Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s special envoy to foreign missions, Berhane Gebre-Christos is in the news for the wrong reasons. He is accused of using connections to pave way for his daughter’s career. In a report published by InnerCityPress.com, a website engaged in investigative journalism from the United Nations, Berhane is accused of using his close connection with the UNDP’s Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa Tegegnework Gettu to get his daughter hired at UNDP.
According to the report, Berhane’s daughter, Sallem Berhane joined UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa in 2013 as an individual contract holder without ever participating in a competitive selection process. The article claims that the ethiopian national Tegegnework Gettu has a very close relationship with Berhane Gebre-Christos and gave instruction to his staff to secure her recruitment. “During Structural Review, it was necessary to move Berhane to the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, following her supervisor Mr. Pedro Conceicao. In late 2016, again with no competitive recruitment process, Sallem was moved from BPPS to the Headquarter/UNDP’s Executive Office (New York) with the same individual contract status. Then, in 2017, she was offered P3 Fixed Term contract without due process, as no vacancy was advertised and none of the organizational recruitment processes were observed,” the report reads.Saying that for bringing this information to light, staff-members are afraid of retaliatory discrimination from the Associate Administrator, Inner City Press indicated that Tegegnework has rendered a service to his government official (who has supported his career advancement). The report also says Tegegnework Gettu treats the press inquiries with a lack of respect, often responding with the attitude of a bully.” What will Guterres (United Nations Secretary-General) do? His top two spokesman not only didn’t answer any of Inner City Press’ formal questions on June 12 – they didn’t even provide the requested confirmation of receipt.
(photo:Berhane Gebre Christos is seen here greeting Venezuelan Chancellor DrodriguezVen.)