed a 23-memebr National Governing Council (NGC) led by Teffera Waluwa, the then Minister of Capacity Building…” (A call too close to disregard, Feb. 2013). It doesn’t add up that a country whose progress in democracy and political governance under evaluation assigns government elites to lead the process and produce a report. It matters less that individuals from other countries were assigned; they were mere cover ups.

 Kumlachew Alemu

Mekelle University 

Distorted version of APRM

 Dear Editor,

The long awaited assessment by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on Ethiopia was released in the month of Jan. this year. I would like to thank you for making the story your front page story of last month (A call too close to disregard, Feb. 2013). However, there are a number distorted information in your story, which, as someone who has been closely following the process, I found unfair and one sided.  The self assessment process was led by the African Institute of Management Development and Governance, a local research think-thank, which was commissioned by the APRM secretariat and the 23-memebr National Governing Council (NGC). It was not, as was asserted in your article, entirely led by the NGC which was chaired by Tefera Waluwa. The Institute was responsible for preparing the country self assessment programs using a holistic approach. Prof. Medhane Tadese was grossly mistaken when he said “the whole process seemed like a government project carried out by the Ministry of Capacity Building – whose minister was chair of the NGC, and in whose buildings the office of the NGC and its secretariat were located.” The 23-member of the NGC itself was comprised of the private sector, regional governments, the government,  the civil society and academia. Under its lead panelist Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, the Country review Mission (CRM) was also comprised of independent technical consultants such as Joseph N. Mulenga, Judge of the African Court on Human and People’s right, on all the four thematic areas that the country was evaluated.

 A concerned citizen

Addis Ababa 

 Making criminal corporate magnets pay for their sins 

 Dear Editor,

I read in your website that Ato Ermias Amelga, CEO of Access Real Estate Services S.C. was released “following the unfortunate misunderstanding” that led to his arrest on Feb. 14th.  I am outraged that you titled it “clearing the air”. Clearing which air exactly? Ato Ermias is, undeniably, a smart businessman but that doesn’t qualify him to swindle millions of birr from unsuspecting home buyers victimized by his sales representatives both inside and outside of Ethiopia. If the government in Ethiopia respects the rights of its citizens and their hard earned cash, then criminals like Ato Ermias should be locked in jail before they cause any further damage to the economy.

 Zelalem Nurilign

Washington, D.C.

We are your fans 

 Dear Editor,

You have a good magazine, which made us love reading in the campus.  The most recent issue is particularly interesting to me personally, which went on dealing with issues of our fellow citizens immigrating abroad but tragically end up nowhere (Saving young Ethiopian men and women from themselves, Feb 2013). We also take this opportunity to appreciative the other columnists in your magazine. Your Law & Order columnist, Kiya Tsegaye, and your unique columnist of Let’s Talk, Ashenafi Zedebub, are but few. In fact, the writings of Ashenafi Zedebub, although unusual in this old-styled culture and tradition of ours, are unique. He is writing in a manner with no consideration of other conservatives’ attitude.  It adds a color of life to the magazine.  The style of his approach keeps us awake and sometimes encourages us to ask ourselves: “Where are we? What are we thinking or doing?”

 Mehret Hawaz and friends

Adama University