Where is the Amhara region investment and development?

Emebet Haile  09/23/09

Over the last almost two decades, I have been following the good the bad and the ugly news of Ethiopian economic and political condition. The current political reality of Ethiopia is based on ethnic federalism. Therefore, it is natural to see and ask how each and every federal states are doing visa vie the current investment flow from within and outside.

 It is encouraging to hear and see that there is considerable investment flows to various parts of the country on various projects that benefited millions of Ethiopians. Political figures from all corners of the country are trying hard to attract investors from all over the world in order to develop their region and improve the lives of their constituencies’.  It is also very much encouraging to see many of our cities and regions are registering tangible changes to the better.  However, the exception to this current rule seems to be the amahara region, which many people rightfully call it the dead space of the Ethiopian economic growth and development.

 We in the Diaspora from that particular region were and still are hopeful that there will be some breakthrough in this prolonged silence and lack of effort from the political appointees who ran the business of amahara region to come out of their closet and try to reach the Diaspora community about the available opportunities in amahara region. We also hear that those people who took the initiative and went to explore the available investment opportunities in different parts of the region returned with huge disappointment by how they were treated by corrupted officials who practically don’t seem to know the importance of investment for the region.

How else can one explain the absences or luck of any meaningful investment in amahara region other than the utter incompetence and rent seeking behavior of the political appointees of the region? The southern region officials to their credit are working hard and because of that we are witnessing a huge investment flow from internal and international investors. On the contrary, the amhara region has nothing to show other than boasting about couple of universities that are built by the federal government.

 The writer of this article had a chance to visit major cities of the region and all I can say is, unless some dramatic change takes place, the people of the region will be forced to leave to other areas of the country to look for a better life that will ultimately kill the spirit and quest of Amharas for a better tomorrow in their own backyard.  It is very sad to see this fertile part of the country coupled with extremely hard working people is also the most  ignored and neglected where no sign of any meaningful investment projects.

Even high profile investors the like of Haile Gebresilase had to witness the level of corruption and nepotism the local officials are known for. The people of amhara who paid dearly with their life and property to oust the brutal regime continue to wish for a better tomorrow with corrupt and inept officials at the helm of power. If EPRDF is so inept why not organize an alternative party that has a better vision for Ethiopia in general and Amhara region in particular?