By Yilma Bekele
I don’t know if you are familiar with it but there used to be an American television show called ‘what is my line?’ It was a guessing game where the panelists try to determine the identity of the contestant by asking leading questions. It was fun to watch a skillful contestant completely baffle the panelists.
Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia was in Europe playing what is my line. Our skilled PM was using the podium to get legitimacy abroad while enhancing his image as a respected states man in front of the Ethiopian people. It was a perfect Kodak moment. I am sure ETV, his private television station back home will play the tape ad nauseam. The Sarkozys and the Obamas were enabling him to hide behind their podium.
Why was he there since Ethiopia cannot be accused of contributing to green house gas? Well he was delegated by NEPAD (New Partnership For African Development.) What is NEPAD? According to their website it ‘is a Vision and Strategic Framework for African Renewal.
NEPAD is setup to address the ‘current challenges facing Africa. Its objective includes eradicating poverty, halt the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process and empowerment of women. The principle NEPAD stands for includes good governance, broad and deep participation of the population in decision-making, acceleration of regional and continental integration.’
The Ethiopian Prime Minster was heading the NEPAD delegation. To start with one gets the feeling NEPAD is trying to convince others to work for the lofty goals mentioned above but it does not want to lead by example. If the challenge faced by Africans is the absence of ‘good governance’ shouldn’t NEPAD appoint some one who exudes those qualities? That is not too much to ask is it?
Let us put the NEPAD thing in perspective. The Copenhagen meeting was about threat to planet Earth. It is man made crisis. It is a problem created by the Northern hemisphere dwellers. The Europeans and the Americans. As time honored tradition dictates we Africans are victim number one. Our usual fellow victims Asia and South America are not with us anymore. They are heating up the planet but they are not in a mood to discuss slowing down. There is a lot of catch up to do.
So what was NEPAD doing there? Since it does not have any green house gas to threaten with it was doing some serious begging. Leading to this great ballyhooed affair our fearless leader was posturing to disrupt the proceedings. He was threatening to walk out. He was demanding 40 billion USD a year for Africa. That was his demand and he is sticking to it! Not. He was just kidding.
With the French President at his side the NEPAD leader agreed to a pittance 10 billion USD for the first year and little guarantee for the future. Africa’s cut will be 40%. Heck of a negotiator wouldn’t you say. The Westerners will heat up the planet and increase the temperature that in turn will create havoc on Africa’s weather forcing us into more deforestation, drying up of lakes and rivers and further starvation.
What do we get for this? Surplus genetically engineered food and deposit in African leaders personal account in European and American banks. To say plenty of African were upset by this unilateral negotiation by NEPAD chief is an under statement. They were fuming. From Algeria to South Africa they all distanced themselves from NEPAD. The Americans and the Europeans used NEPAD as a wedge to divide the third world group.
We Ethiopians are familiar with that playbook. Is it me or do you see some similarity here. Let us see Ato Meles is famous for his unique disruption technique. He leaves a clear MO. (Modus operandi). We can refer to the Ledetu affair, the Chamiso saga or the Hailu opera. The Westerners used NEPAD exactly as the Prime Minster used Hailu to break the solidarity of the opposition. The only difference is NEPAD will be paid thru African Development Bank while Ato Hailu or Ato Ledetu will suffer eternal humiliation. Not that I will waste any tears for them.
To go back to ‘what’s my line’ story the performance of the Prime Mister was enough to baffle the panelists if this was a show. He preached the gospel of compromise. The science of give and take was the heart of his philosophy. Ato Meles scolded the West for marginalizing Africa. He demanded to be included as an equal.
I was flabbergasted. Well that is an under statement. I was floored. I have not seen this side of him. Did the mantra ‘my way or the highway’ get revised? Did the philosophy of ‘some are more equal than others’ get tossed away? Are we going to have the new improved TPLF after Copenhagen?
The old one we knew was different. He has a few political prisoners in the various dungeons scattered all over the country, he likes to be mean and angry when it comes to Chairman Bertukan and jailing, bankrupting, and exiling journalists and intellectuals is his hobby.
Stupid me, I used to think TPLF was all about power and revenge for the past transgressions for perceived injustice. It is sort of surprising and a let down to see it is all about money. The net worth of Ato Meles is jaw dropping. It is difficult to explain. It begs for a tharrow investigation. The information boggles the mind.
Following is from Wikipedia (click here):
This is a list of heads of state and government by their net worth, mostly of their liquid assets in US Dollars. This list should not include crown property and other material goods (although these are sometimes difficult to separate depending on the source) as of August 2008.
Name Title Net Worth Country
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan $20 billion[1] Brunei
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Emir $18 billion[1] United Arab Emirates
Abdullah King $17 billion[1] Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Bin Rashid Prime Minister $12 billion[1] United Arab Emirates
Silvio Berlusconi Prime Minister $9.4 billion[2] Italy
Asif Ali Zardari President $4 billion[3] Pakistan
Hans-Adam II Prince $3.5 billion[1] Liechtenstein
Mohammed VI King $2.5 billion[1] Morocco
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir $2 billion[1] Qatar
Meles Zenawi Prime Minister $1.2 billion[4] Ethiopia
Albert II Prince $1 billion[1] Monaco
Qaboos Sultan $700 million[1] Oman
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo President $600 million[citation needed] Equatorial Guinea
Poor Mr. Obama is not even worth a lousy million and he is going to stay that way till he leaves office. Our Meles can eradicate famine from Ethiopia if he donates some of that stash. Don’t ask me how he amassed such obscene amount of money in such a short time. I did not know we paid our chief executive that kind of money either. Do you get the feeling there is no rational answer to this problem except outright denial. May be Wikidepia’s editors character can be brought to question or a plot can be uncovered that was trying to defame the regime. Hey 1.2 billion in USD is nothing to scoff at.
4 thoughts on “Will the real Meles stand up?”
“Why was he (Meles) there since Ethiopia cannot be accused of contributing to green house gas?”…lame question…but simple answer for it though…”Ethiopia is there because it is one of the most affected countries with regard to the global warming and environmental complexities that arose due to the actions of the developed nations. Though we didn’t contribute much for the global warming, we are paying the price for the adverse effects of it”
What the hell is this for a question? the real Meles — a brutal dictator and ugly midget — stood up long long ago. It is just that the has succeeded in utterly confusing the Ethiopian people about this.
Does Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) need the Lord’s Prayer? “When you pray, say: ‘Father…give us each day our daily bread.” (Luke 11:2-3) However, 1.2 billion is more than a daily bread.
According to the Ethiopian living standards, 1.2 billion is a lot of money amassed by one person within less than 20 years, and if this same person stays, God forbid, for another five years, his fortune will be more than what it is now.
The burning question from the Ethiopian poor peasants, however, is how did Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) manage to pile up this much money and where did he get it from? The simple and short answer to the question is he stole it; he didn’t earn it.
There are two types of theft: day-time theft and night-time theft; day-time theft is not common like the night-time theft because most people are more vigilant during night time than during day time. The day time-theft is very sophisticated in the art of stealing someone’s properties and most of the time going free without being caught. Meles Seitanawi, nevertheless, has a graduate degree in both day-time and night-time stealing, and he has never been caught so far.
In America and in other democratic countries, the president has a fixed monthly salary, and, like any ordinary citizen, the president always pays taxes to his government, and he can also be removed from his office if he abuses his power.
In Ethiopia, however, no question is asked whether the prime minister has a fixed salary or whether he pays taxes or not; asking such democratic questions or writing them in the newspaper is bringing untimely death upon oneself. For not revealing his monthly salary to the Ethiopian people and for not paying taxes, Meles Seitanawi has demonstrated that he has been a well-trained day-time and night-time thief in the history of Ethiopia.
In the eyes of a rich country such as the United States, 1.2 billion is nothing, but in the eyes of a destitute country like Ethiopia, it is indeed an impressive amount of money that can feed millions of Ethiopian poor children. Americans and Europeans still continue doubling Meles’ fortunes as far as Meles remains as one of their most reliable friends in curving the threat of terrorism in East Africa.
Modern theft is different from the old day’s theft: In the old day, a person may steal an ox, a donkey, a goat, a chicken, or a sheep and he will never be rich by stealing such perishable properties, and many times he is caught and punished severely.
For example, following the rule that says “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15), Moses says: “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.” (Exodus 22:1)
In this case, what will be the penalty of a person who intentionally stole 1.2 billion from the Ethiopian tax payers? If a person is punished to pay five head of cattle for stealing just one ox, then Meles Seitanawi, Meles the thief, must pay 5×1.2 billion + interest to the Ethiopian tax payers.
How come he ignores St. Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, and how come he continues stealing the Ethiopian money all these years! The Apostle Paul advises the Ephesians: “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” (4:28) Is Meles Seitanawi going to stop stealing or misappropriating the Ethiopian money? The only time we can be sure that he has stopped stealing is when we see him stepping down from his power voluntarily or by force.
We know Meles came to power, using force and continues to rule the country he hate with threat of violence, intimidation and murder because he is a thief as St. John says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy….” (John 10:10) And that is the only thing Meles Seitanawi is good for: to steal, to kill and to destroy. He has stolen 1.2 billion; he has killed hundreds of innocent Ethiopians, and he has destroyed many homes and properties.
For sure, Ethiopia will not bet out of its misery until this thief, this criminal Meles Seitanawi is destroyed because he has amassed stolen money that does not belong to him.
When Joshua was defeated by the men of Ai, he tore his clothes, and he prayed to God Why the Israelites were defeated by the men of Ai, and God revealed to him the reason. The reason was that some of the Israelites had stolen some valuable items from the plunders God had told them not touch. Immediately, Joshua identified the man who stole the forbidden items, and that man was Achan who later confessed before Joshua he had stolen some forbidden items. “It is true! I have sinned,” said Achan, “against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” (Joshua 7:20-21) And for stealing such valuable forbidden items, Achan with all his family was stoned to death.
1.2 billions is not the only money Meles has; he may have more than that hidden somewhere in the Tekezie Valley or in the foreign banks. When the truth about the total amount of money he has so far comes out, we will bring him to justice and according to the rule of law, we may not stone him with his family, but we earnestly demand justice to be carried out in the names of all the Ethiopian people.
Ethiopia is facing endless disasters such as day-time and night-time robberies by its secular leaders who steal anything they want: land, gold, currency, building, and other properties, and to such land of some powerful thieves, the prophet Obadiah says: “If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night—Oh, what a disaster awaits you—would they not steal only as much as they wanted?” (Obadiah 1:5)
Is only 1.2 billion that Meles wants from Ethiopia, or does he want more than what he has already stolen? As he is preparing himself to be elected as a prime minister in 2010, I think he is angling to stealing more money from this poor country of ours.
No general, no patriarch, no clergy, no Imam, and no rabbi dare to tell him that stealing is sin because all of them, including Aba Paulos, are his companions – robbers.
A person can easily advise another person who has stolen a candy or two or five dollars from a store or somewhere else, but how can someone advise or counsel a 1.2 billion thief to stop stealing anymore and to return the money he has stolen from 80 million Ethiopians?
My advice to such a person is to read St. Matthew’s Gospel that says: “Do not store up for your-selves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your-selves treasures in heaven….” (Matthew 6:19-21)
One day, the oppressed, the hungry, and the homeless Ethiopians may break in, not as thieves, but as legitimate owners of Meles’ stolen money and claim it as their own, and no one will stop them, and if some one tries to stop them, that someone will have the fate of that unfortunate officer “on his arm he (the King of Israel – Joram) leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gate way, and he died, just as the man (Elisha) of God had foretold when the king came down to his house.” (2nd Kings 7:17-18)
I pray such disastrous fate never happens to any Ethiopian in Ethiopia or abroad!
Assta.b stop being dogmatic,and FANATIC,OF RELIGION LIKE wahabit believe in science and combat and fight dictators scientificaly,Aurevoir Madame ou MONSIEUR IF YOU CAN TELL ME YOU ARE MASCULIN OR FEMININ I THINK WE WILL UNDERTAND YOU MORE.you better read evolutinarie books ke semay yemetalen menem neger alayanem.