The Ethiopian-Somali People’s Democratic Party (ESPDP) elected the minister of government communications affairs office Ahmed Shide, as chairman, replacing Abdi Mohamoud Omar (Abdi Iley), who was removed from the region’s presidency role few days ago.
Completing its three day party meeting and deep evaluation session, ESPDP has chosen to replace Abdi Iley with Ahmed Shide, the state-linked Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported.
Abdi Iley was a controversial figure who has faced multiple accusations of human rights abuses. The Somali region’s former finance and economic development head Ahmed Abdi Mohamed “Ilkacase” has replaced him as a president. In earlier reports, it was said that Abdi Iley would remain chairperson of the ESPDP and would keep his residence in Jijiga, which have proved to be untrue. There are demands that he stands trial, it is unclear whether that would happen or not.
Ahmed Shide was appointed as communication affairs minister on April 2018 by Abiy Ahmed. Before that, he served as transport minister from November 2016 to April 2018. He was also state minister of finance and economic development of Ethiopia from 2009 to 2016.
Ahmed has earned post graduate diploma in rural resource management and conflict resolution from Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands and master’s degree in public participation, development and social progress from Salex University of Briton, UK.
He has served in the Somali region in various roles, such as chairman of pastoral affairs committee of from March 2003 to September 2004, head of the president office from September 2004 to October 2005, and head of civil service improvement bureau from October 2005 to September 2006.
(Main Image: Ahmed Shide.)
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Dear EO,
Power relations devised by Tigray Front/Meles has been a source of constant conflict and degradation to governance of the country. See how ministers are recycled from one post to another so rapidly because trained and experienced Ethiopians who are not party members are not given a chance to serve their country. The executive branch should be separate from the legislative! That is a simple logic of practice. Shiferaw Shigute, a simple accountant in regional office, was appointed to Ministry of Education. Imagine how cruel and criminal that was. Kassa Teklebirhan, hardly conversant in English and with no experience or training in diplomacy is assigned as ambassador to the United States! How disgraceful! Aman Amir Hagos, out of medical school and with less than two years experience is appointed to head the nation’s Health! I can go on but you get the point. First step for Prime Minister Abiy is to change the legislation that has barred competent Ethiopians from serving their motherland. Step 2 is to set up in-house training and workshop so MPs could upgrade their performance and knowledge of the history of the country in order to deliver them from infatuation with their ethnicity in total disregard for others.
Personally, I worshipped efficiency. But as long as the people who are put at the helm of power are honest, handworker and dedicated to their country, PhD. hardly matters so long as one has native wisdom and intelligence. One can get one’s PhD. in a mail order diploma now a days. Addis Ababa University is notorious for its low standards and lack of rigorous and vigorous education. One must be thankful to a great heaven to Mengestou Haile Mariam for destroying the great education system that existed under Hale Selassie. Worse to come, it was more debilitated by the hulky typist, Genet Assefa when she became Minister of Education under Weyane. After that, it is history. There are people majestically gifted for leadership, writing, poetry, handcraft, songs, among million other things without studying English as a second language. The whole point is English language should not be a determining factor to hold position in a country like Ethiopia. Nor, a third-rate PhD, for that matter. With due consideration.
Asafa Powell aka Paulos Assafa ,
After reading your comment in relation to competence and education I could not help myself laughing loudly (literally).
The best part was “ the native wisdom” thing 🤣🤣
If we follow your logic then job advert in Ethiopia will be as follow: An engineer in nuclear power plant is wanted. Don’t worry 😉 no degree in nuclear science needed but just some native wisdom 🤣🤣
Your bitterness against this new dawn in Ethiopia is palpable but you are trying to use verbal gymnastic to conceal it but not clever enough to hide. Somali proverb says « ninkii dhuumanaayey ee dhabarku muuqday » meaning « the guy who thought he was hiding but whose back was exposed »
Ooh Asafa your back is seen from miles !!!
You are lambasting Ethiopian Universities dismissing the competence of these hard working dedicated research directors leading native Phd candidates,by rating those PhDs so lowly and it’s obvious that you are targeting Dr Abiye!
You are living in nostalgia in Haile Selassie era,the opppressive feudal backwards tyran.
More I see your comments the clearer it becomes you need to be sectionned under medical act !