(Bloomberg) — Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa will face continued power outages for the next two to three months because the country’s state-owned utility can only meet 60 percent of demand, Capital reported.
The city of about 4 million people uses about 200 megawatts while the utility can generate 120 megawatts, the Addis Ababa- based newspaper said, citing Mihiret Debebe, the general manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corp.
The utility has installed 45 diesel generators in the city to cope with the shortage. Rain shortfalls this year have left reservoirs low in Ethiopia, which depends on hydropower for more than 90 percent of its electricity.
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To contact the reporter on this story: Jason McLure in Addis Ababa via the Johannesburg bureau at [email protected] Wessels in Johannesburg at [email protected]
Making investment in flower farms while millions of people are starving cannot be described as “successful agricultural policy” by any one with commonsense. But here we are dealing with a government of dummies (yededeb mengist).
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(Source: Reporter)
Prime Minster Dictator Meles Zenawi said yesterday that the establishment of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) is necessitated as a result of the successful agricultural policy of the government that is helping farmers produce more food products than before.
He made this remark at a meeting held at the United Nations Conference Hall to mark the official launch of the ECX.
“The country’s food production increase in the past five years is made possible due to our well conceived and correct agricultural policy. This in turn has paved the way for the establishment of ECX that is expected to revolutionalize the country’s backward and inefficient marketing system,” Meles said.
According to the Prime Minster, the ECX will open doors for a “transparent” and “efficient” marketing system that will help the development endeavor of the country.
“It is my belief that the main objective of the ECX will not be met unless it further widens its operational capacity by incorporating all the stakeholders into one table,” he added.
Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Addisu Legesse on his part said that the government had been exerting its utmost efforts to solve the country’s existing marketing system problems.
“First, we have been consulting with producers and traders to solve the chronic problems faced by the market. On the other hand, we have conducted studies and researches to set up a Commodity Exchange market that will bring a grass-roots level change in the marketing system,” he added.
He explained that with the assistance gained from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPI) a taskforce comprising different stakeholders had been studying the policies and issues involved in it two years ago and had also traveled to India to gather experiences from there.
“After securing the government’s resume, the Commodity Exchange Market Project has been started. We are grateful for the assistance extended from the International Policy Research Institute, the World Bank, USAID, IFAD, UNDP, SIDA and WFP,” he told participants of the conference. The two-day-long National Forum is aimed at bringing together stakeholders numbering 1,500.
Dr. Eleni Zaude G. Medhin, Chief of the ECX Project, on her part, made a speech in which she labeled the ECX “a result of a dream–a dream to change Ethiopia”. Considered by many as the master-mind behind the ECX project, Dr. Eleni said, “We are here to witness the realization of that dream, even as it is unfolding.”
She added that the ECX project, which has taken 18 months of analysis, design and building, is aimed at revolutionizing the agricultural economy of the country through the market institution that is being launched. In connection with the launching of the ECX, she said that three necessary elements are helping the realization of the project: solid analytical foundation that is based on years of research, political will and support and active participation by these to whom the system is designed.
According to the ECX, the market will start trading wheat, maize, sesame seed and peas, beans while teff and coffee will follow suite soon. It also said that, in a bid to recruit 100 founding members, so far 137 applications were submitted and 62 members have been pre-approved.
This report mentions that EEPCO has about 1.3 million customers (including businesses). That is less than 10% of Ethiopian households. This figure is almost the same as 17 years ago when Woyanne came to power. So what happened to all the money borrowed from the World Bank to build power generating plants?
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Nairobi (HAN) – Last Year Ethiopia had an ambitious multi-billion-dollar plan to provide all its citizens with electricity within eight years (2015), as well as to supply some power to three neighboring countries, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan a top manager of the state-owned electricity company said.
Because he said, Ethiopia can do because it has a lot of potential to generate hydroelectric power, said Mihret Debebe, general manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation. The country is the source of a branch of the Nile River called the Blue Nile, which is believed to have huge power-generating potential. The Blue Nile merges with the White Nile in Sudan to flow into Egypt as the Nile River.
But, today The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) on Thursday announced that it had faced a critical power shortage. Briefing reporters about electric power generation, Mihret Debebe, general manager of EEPCo, said that as part of the ongoing fast economic development activity noted in the country many factories had been established, adding that this had increased local demand for more electric power rather previous target to supply electricity to Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan.
“Factories which consume high electric power such as cement, textile and foundries have been established. Many new factories are being built and they need more energy,” Mihret said. EEPCO has 1,396,000 customers, 40 percent of them in Addis Ababa. Ninety-five percent of the customers are households and the rest is the industrial and service sector. However, the industrial and service sector, which accounts for only five percent of the number of customers, consumes 69 percent of the electric power.
At the moment EEPCo’s maximum electric generating capacity is 814 MW, 80 percent hydro and 20 percent geothermal and thermal. However, because of various reasons, including water shortage, the corporation generates only 600 to 700 MW. Unable to meet the growing demand EEPCo is now forced to start power shading.
Mihret said that the power deficit, at the moment, is 80 MW. “We are not the only country that is facing power shortage. South Africa is in a serious power crisis. In India and even in the US there is a power shortage. If we were connected with our neighbors we could have imported 80 MW,” Mihret said.
The increasing demand for electric power, coupled with the failed belg rain had worsened the situation. A turbulent time, indeed, awaits EEPCo at least until the rains start in June. Even then it can hardly meet the ever increasing demand. “Because of the favorable investment climate more investments are being made. This creates new demand. And power plants can not be erected overnight. We are victims of our success. This is a temporary problem. And let us all work together to overcome the problem,” Mihret said.
EEPCo is undertaking massive hydro-power projects. Tekeze( 300 MW), Gibe II (420 MW), Beles (460), Gibe III (1870) and Fincha Amenti Neshe (1000). It is also to construct a wind turbine farm which can generate 120 MW near Mekelle town.
The corporation plans to construct more than ten hydropower plants. It is also to build geothermal and wind power plants. The corporation needs 124 billion birr to realize the projects.
At the moment EEPCO is using diesel generators and because of the escalating price of oil in the global market the government is spending 100 million birr to subsidize thermal power production.
Tekeze seems the savior. Construction on the Tekeze hydro-power project is expected to be finalized in August this year. The project was delayed because of geological incidents that complicated the task.
Access to electricity stands at 22 percent and EEPCO plans to increase this figure to 50 percent in the next five years. The country plans to generate 6000 MW and to export the surplus power to Sudan Djibouti and Kenya.
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By Kaleyesus Bekele for HAN.
This is a letter hastily scribbled with reference to a latest gross miscarriage of justice meted out against Colonel Berhanemeskel Haile, Col. Girma Asfaw, Lt. Col. Solomon Kebede and Captain Kifle Woube, all former Ethiopian Air force pilots who’ve been languishing in the notorious Kaliti concentration camp for over 14 years.
In the name of “trying” others in absentia, TPLF’s Kangaroo court, driven by vengeance, didn’t even spare those ace pilots, such as Captain Alemayehu Esattu, who died in exile long ago from condemning him to death for “the second time.” As the ex-officer died of an aircraft crash while working as a charter pilot in Uganda, his untimely death at the time had been covered both by Ugandan and independent Ethiopian press. Unfortunately, getting one’s facts straight is anathema to Kangaroo courts. In any case, typical of a Kangaroo court, TPLF’s hirelings condemned the officers mentioned above from 19-25 years of imprisonment. It’s also highly unlikely that they would be granted parole, particularly, Colonel Berhanemeskel, who had been subjected to all kinds of humiliation and torture to break his invincible spirit and recalcitrant nature.
What TPLF’s strongmen and its hirelings should remember, though, is this: Their role in using civilians as shield, conscription of children for their treasonous war as Trojan horse for EPLF and destruction of infrastructures, will not be glossed over by farcical trials like this. Although there were some excesses, the war fought for the sovereignty of Ethiopia was holy and a just one. Had there been rule of law, the first people who would be held accountable for victims of Howzen and the like would have been Meles Zenawi & Company. Those who had been privy to TPLF’s devilish council and who now profess to have distanced themselves, have a moral obligation to tell the truth as to how they supplied the disinformation to Dergue to provoke it to the point of carpet bombing Howzen so that Tigrayans revolt against it and join TPLF en mass. Also, how was it possible to have it filmed footage by footage unless known beforehand that the bombing would take place and to use it for the consumption of mass hysteria.
At this juncture, it’s imperative to remind those tribalists who’ve been brainwashed by TPLF’s propaganda that TPLF is making suffer these officers not on account of Tigrayans or victims of Howzen. Had it not become awkward for Meles & Company due to the 1998 fallout with its erstwhile comrade-in-arms, EPLF, the fate of those pilots rounded up with Col. Berhanemeskel et al would have been the same on account of the battle taken place in Eritrea.
This is not the only treason that TPLF had committed against Ethiopia and Ethiopians. It had also incarcerated a brilliant infantry commanding officer, Brg. General Getaneh Haile, for about seven years, alleging he committed a crime of genocide against Ethiopian Somalis during the 1977 war whereby a decisive action was taken against fifth columnists (SERGO GEB) who committed unspeakable crime by even slicing open pregnant Ethiopian women with knives. The list can go on like this.
The bottom line is: that day will not be very far where all records will be straightened out and true sons and daughters of Ethiopia shall be exalted. I for one still regard these gallant officers as POWs to whom I will always be giving a smart salute.
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]
It is highly likely that Woyanne ‘investigators’ are fabricating stories and suspects for the missing gold from the National Bank of Ethiopia that worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Architects of Gold Scam Out of Country
(The Reporter, Addis Ababa) — Individuals who masterminded the recent gold fraud at the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) have left the country before police started to arrest suspects.
Reliable sources told The Reporter that the individual who first started to supply gold plated steel to the NBE was Asmare Ayalew. In 2005 Asmare’s close friend called Samson went to NBE with a forged gold export license named Kefeyalew Umeta Export. Samson, who used the fake identity, Ketyalew Umeta, as his name previously served in the Addis Ababa police commission with the rank of sergeant.
Samson (Kefyalew Umeta) gave a power of attorney to Asmare, which enabled Asmare to supply gold to NBE on behalf of Kefyalew Umeta and to receive payments. According to information obtained from NBE in 2006, Kefyalew Umeta supplied 239.36748 kg of gold with a total value of 35,924,502.59 birr.
From July to December 2007 Kefyalew supplied 222.9623 kg of “gold” valued at 35,974,160.34 birr. Sources told The Reporter that Asmare was supplying the product to NBE on behalf of Kefyalew Umeta and the payment was transferred to Asmare’s bank account in the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE). Sources said Asmare supplied the product to the NBE by bypassing the Ethiopian Geological Survey’s Central Geo-Chemical Laboratory which is supposed to inspect the gold. Asmare and Samson had wooden boxes which NBE gives to gold exporters.
They also had forged seal of the Ethiopian Geological Survey. According to information obtained from NBE, Kefyalew Umeta Export supplied 529 kg of “gold”, which only 30 kg was real gold. In 2005, the laboratory inspected 30 kg of gold brought by Kefyalew Umeta Export. The laboratory also inspected eight gm of real gold brought by Kefyalew but it was not supplied to NBE after the inspection.
According to sources, at least 200 million birr payment was transferred from NBE to Asmare’s account in CBE. Sources said Samson (Kefyalew Umeta) and Asmare left the country in September 2007. Sources added that Asmare now resides in the US while Samson is in Australia. Asmare helped other individuals who collaborated with him to get out of the country.
Asmare got an investment license to establish a big construction company here in Ethiopia which he used to legally send the money out of the country. Sources said Asmare opened a letter of credit at CBE claiming that he wanted to purchase heavy duty construction machineries from the US. The money was wired to a construction machinery manufacturing company in the US through City Bank. However, after Asmare went to the US he took the money from the company saying he had changed his mind. Asmare and Samson took their families with them.
The Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s Prosecutor is expected to file charges against 26 suspects who are under custody accused of an alleged involvement in the gold fraud on the coming Monday. Sources said some of the business people under custody learnt about the fraud from Asmare and Samson.
When the commission took the case to the Federal High Court the file was called under the file of Kefyalew Umeta. However, now the file is called under the file of Mudesir Mohammed. Mudesir, owner of Sofam Enterprise, is in custody together with his four brothers and one nephew. Four individuals from the Ethiopian Geological Survey, seven from NBE and 15 business people and other individuals. According to the Federal Auditor General report, the NBE has lost 158 million birr. However, sources said Samson and Asmare defrauded the bank of over 200 million birr and this one was not included in the report. The court case is adjourned for 7 April.
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If it is true that a couple of individuals stole this much gold from the NBE (one of the most protected institution in the country), it only confirms what is already known: the Woyanne regime is a gang of dummies.
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Africa’s top athletes will be honoured in a new African athletics Hall of Fame award to be hosted in Ethiopia later this month, the continent’s governing body for the sport said on Saturday.
Seventy-two athletes, including track heavyweights Haile Gebreselassie, Hicham El-Guerrouj and Frankie Fredericks, have been chosen for the inaugural induction set to take place in a tribute gala on the eve of the 16th African Athletics Championships at the end of April.
“The event is meant to pay tribute to the best (African) athletes during the past 50 years,” Aminata Gueye, spokeswoman of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), told AFP.
Gueye said only Olympic gold medalists, world champions and record holders from the continent are eligible for the Hall of Fame, and plans are also underway to create an exhibition.
“The athletes, both male and female, were selected through their achievements. We went through records three or four months ago and came up with the list,” said the CCA’s presidential advisor, Jean-Emmanuel Pondi.
Five former greats, including Ethiopia’s twice-Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila, will also be given posthumous awards, Pondi added.
Over 1,200 participants are expected to compete in twenty-three events during the five-day tournament.
This year’s competition, which has cost Ethiopia more than two million dollars to organize, is one of a selected number of international fixtures whereby qualification for the Beijing Olympics can be secured.
