By Lisanu Tesema
Educated or uneducated, some Ethiopians have little understanding of the relevance of titles and honorific. We have, for instance, Meles Zenawi’s former Ambassador to Kenya. His proper title is Ato, as far as I know. He is currently Zenawi’s speaker of the rubber stamp parliament. On TV, in “parliament”, in private, in public and even in kitchens the man uses “ambassador” as his title and the cumbersome honorific, His Excellency.
This man is none other than Teshome Toga. A recent documentary, a kind of lamentable self-promotion shown on ETV, was even entitled “Ambassador Teshome Toga’s routines in parliament” despite the fact that he is currently serving Meles as a “house speaker.”
If at all, “ambassador” is a title that should never kept for life, it should be correctly used as “former ambassador” as he is no longer servicing as head of a diplomatic mission. But to be fair to the man, he is not alone. Former ambassadors of the imperial regime, Derg and the current ethnocratic [tribal] clan are still stuck in such titles as ambassador, minister, commissioner and the like and some demand to be exalted as such.
Long after their jobs were over, either through defection and retirement, they use this cumbersome “titles” and others meekly call them “Ambassador Teshome”, “Minister Hagos”, “Commissioner Bereket” etc, and the title-obsessed former officials get puffed up. But what the mis-users of personal titles don’t know, or pretend not to notice, is the fact that job titles are not for life.
Honorific, though quite traditional that originated in ancient royal courts, is a recognizable legal title such as His Excellency, Your Excellency, Your Honour, His Royal Highness etc. Even honorific is not title for life but is used in reference to a political office.
Why is it then that people who have left their offices long ago, or defected for that matter, think that they are still holding on to their jobs… still ambassadors, generals or ministers in Ethiopia?
Why are we required to use titles to refer to people who no longer hold their “beloved” offices, however wrong and confusing they are, for no apparent reasons than just to boost the ego of these former appointees of succeeding bad, dictatorial and unpopular governments that have never served their people well? If they must use these titles and old honors, they should remind us that they are not currently holding the political offices by adding the adjective former or the prefix ex. That would clear the confusion as well as save the ego of the former diplomats, ministers, generals, commanders, commissioners… who love misusing useless titles and honorific.
There are also others, engineers for life. Normally, engineer is not also an honorific but a job title. However, our older generation still think that it is a title and demand us to call an engineer with his job title. Former or ancient engineers use “engineer” as their life time title.
In Ethiopia, time doesn’t go fast. It is slow and change is hard to come by as there is resistance to change. The world is moving faster while we are stuck in tradition. Whoever starts a wrong tradition or a popular mistake, knowingly and unknowingly, is often immortalized when others repeat the mistake forever. But at some point, we need to realize that correction is needed.
Though unrelated to the main point I have raised, I would like to touch upon two examples of perennial mistakes we never tried to correct. It may be a foreigner who misspelt our capital city as “Addis Ababa”, which is not only wrong but changes the flower into an old man. Children use “ababa” to refer to an older person. The correct spelling should have been abeba, which is the Amharic equivalent for flower. So which one is Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa [sic] or Addis Abeba? A new old man or a new flower? The choice is ours as the foreigners who made the mistake did not know the difference.
Anyway, titles should not be kept for life but need to be used correctly as mistakes should also be corrected at one point. Students who never correct their mistakes learn little and may even repeat their mistakes again and again.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])
41 thoughts on “Some Ethiopians’ obsession with title”
Fair enough but is that unheard of elsewhere in the world? Here int he U.S. the people in the keep deafening us by including the former titles of people who have served even as mayors! Do you hear anybody on the media calling Rudy Gulliani without including mayor in front of it? Ambssador Bolton etc. If anything we must have learned this obsession with titles from the West. I agree with you though about the excessive use use of ‘excellence’ in Africa while there is nothing excellent about the corrupt leaders down there!
Asfaw
You said it well….I could not agree more.
ER and other website should learn from this message and stop using titles.
Ethiopian review or any other website or for that matter anyone has nothing to learn from this article. First of all, I am being honest, I have never heard any one misspelling of addis abeba. Secondly, anyone who do use their former title has got a free ride to use it as they wish. If they want to be very polite they can implicate “former” if they want they can be arrogant about it. If you want to write an article for the sake of writing one just find a better title. Look at yourself how you are trying to use useless title. You are making a fool of yourself. I wonder why Elias allows such c
article in his website. Any ways nothing personal, just an honest opinion.
Good point. As much as the title/ honorophic is common Ethiopia, name changing is indeed common to dispossess the very owners…..like Finfinne/or Shagar has changed to Addis Ababa/or Addis Abeba.
I think they confuse it with the arhic title Dejazmach, grazmach, etc which sticks for life. Who knows? Mengistu may still be calling himself president. How about those with PhD often called Dr. as if they have no first and last names.
Here we go again, is this attention to details problem caused by nutrition deficiency or what. Wake is talking about something not relevant to the article. Pay attention brother, the article is about extended usage of former title. Take your grievance to anther relevant article. I give you an “F” grade for your attention deficiency. Fish oil may help u with that. It also alleviates bitterness. You would be better of paying attention that way you will have an open mind to research the name preceding finfine. Names do change with incoming powerful leaders and that is customary through out history. What matters is that we stay sane.
Come on guys…!
The article should have pointed about those who use Dr,proffesors, etch who is regarded as it “all Know it” and misleading our community and Africa in general.
Our poor peoples who is very equiped to understand thier own day by day life but this drs, profs spending their own entire life at school when they come out they have the power to be regarded as all it know!
We ethiopians are badly addicted to titles and extensions.
It is our history to call someone ambassador, dr, engineer, architect….etc….
Only medical doctors are supposed to be called Dr.
You would also call a college professor with his title.
But you should do not call a PHD holder in sociology or economics Dr. so and so. You just use his name. That is all. Just look at the westerners. They never misuse such titles. For example Germany’s chancellor is a Dr. of Physics. Nobody ever calls her Dr. Merkel or so. They call Mrs. Merkel. The FDP party chairman Guido Westerwelle is has a PHD, but Nobody calls him Doctor Westerwelle. So and so.. In some relevent writings, they just put his Dr. title in a bracket. I personally know a PHD holder, who said,. please dont call me a doctor! That is it. These days anyone can get doctor title from so many colleges by correspondence or by paying for it. When do we ethiopians get civilized and get away with such personal gratifications and egos??
Please dont call dr. taye, engineer hailu, engineer gizachew, dr. tilahun gessese, dr. berhanu bla bla bla..all day along. It is really sickening. It only shows our backwardness.
Simply wastage of time. Plz try to write something relevant for the people of Ethiopia.
In some countries titles are retained even after retirement or after leaving the job. While I am not that crazy about tiltles (and I do not always use my own title), it should be understandable that some want to retain the title they earned in service of their country (Captain, General, Engineer, Doctor, and the like). the argument could have been more sexy if more research was done prior to generalizing that we Ethiopians are crazy about tiltes! By the way, ladies are crazy about Men’s titles!
The thing that irks the hell out of me is when I hear people in the opposition call meles ato or prime minister. I understand low-level woyane cardes calling him primier or yetekeberu to buy whatever little respect/dignity they can get hold of. But proud Ethiopians calling meles ato or prime minister is totally unacceptable, are they trying to tell me he is not a wusha?
Nice article!
Not only misusing the title but the original name should be respected, like changing our capital city from Finfine to Addis Abeba. I like the name Finfinne instead of Addis Ababa. 10Q Elias!
For Ethiopians, using whatever title is important. It replaces titles such as ” Fitawrare, Dejazmach, Ras Etc”, titles of the feudal society. Even after exposure to the western world, my fellow Ethiopians LOVE title, what ever it is, we are unique people.
I am not surprised by your article, because it is typical of of Ethiopians abroad. They love trivia and engage in futile and infantile points. They have neither title or qualifications, and they want every body to be on their level. It seems we never aspire to higher levels but sink to lower ones. They love equality in poverty. Instead of working to be better, they love to drag down others to their level.
An Ethiopian is never shown neither love nor rspect in cildhood, and that maked them hungry for degrading others Take Elias Kifle, who has disabilities; he wants everybody to be like him.
May God help us from disease!
You said it well what has been bemusing me for long!
In the US and other western nations they call them ‘Former XXXX’ to clearly show they are not currently holding their positions. Regarding the weyane puppets, without their former titles they feel they will be reduced to nobody, which by the way they are; so they have to attach the so called titles for the rest of their lives.
Thank you, Can you also please comment on the use of honorary degrees like ” Dr. Sheik Ala amoudin”, “Dr Artist Tilahun Gessesse”. I think one shoud not be adressed by honorary degrees. I will stand corrected if convinced.
I don’t see the point of this article. So what if some people are obsessed?
Good job, tell them that is wrong. Tell them the truth. Let get respect through hard work or education.
It is the feudal heritage we can not let go. It is embarrasing people use titles like ENGINEER before their names, the world is laughing at us. Why not go back to DEJAZMACH, FITWARARI etc.
Re: Addis Ababa, Thank goodness some one released an official article on it, and hopefully the word spreads. Used to wonder why Ababa?
Title: Its usage is some what ambiguous,however, the following three might deserve titles for life.
-Faith leaders, priests, reverends. monks, Patriarchs
-Medical Doctors
-War heroes and soldiers who serve/ed their countries honorably (may be with some creative prefix, if not in active duty).
Engineer? It is only in recent times this became common, and as such for people who enter political lime light. If actively functioning as an engineer, may be the title Mehandis so and so, might help as a practical public relation. The same goes for Attorney /Tebeka so and so. Judges, if not actively on the bench, former judge so and
Hi all
I thank the author of the article as I share his views.
Sir, dont blame Teshome Toga for being obsessed with the Titles he won by bootlicking TPLF and Meles Zenawi. He paid a price for that as he is still telling lies and imposing TPLF’s venom on the rubberstamp parliament.
To come to the point you raised-using the title Ambassador after retirement could be abusing power. I think a person who no longer serves his country in that capacity should qualify it by adding “former” Otherwise it could be taken as cheating.Teshome Toga shoild limit it to his kitchen or bath room . loool
Ato Lesanu,
I do not know when the title Ato was given to you and if it still holds. As you said in western society time goes fast, changes come fast…so I am not sure if “Ato” is still pertinent. May I ask you a question? If yes then my question is that why are making big deal out of Addis Ababa/Abeba. Just write Abeba. Or would like an “Awaj” that declares “Abeba” instead of “Ababa”? I do not see the point of your writing at all. Some people are obsessed with title…and so what?
BTW..Siye Abrha selay new yewoyane…still
In most parts of the world foreign relations is a profession that requires some education .Unlike SEYOUM MESFIN’S way of giving Ambassador position by asking have you ever been outside Ethiopia?Are you going to stay loyal to me no matter what?Answering yes twice with good recommendation from weyane will qualify any low skilled individual to represent the government in any part of the world as an ambassador.While the educated foreign relations proffesionals get fired , laid off left and right.These proffesionals eventhough they served their country as ambassador , council throughout their life weyane spit them out without real recognition .They prefer to be Ato not to create attention to them .Sharing the same title as Weyane’s air headed title freaks might offend the so called leaders of our time.
A practical, to the point article. I was sick and tired of long and boring articles that are more philosophical and trend to be verbose.
It is common these days to find articles on most Ethiopian web sites that are struggling to be technical and complicated. And people like Tizibt are taken for an aimless and useless ride.
These days, any body from any walk of life accesses the internet, this includes Ethiopians. Informative, to the point essays are attractive and people read them.
If people want to philosophize, academic settings or professional conferences are there.
Originality and simplicity are our tools to target and understand our problems.
@ almaze,
I knew that some misunderstanding in calling the titls in ethiopia. But
Do you know how many types of PHD is given in the world?
Before you gave such unevidenced comment, you have to read more about differnt titles and its meaning.
I may agree with most of the things you said but the PhD thing. I hope you know that PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. This degree can be given in any field including to those who already have MD’s. PhD is a terminal degree. You may want to compare one field of study with the other and say that this one is harder for me than the other. It merely depends on your capacity. Case in point is that PhD is an earned, terminal degree and you have every right to have the prefix. Now, I would not ask those close to me to call me with the prefix however it should be used where it is due, such as in professional circles. One thing should be very clear and it is not because you want to respect someone that you call him with the prefix. It should be because that someone earned it and you don’t know that person on first name basis ( meaning you are not close to that person). I guess, you live in germany because most of your examples are from german political scene. What you may not know is that people with PhD’s use the prefix. e.g if your PhD is in engineering, you would be called Dr-Ing Almaze … In the university, all PhD’s used their earned title. “Therefore, I guess, Almaze knew someone with PhD whom she thinks, does not deserve to have it and that drives her crazy when that person was called Dr. while she is Weizerit or Weizero Almaze.
Agree. Good choice of subject. Someone has to address these types of issues.
In a different note, we should commend Meles for his use of Ethiopian words whenever he speaks. You can tell he makes a conscious effort to use words made in Ethiopia. I don’t know when we started making it fashionable to speak in hybrid language b/n Amharic and English. We are worse than Indians and Filipinos. Its really a devastatingly awkward and stupid habit we all have. Using English words while speaking Amharic doesn’t make you sound smart, it makes you sound silly and cute in childish way to native English speakers.
I had to leave two comments and really read the article that I thought was useless. I am wrong, though the writer of the article may have different mission, this article has proven to me and explains that we ethiopians wasted part of the what ever thousands of years dueling on garbage like this. I commend the writer and Elias for bringing out our bad side. That will be the only way we can work on correcting it.
Lisanu Tesema , you are wrong. If you have a PHD and are licensed Engineer, U can use the title Dr. and even engineer. Do you have a PHD or are you an Engineer? IF not go and get your PHD. OR study engineering and get your license to be called an Engineer in the USA. Who told you that a medical doctor is the only Dr. A medical doctor W/O a PHD is only MD. BEKA my friend. STUDY HARD!!!!!!!
Thank YOU.
Once again, it is so sad we are forced to read such a garbage opinion and irrelevant topic. Worse are some of the comments that embrace such non-sense writings. Yes, most titles are recognition of achievements in once life. So just because one is not on the position he/she was awarded the title for, it does not mean he/she looses all his/her achievements. But those with inferiority complex such as the writer think as such and go as far as writing an article and show how stupid and uneducated they themselves are.
“enkwan sew aidelem, ye kibe kiel enkwan manteltya alew” says my fellow country men. For the writer’s and fellow uneducated information, in our culture and heritage titles, whether formal, educational, societal, or familial, they are for life.
Eg:
Ato, Woizero, Weizerit, etc.
Merigeta, liqe liq’, memhir etc.
Dej azmach, Bitwoded, Enderase etc.
Gashe, Wondimgeta, Etye, etc.
Yes, Ambassador is a big deal and a big achievement that a country gives an individual to represent it on the government and the people’s behalf. And they are for life.
Yes, a doctoral degree is an achievement that higher educational institutions give to recognize once educational achievement in what ever field that experts in that field have agreed, a person has reached and became as one of them. And they are for life.
Yes, all educational, societal, or familial titles are titles given both by experts in the field and society to distinguish the lay from the educated, the noble from ordinary, the family from non-family. And they are for life.
As the say goes little knowledge is really dangerous.
I have been waiting for someone to address this problem we Ethiopian have, this article is very educational fore people like #14 #18 and #30. People with Phd should NOT be called Doctor. It is embarrassing to have this habit. Of course they worked for it but they can only put the Phd when they write their name with their last name the Phd goes at the end. The other most embarrassing thing is when some ignorant people call Alamudin and Tilahun Doctor i just want to hide it is wrong very wrong.
I don’t have anything to say about the politicians because none of what they do make sense to me. But Let me ask you one thing about the Engineers and alike. Who deserves the pure title “Engineer” more? a new college grad or a retired one with years of experiance and a body of work to show for it.
Tizibt, you are wrong!
In the company where I am currently working, almost all are PhDs. Thay are so many of them. You cannot belive how many are they. For obvious reason I am not going to tell you where it is. These people are from first rate schools like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Chicago …you name it. With the exception of some support staff almost everybody in that company is (and probably must be) a Ph.D. Their doctorates are in public health, sociology, economics, engineering, etc… People address each other as Mr. or Ms. in FORMAL communications, in meetings, in meeting minutes, in employment letters, in business emails, etc….
Ethiopia and Ethiopians are different on this. It is embarassing. I heard even people addressing their PHD relatives and freinds as Dr. Wait for it, even their nurse sibling as “Sister”!!!! Wow. I might agree if physicians (medical doctors), not public health doctors, be called as Drs.
Engineer Hailu, Dr. Berhanu, Dr. Tilahun Gessesse, ….please!!!!!!!
Lisanu, please post your article in other Ethiopian websites as well. Send it to Ethiomedia, Ginbot7, abugida, and even Aiga.
It would make sense if those commenting on the usage of title do have titles themselves. The problem is that we have too many who wasted their life busting their a***
Working minimum wage jobs and all of a sudden they look around and they realize time has down by fast and with their inferiority complex they go o. A rampage of attacking people who have earned their title. I know Meles is one of them. He hates people with titles. Now that he got his in the open university, his inferior complexity has calmed a bit. Yes everyone is capable of earning one but u have to earn it and you would not worry about those who got it. It is also one of the elements that contribute to the order of society. Since the ancient greeks titles have been use to identify the status, achievement and personality of the title holder in a way that shapes perceptions of thos who have encounters with them. But in a country like ours where we have many with broken dreams cause by communism and woyanaisim, it is not strange to see people who despise the usage of titles because some of this people don’t even have a bag full of good clothing to take back home let alone title, if and when we go home. Our country has turned into a country of bunch of losers.
Ambassador is not a title one should affix it with himself for life. Calling by first names should be common. We shall break this tradition. It will get us no where..ke meshuashuam besteker… I remember I had to address everyone who has a PhD as Dr. all the time, who is an engineer as Engineer….
Leonardo da Vinci is Leonardo da Vinci . But our Afework Tekle is the Honorable Maitre Artist World Laureate Afework Tekle. Pope John Paul is Pope John Paul. Yegna neger hod yifjew..weyim mekeyer alebet…
When I heard first about Engineer Hailu Showel, I apologized to my friend for not calling him Engineer. Since then I call him Engineer he call me storekeeper.
I have the same title since I was born like all of my friends.I suggest all of Ethiopia adopts the TIGRE culture and start calling each other (Wedi Then “father’s name”) meaning yeikele lij.The rest is professional title.None of us tigre’s really bother about the professional title.First and for most I am WEDI BERHE
#5 whether you like it or not Mengistu is a former president.
#7 Please complete couple of ESL courses and then write out your comment.
#8 your PhD friend is being humble so please do not think he is discrediting him/herself.
#10 I could not have said it better.
#11 consider anger management.
#12 please do not use this forum to show your “tebab behertnganet”.
#13 Westerners also use titles. Prince, princes, Duke, etc.
#17 it is not customary to use Dr. for honorary degree holders because their doctorate is only recognized at the institution they are awarded the title. Though there are some like Vivien Theodore Thomas I would gladly call Dr.
#27 as the saying goes; you are telling it like it is.
#28 your choice of preposition and grammar need work-up
#32 “temar lije, temar lije
wogen zemed yeleng Habt yele kedeje”
temar lije ken tsehai new
laltemare sew g’n qenim chelema new” (Alemyehu Eshete’s song)
so consider going back to school to further your education.
#34 among peers, friends, and family both Dr’s and many professionals address themselves in first name bases. One thing you forgot to mention is that the people who earned their hard worked degree never ask people to add any prefix before their name. So deal with your own inferiority complex and consider going back to school so one day you could have both the caliber and the position like the PhD’s at your job
#38 WEDI BERHE, what do you guys call someone whose father was a “banda” is that Wedi Banda? We call him Meles Zenawi.
please drop these prefixes for God sake.it seems only ethios attach such titles as Engineer,Ambassador,etc to their names.it is hilarious to the least.
why can’t they try to be humble? pride and vanity? mmmmmmmm
Ato genet
My comment is a direct response to @almaze….
@almaza
…you siad you personaly know Chairman Guido Westerwelle…and you mentioned that he is a PHD. holder, in which you stated that…he himself tell people not to call him doctor….still good point and to make my point is that it is not ethiopian ways to name a Phd holder by doctor…even Chairman’s Westerwelle friends and collegues calls him Dr…and I am sure he and them lives in the western country. Anyway, anyone deserve to be called by their title infront of thier first name for that matter….@almaza…work on your Phd and we will call you Dr. almaza