Tedla Asfaw
World Focus Radio host Martin Savidge talked with Professor Philip LeBel and Ato Ermyas Amelga a"businessman" from Addis Ababa yesterday on his weekly radio program about "Entrepreneurship in Ethiopia" which was aired on blogtalkradio live (Oct. 29)
I had commented earlier on his blog and requested if I can participate on the program. Since the program was not listeners call I had not a chance to question his guests how can entrepreneurship develops where the unelected regime in power is controlling all the resources, land and all cash generating crops and minerals.
" We can't discuss about one cash crop, coffee, without seeing the big picture of farming in Ethiopia. Land is owned
by the unelected government, Ethiopian farmers are now
tenants of the ruling regime TPLF led by Meles Zenawi and
his company EFFORT established by stolen aid money twenty
five years ago.
Large tracts of land have been also leased for foreign
countries or are converted to crops that produce bio energy.
When it comes to the small farms of coffee the regime wants
to discourage farmers to abandon planting coffee to turn it
into large scale coffee farms and it is amazing to see that
USAID is part of this project at the expense of poor
farmers.
Some farmers switch to other crops like Kat a narcotic crop
to support their families. Large areas of Teff farms
surrounding Addis Ababa also turned by government to flower
farm for European markets by those connected with the
regime.
No wonder we are now where we were twenty five years ago
and famine is threatening millions of lives again.
In general Ethiopia is run by unaccountable regime who
cares less for its people and profit at their expenses. The
crisis we witnessed in coffee farms just a tiny fraction of
our overall land policy crisis in Ethiopia.
The least we Ethiopians in the diaspora do is to stop the
Starbucks and others exploit our people with collaboration
with unelected regime in Ethiopia. Those like your guest
from Ethiopia today are only interested in making money at
the poor farmers expense. We saw on Market Makers program
recently that Eleni Gebremedhin working hard on behalf of
the regime to collect each sack of coffee to the government
stores to be shipped to profit her company called GUNA.
The Bonga and Harar I see on your program has not changed a
bit since I saw it more than twenty years ago. Where does
the tax revenue go ? Surely used on the race of our rich
tyrants to catch up with the world rich and famous. Ethiopia
needs real change, democratic and accountable government,
until then we say no to Starbucks, no to flower farm and no
to misguided USAID ".
I appreciate the host for reading the first paragraph of my comment on the program for which the professor replied by accusing Dr. Birhanu for his "harsh" call for overthrowing the Ethiopian regime similar to my "harsh" comment.
The Professor also looks like the spokes person for Chinese companies and I am not surprised for ignoring the question of accountability and the rule of law in Ethiopia raised by the host. The Professor is promoting development at the expense of everything , set to establish a New China in Ethiopia.
countries or are converted to crops that produce bio energy.
When it comes to the small farms of coffee the regime wants
to discourage farmers to abandon planting coffee to turn it
into large scale coffee farms and it is amazing to see that
USAID is part of this project at the expense of poor
farmers.
Some farmers switch to other crops like Kat a narcotic crop
to support their families. Large areas of Teff farms
surrounding Addis Ababa also turned by government to flower
farm for European markets by those connected with the
regime.
No wonder we are now where we were twenty five years ago
and famine is threatening millions of lives again.
In general Ethiopia is run by unaccountable regime who
cares less for its people and profit at their expenses. The
crisis we witnessed in coffee farms just a tiny fraction of
our overall land policy crisis in Ethiopia.
The least we Ethiopians in the diaspora do is to stop the
Starbucks and others exploit our people with collaboration
with unelected regime in Ethiopia. Those like your guest
from Ethiopia today are only interested in making money at
the poor farmers expense. We saw on Market Makers program
recently that Eleni Gebremedhin working hard on behalf of
the regime to collect each sack of coffee to the government
stores to be shipped to profit her company called GUNA.
The Bonga and Harar I see on your program has not changed a
bit since I saw it more than twenty years ago. Where does
the tax revenue go ? Surely used on the race of our rich
tyrants to catch up with the world rich and famous. Ethiopia
needs real change, democratic and accountable government,
until then we say no to Starbucks, no to flower farm and no
to misguided USAID ".
I appreciate the host for reading the first paragraph of my comment on the program for which the professor replied by accusing Dr. Birhanu for his "harsh" call for overthrowing the Ethiopian regime similar to my "harsh" comment.
The Professor also looks like the spokes person for Chinese companies and I am not surprised for ignoring the question of accountability and the rule of law in Ethiopia raised by the host. The Professor is promoting development at the expense of everything , set to establish a New China in Ethiopia.
