Good governance could be a reality with public participation

Tesfaye Lemma

Lack of good governance is a worldwide phenomenon. In some countries it has become almost part of their political, economic and social system. However, it differs from one country to another. It could be at its highest stage in some countries and at its lowest stages in others.

Rent seeking and corruption in Ethiopia is already identified as one of the major challenges amidst the country’s fast and sustainable economic growth. There is still lack of public awareness about good governance. Current evaluation indicated that the people have requesting government officials to provide them services without any extra payment as it is their right. 

The Ethiopian government has alsio doing its level vest to enhance good governance. But good governance is highly interconnected with behavioral change ans so needs a lot of time may be a number of years. Recognizant of the determination of the government and the Ethiopian public to struggle rent seeking activities and enhance good governance, those groups who want to maintain the corrupt scenario have strengthened their networks.  

They coupled with anti-peace and anti-development elements and began to exert unreserved effort to destabilize the country under the pretext of public quest for good governance. In fact, these groups have long arms and strong networks. As a result, individuals who have been challenging them have been facing different challenges such as displacement from their jobs and businesses. 

In some cases, these groups have been organizing their networks and other innocent people especially the youth through   blind accusations and exaggerating flaws of the government.

There are no deep investigations followed by analysis about all the changes in the country that have significant contribution to faire distribution of wealth in the country. Issues raised in recent violence failed to balance the developments in various sectors in all areas of the country that have of high benefit to the public; the improvements of the lives of the people, efforts exerted to enhance democratic and fundamental rights and balanced development efforts in all regions.

Enhancing good governance is not an easy task whether there is a need to ensure it. It deserves three crucial elements: political leadership, commitment and sacrifice. There are a number of people who have been suffering of corrupt officials, brokers and investors despite what the positive roles the government has initiated. There are embezzlements, nepotism and other corrupt practices in the country.

There is a severe confrontation between the rent collectors and the development advocators in the country. But who is going to win at the end of the day? Obviously,  the one that stood for the renaissance of the country and the prosperity of the society. However, it deserves a significant sacrifice.

Ethiopia has become successful in alleviating poverty and has been attaining sustainable economic growth. However, its efforts to enhance good governance and curb rent seeking activities need a long way to go. The Ethiopian government has designed a strategy to curb this problem and actions have begun so far in various sectors but it missed to create balanced understanding among the public that they considered everything of bad governance is uprooted at once in a short period.

This fiscal year, the government has been attempting to enhance good governance and meaningfully reduce rent seeking activities. As a result, it has been taking various measures up on its corrupt members. It has also been working industriously to mobilize the public to participate in the struggle against corruption and rent collection activities in the country.

Ethiopia where there is no enough public awareness about the impact of corruption and rent collection in the country’s overall development and about good governance, there should be a consolidated effort of the government, political parties and the people at large.

There are many people suffering of corrupt leaders at various levels due to strategies designed by rent-collectors to divert the struggle against bad governance and rent-seeking activities.  The past twenty five years, witnessed that the situation in Ethiopia is absolutely altered. There are now millions of people whose lives have already changed. In fact, the country is one of the populous countries in Africa with about 90 million people.

The changes mightn’t satisfy all citizens in a level they might expect to be. It is impossible to deny the fact that there is no one who has never been benefited in accordance to his/her own efforts in the conducive developmental landscape. 

The right to free education and health services is among elements that citizens should get in their country. This is what the government has been doing since the past two decades. If we consider, the two Regional States here there were violence in some of their parts, the changes in the past twenty five years have improved the lives of millions.

Accelerating economic growth, reducing poverty, and enhancing overall human development could facilitate good governance. The Ethiopian Government has been attempting to create faire wealth distribution all over the country. According to African Development Bank reports Ethiopian economic growth rates 11.4 percent over the last eight years, placing the country among the fastest growing economies in Africa.

This impressive economic performance has enabled the country to quadruple its per-capita income over this period and to significantly improve social conditions for the majority of its citizens. In this regard, we have to recognize the elements of good governance in the country.

The report further elaborated, the 2010 Human Development Report ranked Ethiopia as the 11th fastest mover of human development globally since 2000, having recorded a significant increase in the Human Development Index from 0.250 in 2000 to 0.328 in 2010. This is also another aspect of enhancing good governance in the country.

Alleviating poverty is the very question of the Ethiopian people. Some three decades ago the people were suffering for their daily bread. However, efforts exerted in the past two decades have brought tangible changes in the lives of the people.

According to available documents the population living below the poverty line also declined from 44 percent in 2000 to 29 percent in 2010. This situation will be meaningfully altered after the completion of the second five-year development plan referred to as the Growth and Transformation Plan, which incorporates further enhancing developments and fair wealth distribution,  accelerating  human progress and attain the country vision to be a middle income country in 2025.