Why did Dr. Tedros Adhanom bill the Ethiopian government for his Hospital Bill in Singapore in September 2016?

We know that the new World Health Organization Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has already did some controversial assignments since become the Director there. Dr. Adhanom has a history as Ministry of Health in Ethiopia. You should think a man who represent his own nation and in cabinet cared about the Health Care there. However, he himself went for treatment abroad and billed the Ethiopian government for it.

Dr. Adhanom had an official meeting with officials from Singapore on the 9th September 2016. This was the story of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 13th September 2016:

Dr. Tedros Adhanom meets Dr Mohammed Maliki Bin Osman, Singapore’s Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister at his offices today (Sept. 9, 2016). Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties between Ethiopia and Singapore, in areas including industrial parks development, tourism, education sector and inter-parliamentary diplomacy” (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, 13.09.2016).

Even if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has deleted this on their web-page. Still, it is still online and can verify this. Therefore, that the billing of a hospital bill of Dr. Adhanom was billed with $986,50. It isn’t a big bill, but still instead of paying it himself. The Ethiopia-Beijing Embassy was asking the Consulate General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to cover this. This was asked for by the Embassy of Ethiopia-Beijing, who covers Singapore and dozens of other Asian nations. We can just imagine what else he has gotten covered during his stay in Singapore in 2016 as a dignitary. Since, this is the one document leaked. This document asking for a payment directly to an account at United Overseas Bank Limited, Singapore on the 6th September 2016. This is just days in advance of the meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Maliki Bin Osman.

So seemingly the Minister of Health of Ethiopia did a routinely check-up or something. Since the bill isn’t big. But its the principal of making a good health care system back home and secondly, also putting this on the taxes of your citizens. When your the Minister of Health. That he is representing the whole Health Care in his Nation, but he still uses the state reserves and bills it on the public.

Dr. Adhanom misused it and got the Embassy of Ethiopia-Beijing to refund his visit at a Health Care facility days before having a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Seemingly, it could be a coincidence, but its a bit to good to be true. Though in the scheme of things, a grand of US Dollars are pocket change. However, it is the principal of good governance. If he has done with this small one, what has he done one the budget funding yearly as a minister from Addis Ababa. Would he care or is he careless, since he knows the state will takes his bills and he will eat?

We can just wonder if he has done similar stunt and misused bigger funds for personal profits, because this is just a proof of a minor incident. Where he used a 1000 USD for personal health. We don’t know what he has done with the budgeted funds for the Health Care Ministry, but if we cannot trust you in the minor things. How will you act when your supposed to control the bigger things?

Peace.

Opinion: Now that the World Bank has new priorities, they will most likely not loan to the pipelines in East Africa!

 

There is certain movements that will strike as more expensive for the East African Community (EAC). This being for the Government of Uganda (GoU) and the Government of Kenya (GoK), who has big plans of petroleum pipelines from their oil-fields and to the coast. That being from Turkana to Lamu Port. While the Ugandan oil goes from Hoima to Tanga Port in Tanzania. Both development and industrial projects will have issues with the funding. The World Bank has supported massive infrastructure projects in both countries.

Therefore, for the two counties big development and oil industry, this is giant set-back, since they have to find funding and loans for the pipelines on the open market. Even with higher interests and making the profits of it lesser, than it would have been with a World Bank loan. It would not hurt the pocket as much as it does on the open market. The banks wants more profits themselves and also make sure they are paid-in-full.

With all this in mind. There are speculations, but first. Parts of the self-answering service. Before we look at the reactions in Kenya and Uganda. All of are important, as the state is involved in the licensing and building the pipelines. They are directly into the development and procurement of the pipelines. That is why this is big blow for the administrations and their possible tax-profits on it.

Word Bank Q&A:

Q. How is “upstream” oil and gas defined?

Upstream is an industry term that refers to exploration of oil and natural gas fields, as well as drilling and operating wells to produce oil and natural gas” (World Bank, 2017).

Current projects in our portfolio would continue as planned. However, no new investments in upstream oil and gas would be undertaken after 2019, unless under exceptional circumstances as noted in the decision” (World Bank, 2017).

Kenya Pipeline:

The announcement by the bank, which has significant interests in Kenya’s oil prospecting sector, does not bode well for the country’s anticipated entry into the club of oil producing nations beginning next year. Analysts said they do not expect an immediate reaction to the announcement even as they acknowledged that it takes the shine from oil in the long term” (…) “Locally, the World Bank is offering technical support to the Kenyan government, through the Kenya Petroleum Technical Assistance Project, to prime all stakeholders for commercial oil production and sale. The six-year programme is scheduled to run until February 2021 and involves the World Bank managing a Sh5.2 billion fund set up by investors from Germany, Norway and Britain. The World Bank’s private lending arm, International Finance Corporation, is however directly involved in Kenya’s oil fields, having a 6.83 per cent stake in Africa Oil, the Canadian exploration firm with interests in northern Kenya oil blocks” (Mutegi, 2017)

Uganda Pipeline:

The pipeline, is expected to be completed by the year 2020, when the country is scheduled to start oil production. In fact, Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni and his Tanzanian counterpart recently commissioned the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The two leaders laid mark stones for the crude oil pipeline in Mutukula, Kyotera district and Kabaale in Hoima district. Total E&P Uganda, a subsidiary of French oil giant, Total S.A, is spearheading the construction of the crude oil pipeline on behalf of the joint venture partners. Adewale Fayemi, the general manager, Total E&P Uganda says discussions are ongoing to discuss on the formalities of how the pipeline will be run. Already, an agreement has been reached that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) will be run and managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – private pipeline company. This means that a private company will be incorporated with joint venture partners – Tullow Uganda, Cnooc Uganda Ltd and Total E&P Uganda, and the governments of Uganda and Tanzania as shareholders in the company” (Ssekika, 2017)

Certainly, this will put a strain on the projects. They have to deliver another type of arrangement to make sure they get funding and have the funds to pay the added interests the banks wants. The added points on the dollar and the interest-rates will hit state-owned firms and the state itself. Since the pipelines most likely becomes more expensive and will be less profitable.

That the World Bank is pulling out of these projects is all within line of the Paris Accord, as they have professed is the reason. Still, this will make these projects more expensive and make sure they are earning less on it. Unless, the crude-oil prices are going up to a level that makes these investments even more profitable. That is only for time to tell. Since it is costly projects and also sophisticated to build. There is needed lots of expertise combined state planning to achieve the development plans.

This is just the beginning, but the pipelines and these investments are vital for both Kenya and Uganda. As the governments are already borrowing state funds on the possible earnings from the oil reserves in their basins. Therefore, they need to drill and need the petrodollar as quickly as possible. Peace.

Reference:

Mutegi, Mugambi – ‘World Bank dims Turkana oil hopes’ (14.12.2017) link: http://www.nation.co.ke/business/World-Bank-dims-Turkana-oil-hopes/996-4227848-u02v8n/index.html

Ssekika, Edward – ‘East African Crude Oil Pipeline: The Inside Story’ (11.12.2017) link: http://www.oilinuganda.org/features/economy/east-african-crude-oil-pipeline-the-inside-story-details-emerge-of-how-the-crude-oil-pipeline-will-be-financed-managed.html

World Bank – ‘Q&A: The World Bank Group and Upstream Oil and Gas’ (12.12.2017) link: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange/brief/qa-the-world-bank-group-and-upstream-oil-and-gas

Eritrea: Press Briefing note on Attacks/threats by States against UN Human Rights Experts (21.11.2017)

Opinion: Mugabe finally resigns, they have now cut the head of the snake; But will the Crocodile be different from the Goblin?

Today, the 37 years under the President Robert Gabriel Mugabe is over. After his resignation letter got read out loud to Parliament and the Public. This after he tricked the public and the generals this Sunday. Mugabe has done whatever he could to stay in power and used all sorts of tricks to stay. There been promise of him leaving earlier and even losing rigged elections. But that has never yielded any fruits. Therefore today is a unique day.

As this is how it started:

In a broadcast on television tonight, Mr Mugabe said: “I wish to assure you that there can never be any return to the state of armed conflict which existed before our commitment to peace and the democratic process of election under the Lancaster House agreement.” (BBC).

So all the hope of Mugabe was there and he had it all made to become a legend, make a legacy worth a damn after fighting a liberation war against the Ian Smith and liberate the Republic from the United Kingdom. Clearly, that had to happen as the White Minority had to fall and let the people decide the fate of Zimbabwe. Therefore, that he has used the government and the army to oppress the people, detain and kill. That is what he has been doing to stay in power. Used the state to secure that his loyal cronies and clientele riches and land. That is why the Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament who has fled and detained has been taken with large amount cash, while the republic is broke and depleted. That shows that the ZANU-PF are systematic this way, in thieving and Mugabe has been the provider. Therefore, the republic need a change from that.

The one who has been the cult figure, the leader and the head. Mugabe has been the epitome of a revolutionary turned corrupt gangster in charge. The ZANU-PF Government has used violence, intimidation and rigging to stay for so long. The rotten courts and the system that has been built around Mugabe, will not go away. Lot of people have eaten and will continue to eat, unless you also take the root of the problem. The Zimbabwean people and Zimbabwean Army have now gotten rid of the top main branch, but there are more branches on tree that is rotten to the core.

President Mugabe is now an old-man and let his wife try to create a future dynasty under her. That was not accepted as they forgot the control and power with the Vice-President Edison Mnangagwa. The false-start of the Mugabe dynasty was short-lived because of the will of Grace Mugabe. Her ways and her unpopularity, was so bad and so ruthless that the ZANU-PF couldn’t even manage it. That is why the Lacoste part of the party reacted and got the military to besiege the government to show the lethal force they have.

Today, because of the wish of a dynasty, he had to pull his candidacy, even after being voted earlier this year as the candidate. Even the Woman’s League and Youth League had professed loyalty just weeks ahead for Grace as the VP. This changed and was thrown in the garbage. Since the army was besieging them and making them change their mind. The leaders of G-40 got sacked from the party and also from the government. This happen over night and within the ZANU-PF. As the same party who professed loyalty for Mugabe has now changed it’s mind. Therefore, the last few days has been special.

The Zimbabweans have all rights to celebrate and for a long time, since the ZANU-PF and Mugabe have taken the republic and ate all of its resources. That is known and to say otherwise is to blind to facts and matters at hand.

But even with him gone and his legacy left in tatters. Where his ruthless acts and his depleting state reserves. As well as possible damages to the economy, there will sudden changes that has to appear. So that the same party with the same principals grown under Mugabe will continue to prosper. As long as the army and Lacoste faction are connected, they will make sure the transition goes smooth. While they still will ask for international legitimacy for their new government.

We can wonder and wait to see if they will change or if it will be more of the same. If people will be detained for calling Mnangagwa a crocodile, instead of calling Mugabe a goblin. We can just wonder if civil activists will be taken and detained on arbitrary arrests and quell protests as it happen in the past. The Coup made it happen and peaceful demonstrations where possible.

Today there are celebrations and that is all but justified. As Mugabe has been a dictator and as an oppressor for over three decades. They have all rights to celebrate and its well deserved after all the pain. Mugabe has been the neo-colonial master and made them his subjects. Now they can continue to strive for liberation and freedom. Not just in name but in the spirit of the state. That can be possible now, as long as the civil society and the civil activist continue to push for reforms and changes within the state. That #ThisFlag Movement and others are pushing for a democratic state and not a dictatorship under ZANU-PF. ZANU-PF can be a party within a democracy, but not as a sole ruler and make sure everyone abide to their leadership.

That is the future right now, we will see if ZANU-PF has a place without Mugabe. If it isn’t made such a bitter and a rotten core. We can hope that the people will continue to demonstrate against that, even after Mugabe resigned today!

They have cut the head of the snake, the target is now gone, but will it cut of the sources of the problems within the Zimbabwean government? Or will that continue as long as the crocodile runs the nations? Will he reform the state and put into the perspective of the civil activists within the state?

Or was the change or cutting of the head, just a facade and a mere canvassing a new picture over the old one and hoping that no-one see the shade of the old one beneath it. Peace.

Reference:

BBC – ‘1980: Mugabe to lead independent Zimbabwe’ Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/4/newsid_2515000/2515145.stm

Mugabe Resigns: The resignation letter – BBC News (Youtube-Clip)

“Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has resigned, parliament speaker Jacob Mudenda has said. A letter from Mr Mugabe said that the decision was voluntary and that he had made it to allow a smooth transition of power. The surprise announcement halted an impeachment hearing that had begun against him. Lawmakers roared in jubilation and people have begun celebrating in the streets” (BBC News, 2017)

Zimbabwe: Parliament’s Charge Sheet on Robert Gabriel Mugabe (21.11.2017)

SADC: Communique of the Summit of hte Organ Troika Plus SADC Chair on the Political Situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe (21.11.2017)

Zimbabwe: Press Statement by Cde. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (21.11.2017)

Zimbabwe: Gen. Constantion Chiwenga statement on “Operation Restore Legacy” (20.11.2017)

Zimbabwe: Press Statement by the ZANU PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Ambassador S.K. Moyo on the Recalling of the President and First Secretary of ZANU PF, Cde R.G. Mugabe (20.11.2017)