The honey-combed statement of prime minister, attempts to overshadow the serious economic depression in Ethiopia.

While the people of Ethiopian empire is in serious economic depression the so called Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi recently presented the annual economic report as it is growing up to his parliamentary members. The leader of tormenter, Meles Zenawi has been trying to deceive the world community and cover up the reality on the ground, by making false claims of 10% economic growth. On the contrary, inflation is accelerating to 29.6% and poverty is in climax than ever seen.

According to Central Statistical Agency (CSA) from Finfinne( Addis Ababa ) Ethiopia 's annual inflation rate increased to 29.6% in 2008, the highest in over a decade, as rising food costs continued to push up consumer prices. “Even it could be worse than the CSA’s official reports”, say commentators. The cost’s of everything is being increased to more than a double. Inflation expanded to climax and food prices climbed to 39.4% from 30.2% (the Addis Ababa-based CSA mentioned on it’s an annual report basis in February 2008).

Presumably for few loyalists and mercenaries of Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) members, who take advantage of the wealth and resources of the entire country; can assume it as an economic growth. For the brutal oppressors and reckless exploiters’ individual income growth could be even more than 100%.

Here it is important to give bird’s eye view to the “list of TPLF companies established between the years 1992-1997 EC”, which was posted recently under http://oromooswiss.blogspot.com/2008/03/list-of-tplf-companies-established.html
All the TPLF’s companies were established with looted wealth of the entire people; which is currently suffering from recession that can not be normalized again easily.

The 30% inflation has driven TPLF autocracy to cut down electricity and water supply in the capital Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) to bare a minimum rate, also can disprove their sham theory.

However, lies can never provide a way out in the long run, and so the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been compelled to admit the serious economic problem that has been facing the country, on the parliament meeting occasion on March, 2008. The statements they presented to defend them selves and cover out the crises can be seen on: http://www.geeskaafrika.com/ethiopia_05apr08.htm. The economic crisis is the consequence of confiscations, corruptions and egoistic behavior of the successive Ethiopian rulers.

Ethiopia is always cited as the prime example whenever issues of famine and drought are raised. Ethiopia’s economic slack further deteriorated after the TPLF regime came to power and has now become the very image of poverty and backwardness. Ethiopia is one of the fourth nations in the world that receive the highest amount of aid for food per annum. Even after receiving such extensive aid, nothing has changed for the entire people. More than half of the country’s population still lives in poverty. The only group that has benefited is few fraudulent loyalists and mercenaries of TPLF members became rich with the received food aid and illegally confiscated local people’s wealth. In the contrary, according to media outlets, now a day’s more than nine million people are suffering from famine.

As it is known, Ethiopia received more than 25 billion dollars in grants for development and another 10 billion dollars in loan during the TPLF rule; it is not difficult to guess to what purpose this massive amount of money has been used, obviously war and corruption. The kind of muddled administration and rampant corruption that has developed throughout Ethiopia under the administration of the deplorable and discredited TPLF leaders is beyond comparison.

Ethiopia is an image of war, poverty and backwardness. Ethiopia is categorized the 49 poorest countries in the world and ranks last in human development. If there is a country in the world that cannot survive even for a single day without food aid, it is Ethiopia. The amount of loan Mr Meles requests every year is mounting up to one billion dollars, and 70% of its annual budget being covered through aid. So Ethiopia is surviving on a day-to-day charity basis.

As a general rule, people living under an income of less than 90 dollars a year are considered to be living below the poverty line. Considering the fact that at normal circumstances, workers in that empire earn less than 80 dollars a year. So it is not difficult to imagine the extent of the prevailing poverty in that country.

Despite receiving massive amounts of aid, 75% of the people in Ethiopia have no access to drinking water and more than 80% are illiterate. Moreover, 70% of the entire people have never received proper health care services and more than 200 out of 1000 infants die during birth. Ethiopia under the TPLF regime is a country in which peoples in remote areas die daily of simple ailments due to the lack of health treatment centers and ranks as the third country in the world as regards to the number of HIV positive persons.

Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) is being the only capital city in the world whose streets are swarmed with excessive beggars and homeless people in 21 century.

If there is a genuine administration, the wealth of Oromia alone could be sufficient for the whole region. It is naturally the wealthiest country in Africa. Hydroelectric power resource, exportable coffee, leather, cattle, gold, marble, … etc. are from Oromia region.

The revenue of these cash crops is used to build up the TPLF members’ private companies, international airports, universities, different factories, hospitals, in their own region.

Finchaha Hydro Electric Power is found about 100 km from Nekemte (capital city of Western Wollega) in Oromia region is not likely to supply the surrounding native people with electricity as required, whereas Mekele capital city of Tigray, which is about 700 km away from the source, is utilizing it to build up hydroelectric dam on Tekeze River.

In the contrary, in Oromia, towns which are not less than 700 km away from Finfinee (Addis Ababa) has no a single airport for domestic flight. There is no asphalt motor way. Few zones have only paved roads. People in the rural area suffer from epidemic deaths and in denial of medicine. Most of the towns in Oromia region have no modern electric power and lack of direct telephone line.

Oromo people are indiscriminately criminalized, harassed, detained, tortured, disappeared and killed with cruelty, because they have been protesting against the raiding of the regime, and transforming their knowledge to regain their forefathers’ culture. As a consequence many productive Oromo people are suffering in a jail, while some of them are forced to leave their own loved once.

Generally, Ethiopia under the TPLF regime is a manifestation of hell on Earth. So compelling the oppressed people in to the cloud of poverty, giving honey-combed cover to the outcome, and undermining the inquiry of people for freedom and democracy can not be a remedy to survive forever.

Inborn freedom should not be denied!!!

Abera Oluma