The finance committee chairman of Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA), Ato Abework Abay, has announced his resignation today citing financial irregularities, lack of transparency, and ineptness on the part of the chairman and many of the executive committee members.
Abework explained in a letter of resignation today that payments were made without proper approval and documents. In one instance, an individual was given a $2,000 tip in cash.
The vice-chairman, Ato Abiye Nurelign, has told his colleagues that he is also considering resignation.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian community in Atlanta is organizing a boycott campaign against the ESFNA annual event that is scheduled for July 2011.
ESFNA has been on a downward spiral ever since it was hijacked by the agents of the Woyanne junta who have made the organization a political tool for Ethiopia’s despot Meles Zenawi.
50 thoughts on “ESFNA finance head resigns”
Elias, you are a one man army amidest 70 million spineless men — keep on kicking them woyannes in their getata teeth. We are proud of you!
Boycott this year ESFN event in Atlanta!!!!
no problemo! now that woyane is awash with money they will establish ‘teletafi’ESFNA as the same time infiltrating the original one and at the end of the day dominating every thing. in every scenario I see a losing predicament.
I was actually planing to attend the event this year.But from now onward I will never be interested to attend since It is going to be a theatrical field for those narrow-mided Woyannes and their cheap pot-belly supporters.
I know there are some sincer Ethiopians in the leadership who are there to give back to the community. The departure of the chair person of the finance committee was not and is not the source of the current problem. The problem of the ESFNA is the Chairman and his buddies.Until the chairman calls emmergency session and resign, the fate of the organization is dark.This is an issue that can not wait for tomorrow or next year. The sooner the better. The issue that is facing ESFNA is not Birtukan Issue. It is bigger than that. If we all want ESFNA to survive the current corrupt leader of the organization who is using his position to please his financers, who is trying to silence the free flow of information by intimediation;who has no penitence should resign. This is for the betterment of the organization.
Go Elias go, we are not going to let Abinet dogs(pets to be fair) escape like this. the trial will continue even if they all resign.
When FBI and IRS ivestigation completed there will be a lot of suprises. Once we know ESFNA is under investigation it is smart to stop doing business with ESFNA. The time will be soon. I am surprised that the former ESFNA executive members are not giving any public statement. I have a feeling they are scared. The investigation is for the last 28 years. it will include every one.
Abework Abay is one of the few principled and intelligent guys in executive committee. I am surprised it took this long for him to take a stand. But it is better late than never.
Elias,
I appreciate your tenacity and you are winning.
Unfortunately, I see no other choice but to agree with the sad situation forecast ed by commenter #3 ( Minase). We are headed to a big loss, if we continue on the current path of talk about boycott and demand for resignation of officials. I mean, we gonna lose Big time.
Say no to looters in diaspora or at home.
Trust me guys weyanes aren’t strong.The problem is with in us, because we don’t knows how to say enough is enough.Trust me tomorrow you will see lots of Ethiopians gathered to dance with weyane agents and helping weyane companies to be strong.
Ethiopians seem to not have the vocabulary of reform or improvement. If something goes amiss, then everything must go to the ground. If ESFNA is going to collapse as indicated above, then the winner is Woyane only. This is a good instance of how Ethiopians behave in the face of challenges and crisis. What did it say about our politics??
Elias, this long over due. You are incredable, I love you brother.
There were times I doubted your sincierety because of your support of IsayAss and in the past for deleting some of my comments that was against Isayass, but now, I think I understand why you had to support Issayass and I agree with the comment #1 that you are bigger than one big army. Ethiopians should always distance themselves from anything and everything that has anykind of business relation with the criminal woyanes, case in point ESFNA. The fact that ugly criminal Bereket Satan tried to blame you for their criminal business activites is enough to see how ESFNA is corrupted and their closeness to the Woyane regime. Ethiopians have good enough reasons to boycott ESFNA untill ESFNA prove that they are on the side of peace loving Ethiopians and not at all on side of the killers and looters of Ethiopians.
Elias, Keep up the good fight and becareful. Happy early Ferengi’s Christims.
ER is a credible source of vital information. Keep up the superb job.
ESFNA leadership must be overhauled. The Association must take similar stance like the Jewish Association and promote the vital interests of Ethiopia on national issues without supporting any particular political party. TPLF is a criminal party and therefore ESFNA must keep its distance from it.
I know Abe, we grew up in the same area of Legehar, kebele 12 in Addis — our serfer was also used to be known as Kubania. He is always known for humbleness, integrity and intelligence. I am not surprised he reached that decision, to resign. I hope ESFNA finds a way to to reform itself. Losing people like Abe is a blow to the federation. I know Abe like soccer, like his community and he always stands for what is right.
Boycotting the ESPNA is not the best solution. If we will boycott ESPNA the arab’s dog will take over opennly. The solution, all those weyanes’dogs must be removed and take them one by one to court for misused of publice funds for their personal prosperity and assign the new leadership. Especially those communities which are being represented by those weyane’s dogs must elect their new representatives and the preparation for the next game must continue. How can we talk about bringing those adwa’s shere’s and axum’s criminals to an international criminal court when we could not take their dogs to USA’s criminal court who have been misusing publice funds? How can one lawyer talks about rule of law when he could not protect powerless ethiopians from daylight snatchers like fasil and his co?
December 21st, 2010 at 9:54 AM
#12 tameru I agree with you.
TPLF is like a camel spider: they inject you with numbing agent and slowly eat you away.
Woyanes wore the name of Tigrays, wooed the Tigrians and controlled them.
THen Woyanes wore the disguise of EPRDF and gained way to Addis.
Now they wrap themselves in the Ethiopian flag (NOT) with the insidious pentagram as their sign. They raise faux issues of nile and “national interest”. Fool me once…
Now,they injected themselves into the likes of ESFNA, wearing its skin to mask themselves, and try to influence our opinions slowly but surely.
These Woyanes (and their hodam slaves) also wear the mask of our friends, neighbors and coworkers.
No more yilugnta. We all need to take a stand and say enough to all this.
#12 is correct.
THE LEADERS WHO ARE RESIGNING NEED TO SPILL THE BEAN.
WE ARE WAITING ON THEM TO TELL US WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN ESFNA.
Whats wrong with Ethiopians in (USA)stand up for our organization it belongs for all of us ETHIOPIANS.Not for (TPLF)and some hodams enought is enought we dont allow these ethnofacist to take it over.Some times it makes me angry about us,what make us angry.1.we have lost our land,the port,our multiethnics army,etc all because of ethnofacists (TPLF).We have to start rescuing ethiopia bit by bit.Get read off any body who is with tplf start from ESFNA.Dont you ever let ESFNA to be invaided by TPLF.Its enough that they invaided our mother land.Death to tplf and hodams victory will be to the peopel of EThiopia.Merry X-mas.
I commenr Ato Abework’s protest. But resigination is not a solution. He should report the abuse to the board, make it public & then help the board to fire all the excutive committee members. Also some club’s should fire their board representatives. The board members of this organization shouldn’t be full of innocent, “we don’t know anything” kind of soccer players. It should be reorganized & choosen from the wider soccer club supporter community.
Bekalu!
It is time for the chairman who can’t lead the meeting democraticlly and have no idea about the parlamintary proccedure. The same goes for the high school drop put PR fasil from the inglewood CA. Fasil doesn’t know what PR means at all. He is the one puts esfna and the public apart. With the little knowledge that he has he belives he did the best thing for himself and his lovely wife and family, by doing inglewood style trash talk. PR asks bigger mind and skills. For the sake of reforming and saving esfna these two guys MUST resign ASAP.
Mekonnen Demisiew and Fassil Abebe are not handling the turmoil their organization is going through. So, they must RESIGN!!!
LOL, Fassil Abebe is a High school drop out?????? No wonder he cannot defend the organization.
The President, Mekonnen Demisiew, is laughable because he sits ideally while the organization he is leading is going through such turmoil.
I think both the Chairman and the PR must start defending the organization OR RESIGN!!!!
The teams should do the same. Team from DC, VA, MD and other states should resign. They need show that they can have great soccer without the idiots in ESFNA who are leaking Almoudis smelly ass.
Teams should demonstrate their ability to function with idiots like Fasil and his likes.
Good job Ethiopian Review. You are serving as a watchdog for the Ethiopian community and you are excelling at it.
Dear mr. Elias
Very soon we goona see more and more split among those weyanie thugs (leboch yemitalut siserku sayhon yeserekutin sikafelu new);any way keep up the good job we all are with you
Thank you!
my problem is with club players and the community. we need to act and take back our local club away from money lovers who doesn’t know how to organize a port club or compition. Does anyone knows how long endale terfa was representing Atlanta? isn’t it time for him to go away and serve his masters in addis??
All looters bandas like eyaya and fasil groups (pimps)in ESAFANA should brought to justice its .
boycott ESFNA
elias keep up the good fight we are with u
they are breathing with who lung meles and berket setanoch!
Comentator # 13 mentioned that we Ethiopians are missing the word reform in our dictionary. I think the point is missed.Reform needs a reformer with sharp brain who will address poor practtce or questionable activities in an organization, especially where corruption is concerned. Are you telling us that reform with the current chairman and his budies is acchevabe?
The currebt chairman has overstepped its bounds, purpose of goal. We need this backward person to be replaced by others who will bing much needed reform. If this is not acchevable the alternative is not to seat idle and wait miracle from the person who is a little dictator in his own world.
The solution should be to take over the organization by true Ethiopians. If we just boyocot woyane will win. It is clear their agenda is to dismantle anything that is pro Ethiopian. So boyocoting and allowing to dismantle the organization is caving for woyane agenda. We should organize, take over, and eliminate all woyane elements.
I don’t understand why Boycotting is benefiting the Ethiopian community! ESFNA is the property of Ethiopian community, why are you going against it, instead reform it to make it more democratic and strengthening its core values! Always defeated attitude here in the diaspora is staggering instead of fighting for it to preserve its integrity! I am sure those who called the boycott are probably pro Weyane that wants to see the weakening of ESFNA that serves the Ethiopian community. If it is boycotted, what is the goal? Is it being demanded that ESFNA change its course if that is the case, why isn’t being explained in public the reasoning of boycott other than weakening ESFNA. We want to hear it.
Congo,
Well said, we have still carried the African attitude of defeated attitude that we can’t challenge therefore form a new organization, therefore weakening further the unified community. How outrageous is that? Does this mean those accused own it that if we don’t go along as they say that we have leave the organization? Every Ethiopian who worked for and donated to ESFNA own the organization not just to those in power. If they don’t abide by the core value of the organization then there is no ifs and buts, they must leave the organization! If they also promise that they will serve ESFNA properly like any other members then pardon will be made and they can continue to the sucess of ESFNA. If they are found that they are sincere, that is. To, me they are already loyal to anti Ethiopia elements therefore, it is too late for them to work as the diaspora wants them to because they will be endangered in Ethiopia if they backed down. Therefore they must quit! We are not going to sacrifice ESFNA because they want to look good infront of Weyane!.
The other option is it is high time that seniors are involved and solve this issue.
At present the majority of Ethiopians power is our participation in the annual gathering. We do not have the power to remove the chairman and his associate who sold the organization for their future employers.If we participate and give them our blessing that means we are extending their survival by another year. By then as usual we Ethipians will forget the issue and the organization will remain highjacked.If this is what we want commentator # 32 will be justified. If our purpose is to take back the organization from the current leadership, the commentator advise not to boycott the event does not hold the water.
Those who are stepping aside for the sake of truth are sincerely applaud. However, if they simpley resign and keep comlaining about wrong doings of others instead of taking their justified and legitimate causes to the extent of fighting for the complete reform of the Federation, I do not think their resignation will make any sense.
All the genuinely concerned teams which belong to the Federation must act wisely and timely to clean up the mess taht has been terriblely caused by some members of the Federation who have been muddling in the dirty politics of the ruling party and allowed themselves to serve a “tycoon” / Sheih Alamudi who has provided the killing machine of the ruling circle with necessary and adequete financial and material support.
Folks, let us fight for the real reform and survival of the Federation by strongly calling for the stepping down of those members of the Federation who have
committed a serious betryial. Let us work hard and fast so thst we would make the coming EVENT in Atlanta a double victory.
Good Job Elias.
The president ( Mekonnen) the PR Fasil, The secretary Samuel and the Treasurer not only need to resign the board has to impeach them and form an investigating committee.
The PR was publicly lying that a meeting that was never took place had taken place. A board never met and discussed had done so. Fasil must be impeached.
ESFNA need to take action ASAP other wise it is going to be late.
If it does not serve the people, if it doesn’t stand with the people we do not want it. If it is for Woyane we do not want it to exist.
ESFNA executive members (EC) must resign . The board officially need to have an emergency meeting and impeach the EC for failed leadership and for forgery.. Many more charges can come from an investigation. those openly allied with Woyane like Enfale Tufar from Atlanta, Eyaya and Sebsibe from DC star and Fasil Abebe fro LA dallol must be impeached.
ESFNA ia an organization formed to serve the Ethiopians in Diaspora not the Ethiopian government.
The so called Chair man do not know how to conduct a meeting. Also the PR person is not proffesional at all. Even though Fasil is a high school drop out he has been here in US for forty years according to his interview on awramba times. He could have learn something,at least to be civlized, just by staying here in usa. Sadly he has only learn how to do his hair form inglewood brothers. Both mekonnen and fasil must resign and the community should reclaim ESFNA.
Long live Ethiopianism!!!
Mekonnen Demisiew and Fassil Abebe Must resign because they failed the ESFNA. They must be questioned about the money they mismanaged to benefit themselves.
#33 ", true
We are on the same wave length. ESFNA is an Ethiopian organisation, if something goes wrong it is up to Ethiopians (constituents) to correct it. If leaders are responsible for the problem, we just remove them and replace them with others elected by the people. If we can’t do that, then it was not a community organization but owned by few people, in that case the fault lies with the Ethiopian community itself for not giving the required attention for such important association.
Great news. Keep on cleansing ESFNA from woyane agents and it will be that of Ethiopians as ever.
It sounds things are now moving in the right direction and let’s give our unflinching support to those who work hard to bring about the badly needed change.
It’s time to stick together!!!
Time to act together!!!
Time to recapture ESFNA!!!!
Ato Mekonen Demmesew the so called chairman, but he can not to do anything himself. He recived orders from Ayaya and Sebsebe. so if he can not use his power he should resign. And also I don’t think he will say NO if they show him some $$$$$$$$$
.
At least this was one viable organization where we used to be able to find lost friends we havent seen in years. I met a friend I havent seen since second grade because his dad took him to geneve when we were kids but was able to reunite with him in Atlanat in 1997 soccer tournament. Why do we have to destroy everything. Corruption is a way of life almost every where in the world. The level of corruption viaries but as they say in the west, a little bit of corruption keeps society going. If there was no corruption who would be willing to waste their precious events organizing such a wonderful tournament. I thing this can be corrected but shouldnt be distroyed like everything else we have destroyed before.
ESFNA belongs to all Ethiopians who resides in North America. While boycotting isn’t the remedy to fight the problem arises within, the soution should be forming a temporary comittee.
1- To form a council from each city and clubs and deligate 2 people have a 50 member congress.
2- To elect 7-11 executive body that report to the congress.
3- The Congress is the final autority to fire and hire.
4- All the elected members should be allowed to serve only 2 years.
Since we know what the problem is we need to discuss how to come up to a better solution as a whole in all the cities accross the North America.
Boycotting is not a remedy for the survival of ESFNA rather it is self defeating as it allows woyane to freely ride and take control of the association through his emmissaries and sleeper agents .
Enem lengager!
Fasil Abebe should be the next pesron to resign from ESFNA. He is there just pleasing his Master the tycoon Sheik.Besides fasil abebe is not qulified to be the PR of ESFNA as his record shows that he has never attended a college to learn the art of a public speech. The same goes to mekonnen who can not chair a meeting. He is person can be easily manuplated by “werobela” like Eyaya.
While I Oppose the ESFNA of its failure to have transparent and accountable working culture as well as breaking all the non-profit public organization rights hands to them at the same time I do oppose the oppositions to plan boycott the organization which belongs to all Ethiopians. instead of weeding out the bad apples who caved in this oldest Ethiopian Organization in North America for their personal financial benefits Its like boycotting Their own house to enter if its found few rats roaming round the house
At face value, Mr. Abework’s resignation is a welcomed development, resigning from an organization said to be corrupted under the present leadership that allowed itself to be infiltrated by the Woyane Regime, is indeed commendable, however, he must also come clean by providing detailed information as to why he chose to resign at this particular time, fully cooperate with an investigation that must ensue, and volunteer to return any funds/properties belong the organization that belongs to all Ethiopians.
I disagree with comentator # 48. To begin with the public does not have any vested interes on this organization.The public does not have any say on the direction of the organization.The profit that was generated from the organization has not tricling to the so called owner of the property as we speak. If this is true how can we assume that the organization belongs to us? Boycotting the event by itself is not enough. If the curent chairman and his associates refuse to call emergency session to discuss the direction of the organization and make some adjustments, crating a new organization owened by the diaspora and that serve the disapora will be inevitable.
When you have a hose that is rotten and unrepairable, you have to demolish and build a new one.Temporary fix is not a solution.You will spend time and energy knowing that the repair does not last for a long time. We have already a deficit of thrust on the current organization that has no democratic value and corrupt from the top.If we can not fight and come up a winner against a handful of corrupt ESFNA individuals,do you think is it possible to fight a formidable enemy who is doing his homework on time and propose a homework for us? If # 48 thinks that the house belongs to us,could you please remove the occupant and give it back to the legitimate owner?