By Staff Reporter
September 15, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is optimistic that Ethiopia will remain united and will become prosperous in few decades.
In an interview with Sheger Radio over the weekend, Abiy said the people of Ethiopia have no option but unity.
He hopes Ethiopia will have more than 80 nations and nationalities after 15 years as many people from different walks of life begin to live and invest in the country.
Abiy claimed Ethiopia is not that much ethnically diverse nation as compared to the US and UAE. He said with whatever diversity the country has, it will remain united.
He said the obstacles did not stop the nation from its journey and the public along with the government will transform the nation into a higher level.
“During the just ended Ethiopian year, good results have been achieved in building democracy through widening the political space. Government offices, including that of the Prime Minister, have been refurbished and automated as part of the ongoing reforms. We have had successes in foreign diplomacy, in mediating neighboring countries and sharing our experience even to those great Asian countries, the premier said.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the government has done a good job in economic reform too. “When I came to office more than a year ago, the government reached a point where it could not pay salaries to public servants. The debt burden had reached a critical level which was exacerbated by serious foreign currency deficit.” he continued
During the past Ethiopian year, the government secured record high foreign currency and managed to allocate a relatively better annual budget. The nation registered good economic growth and the premier’s dinner party brought 2 billion birr.
Salaries of public servants were raised and billions of tree seedlings were planted during just ending rainy season. Several hospitals and schools were also maintained as part of voluntary services during this period, said Abiy Ahmed.
“The government has been working in three areas, namely maintaining past successes, correcting failures and inadequate performances, and laying a good foundation for the next government and people of Ethiopia. I think we did a good job in this regard,” Abiy said
He was optimistic that the New Ethiopian Year is bright for Ethiopia and the fate of Ethiopia will be determined by its people, he added.
The Prime Minister hopes that his “Medemer” (meaning synergy) principle would help the nation more unified and register more success. He believes the medemer principle will help fill gaps between us, as nothing is complete by itself.
Abiy claims that it is too difficult to respect human rights in accordance with law even in the United States. “Had the women’s rights were respected in the US, America would have been led by a female president,” he argued.
According to the premier, 14 armed groups and several opposition parties were allowed to enter into the country and operate peacefully.
Those people who were fighting the government from Eritrea were safer than their supporters in the country. The majority of prisoners in Ethiopia were detained accused of exchanging letters with opposition groups in Eritrea, he recalled.
“As we allowed opposition groups to operate peacefully in the country, their supporters were also relieved. Some opposition groups, however, are creating havoc in an attempt to achieve their hidden agenda,” Abiy added. He hopes the grievances will be resolved in due time.
Speaking about his family background, Abiy said he was born from a Christian mother and a Muslim father. He is the 9th child for the family at the place called Beshasha, located about 60 kilometers the city of Jimma in Oromia regional state. Abiy’s father is believed to have 13 children, but the Prime Minister argued he has more than 30 brothers and sisters.
Abiy said he got familiar to electric light, telephone and tap water while he was a student at junior school. He joined the Ethiopian army at the age of 15 and participated in the fight against Eritrea. He was a member of Ethiopian peacekeeping army in Rwanda. “The worst experience I had gone through in Rwanda and during the Ethio-Eritrea border war helped me learn to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, Abiy added.
You can listen to the full, two-part interview with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Ezega Videos:
Sheger Radio interview with PM Abiy Ahmed, Part 1
Sheger Radio interview with PM Abiy Ahmed, Part 2
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