Oromos: unblessed with leaders
Abdulkadir Gumi
American Chronicle | August 25, 2008
Oromo Leaders should learn from African freedom fighters like John Garang, Mandela and Churchill defended freedom and liberty in their countries that is to show solidarity with the common man. They did it with courage and determination. But before concluding this, it is right to mention the importance of Dr. Garang's military successes in his homeland of Southern Sudan.Over the course of his military career, John Garang has made some important decisions which helped him win battles in the war of liberation as well as Civil War in Southern Sudan. His success is credited to his best military training he received from Fort Benning, Georgia. Fort Benning is a leading camp for training infantry and commanders. It is appropriate to conclude that freedom is the most precious gift he sacrificed his life for. Sadly, he did not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of freedom and liberty he championed in Sudan.Dr.Garang will be remembered in history as freedom fighter, liberator, diplomat and an iconic figure and an architect of CPA."Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?"
My appeal here is to the leaders of all organizations and Associations in and outside Oromia that what had happened in our country and our organizations, ourself must blamed for the neglect our people faced. world leaders ignored this expensive region because of poor and inept leaders we elected every time in forest and uknown. Unlike the other people of the world,Oromos ,we do not have patriotic leaders who rise above their village,clans,interest to put a claim at the national and international level on behalf of his long suffered people. None of the past and present leaders from this area have articulated regional issues in any meaningful way. The tragedy is that we re-elect incompetent leaders for clan reasons even when we know he has failed us for the last many years. Rather than stake competition for national or international cake, we focus on petty sub-clan superiority and spend every year complaining that we have been marginalized yet we did it to ourselves.
My advice to people from this region is to change their attitude towards the kind of leaders they choose.let all members and supporters of Oromo political parties be invited to vote for electing leaders who will sacrifice for our people like John Garang and Nelson mabdela, Elderly people can be consulted but the elites should clearly take the mantle to determine potential quality leaders. We should not elect back those who failed us in the past. The region cannot afford to elect semi-educated leaders to an increasingly more professional Diplomat who can fill the name of Oromo Leader of this reign. We must not elect a leader without degree who can sacrifice for his people politically. Let us establish issue based accountability forum of mixed groups to vet and monitor the elected leaders.
Let us elect leaders who can go beyond their clans and hold all Oromos together. We need leaders who go beyond Eriteria and unite its people. This way we shall create a voice to claim our share of the national cake. Positions for such leaders have remained vacant for too long. Let´s aim at filling this gap in this crucial moment. I am sure we shall be free if actually there is people or leaders who sacrifice for the sake of our people"Freedom is for honest people. No man who is not himself honest can be free – he is his own trap."