(The Daily Monitor) – More than 14 million Ethiopians may be potentially at risk of fluorosis, the Ministry of Water Resources announced at a workshop on Fluorosis Mitigation Learning Exchange held from from 4- 5 March 2008 in Addis Ababa. A recent assessment of Fluoride, Fluorosis and Defluoridation issues reported that, out of those at risk, approximately 85% may have already been exposed to high fluoride contamination. Excessive fluoride is the most serious water sanitation problem, mainly in the Ethiopian Rift Valley system affecting areas in Afar, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and peoples regional states, including some parts of Gambela Regional State. A high level National Fluorosis Mitigation Steering Committee composed of Ministers and Heads of relevant agencies has been re-established to coordinate fluorosis mitigation efforts in Ethiopia.
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The problem is that the ministers are all too busy enriching themselves and getting drunk in their spare time. Even if they want to do some thing constructive, they are too ignorant since their only qualification is their loyalty to their puppet-master Meles Zenawi.
10 thoughts on “14 million Ethiopians are exposed to contaminated water”
I don’t think one government alone can solve the multiple problems that exist in Ethiopia today: water problem, AIDS problem, drought problem, sewage problem, transportation problem, price gouging problem, fake gold problem, migration problem, and army desertion problem, but the most serious problem affecting Ethiopia and other African countries too is leadership problem. I know it is easy to list thousands of problems but very hard to find solutions to all these problems without a good leadership. If I write Meles the solutions of these problems, I’m sure, he will never accept my solutions. For Example, if I write him that his leadership is not helping Ethiopia, so that let other capable Ethiopians run the country; do you think he will accept my advice to the leadership problem?
leaders are not born,but made.the problem is that ethiopian society has failed to produce such skilful leadres.the question is what could be done to produce such rational thinker!
the problem is not from the respect leaders but it is from our uselles ethiopian soceity.
Dear Comchanbawe,
The Ethiopian society has never been in short of propagating thinkers – philosophers, scientists, engineers, physicians, and theologians – but most of these highly educated people have no desire to take responsibilities of taking the leadership position; many of them live aboard and need someone to motivate them to go back to Ethiopia and be leaders. How do we motivate them? We promise them that if they go back to Ethiopia, they would have complete freedom of expression plus very attractive salary; their children would be sent to one of the best schools in Ethiopia. The people of Ethiopia would abide by the law these highly educated Ethiopian scholars have written, signed, and distributed to every Ethiopian to read and respect the law of the land. And we must keep our promises, and they their dedications to their country!
a man commitment is tested both in pain and pleasure and success by defintion is not how u look ,dress and how you are educated,but how u think. we don’t need leaders who have no backbone and don’t take responsiblity both legal and moral reasons to defend and answer their country men cry by using their intellectual skill. by far the most stricking thing is that the so called ethiopian elites have become more and more static in their deeds and egotistic in their empty slagon. i beg ur excellency pardon if i made u uncomfortable in my response….i thank u dear assta
Elias;
The problem of Fluoride is not produced by EPRDF. It has been the major problem since Emperor and was also prevalent during the Derg, which you don’t dare to talk about. If you want to make a point on the top of the news, you shouldn’t deliberately hide the other side of the story. This is a major problem of you. I hope you would shed a balanced light on your upcoming news.
Sincerely
Kulfo
Dear Chomchambawe,
I agree with you we may have some educated Ethiopians who merely boast but not think because they have PhDs but never contributed anything to their country or fought for the freedom of the Ethiopian people. Yes, we cannot judge a person by his dress, look, appearance, height, charm, wealth, and outward superficiality.
You remember when God sent Samuel the Prophet to Jesse’s house to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the future king of Israel. Jesse brought his oldest son Eliab thinking he was very charming and good looking boy so that he would be anointed to be a king. When Samuel saw Eliab, he also had the same thought like Jesse’s. However, “the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” 1Samuel 16:7). At the same time, we may also have some highly qualified Ethiopians who think what is good for Ethiopia, and if they go home and try to bring changes to the country, we should not be blind they would be killed. This is the big problem they are facing: death or survival; I want them to survive rather than die by going there and facing that ruthless and blood thirsty dictator – Meles Seitanawi.
Dear Assta B. Gettu,
you call your name Assta Gettu… while you are telling us for Meles to step down… I have no problem of Meles stepping down but My point is who is going to replace HIM. you our Gettu? or someone else you have in mind for us..
My second point is how long should we waite for us to see any change at all once you put your so called leadership in power.. ten year or 100 years or 3000 years we should put on hold?
They way I look at it is your so called leader have it for the last 3000 years of power(by your own account) what did they achived during all this years? NOTHING AT ALL Now you want us to believe you have some one for us.
Let assume you have one person for us do you thing only one person can make a diffrent? They way I look at is everyone can make a diffrence in life of Ethiopia… every small change should be added to be a great change hence every one should take responsablity and do his or her part instead of asking other to do it for us.
dear assta
i appreciate ur religious account and attempt to connect my poin of view with words of God analogically.this is the kind of discussion that our political leaders have to take.we should stop leveling and insulting people basd on their political views ,interests and social and tribal backgrounds.ethiopia belongs to all of us and we are required to work together for our common goals. i am not any political party member and supporter.however, as an individual and member of ethiopian society subjected to make such views not merely from philosophical curiosity,but also practical prudence.
our social ,political and economic sickness can be ceased only when our society is led by ppl who is impartial and have burning desires,commitiments for change.until our goverment building occupied by these pragmatic and reasonable fellows ,i am afraid the cicle of unfortunate will continue. thank u again for ur response
Dear Mela,
Day and night I struggle with this important issue you pointed out that if Meles Seitanawi steps down, who will be the next leader?
In the Old Testament times, God elects or chooses a leader for his people through his messengers, the prophets, but in our wicked time, some leaders come to power by a brutal force; others by the will of the people, so what we have to ask the world community is to help us to get rid of Meles Seitanawi and give the people of Ethiopia a voice to elect their own leaders, like they do here in the United States or in other democratic countries.
To come to this final stage, we have to prepare our Ethiopians to think seriously that they belong to one country – Ethiopia – not to Amhara, not to Oromo, not to Tigray or to Ogaden. Once they know they are one nation, one country, and one Ethiopia, then they are ready to choose the best Ethiopian political leaders to run their country.
Yes, one person can make a big difference; don’t you think if Barack Obama becomes the first black United States President, he will bring a big change to this country and to the world in general? I hope he will. In the past, we witness that Mahatama Gandhi brought a big change to India, and Martin Luther King Jr., brought a spectacular change to America; even Emperor Haile Selassie brought many changes to Ethiopia, so it is possible that one person can bring a change to his country. To bring big or little change to a country like Ethiopia that has never selected its own leader using ballots, it takes time, money, deep thought, and a lot of energy. Please be patient!