The purpose of this article is two folds: 1) to highlight the need to tackle corruption in Ethiopia by challenging the perpetrators via public shame and, 2) to alter its infestation by educating the Ethiopians in general and the friends of Ethiopians in particular through fact based concerns, and by offering a model system used internationally for fighting corruption. When president Obama addressed the Ghana’s parliament he said, “No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery…that is not democracy that is tyranny and now is the time for it to end.” He further stated, “No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20% of the top or the head of the port authority is corrupt.”
For the last 18 years many Ethiopians have witnessed the increase of corruption/bribery to a point where simple licensures such as obtaining a driver license or get a permit to lease property for building a house became quite difficult without bribing the authorities in charge of public services.
What is corruption and why fight corruption?
1. In the web corruption is defined as “Inducement (as of a public official) by improper means (as bribery) to violate duty …” wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
2. “…the term corruption means the abuse of a public office for personal gain or other illegal or immoral benefit. Political corruption is a recognized criminal offense, along with bribery, extortion, and embezzlement …” www.wksegee,.com/what-is -corruption.html.
3. Corruption: [a] “is a multifaceted phenomenon supported by differing historical and socio-economic conditions in each country. [b] is a manifestation of institutional weakness, poor ethical standards, skewed incentives and insufficient enforcement.” www.interpol.int/Public/Corruptionabout.asp -Seminar,
Furthermore, Ms. Setsuko Yamazaki, Country Director of UNDP Vietnam, argues that ‘corruption violates basic rights and further marginalizes and excludes those already on the margins of society” (UNDP February 12, 2008). "Ethiopia is often cited as one of the poorest country in Africa". Thus, the above definitions and Ms Yamazaki’s argument rightfully justifies the need to present and press the issue of fighting corruption in Ethiopia. "Such act is not only a moral obligation of the Ethiopian citizens but to all human right advocate groups and individuals". To that end, creating ethio-governance blog is a must. Such blog will serve but not limited to:
1. list who is who among Ethiopian government officials, their roles and responsibilities,
2. present a series of short articles and inquires that explore how much these officials directly or indirectly have contributed to corruption since holding public office. Also professional accountants could contribute their skills by using Mo Ibrahim’s good governance index (“1. Safety and Security 2. Rule of Law, Transparency and Corruption 3. Participation and Human Rights 4. Sustainable Economic Development 5. Human Development”). The following statement supports such view, “This is an era when more focus is being placed on good governance practices and sound risk management. It is clear that both the accounting and audit professions have an important role to play …. in preventing, detecting and reporting on corruption.” Lal Balkaran, e-mail at lbalkaran@attcanada.net, in the “The Role of Accountants and Auditors in Fighting Corruption”
3. create links that assist “institutions to watch” - both non government and businesses that do not conform to transparency norms, and
4. serve as a tool to evaluate and be a voice for the voiceless of Ethiopians, in order to articulate their wishes and expectations of all Ethiopian institutions and their managers to be transparent and accountable to them as elected officials and as a member of civil society.
4. serve as a tool to evaluate and be a voice for the voiceless of Ethiopians, in order to articulate their wishes and expectations of all Ethiopian institutions and their managers to be transparent and accountable to them as elected officials and as a member of civil society.
In conclusion, this author agrees with the UNDP statement of February 2008, “Every citizen has a role to play…[ in order to stop] corruption [that] generates economic distortions in the public sector by pulling public investment away from education and into projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful. Corruption also lowers compliance with construction, environmental, or other regulations…; and increases budgetary pressures on government (Democracy and Governance: Fighting Corruption – USAID),”
July 13, 2009
