Ethiopia, the beloved motherland of all Ethiopians, is seriously ill. It goes without saying that a mother’s sickness worries its children out of their mind for they have no other mother.

If more energy was devoted to working hard, as opposed to gossiping, wonders can be done by exploiting Ethiopia’s massive untapped potential. Senseless bickering and malicious gossiping have done incalculable harm to Ethiopia.

The exemplary deed this week by a member of the police force of the Afar Regional State warms the heart. In a display of patriotism he refused to accept a bribe in the form of 40,000 birr (over USD 1,350) and firearms offered by arms traffickers out of a conviction that he would never compromise the national interest and promptly put them under arrest.

Ethiopia is a nation that its people often lament has been condemned to constant tribulation. If we just hark back some 46 years when the reign of Emperor Haile-Selassie collapsed on the heels of the February 1974 revolution, the country has been roiled with internecine conflicts and other deadly incidents.

As Ethiopians usher their new year it is customary, among others, to wish well the country and fellow citizens, exchange gifts, hold festivities and offer thanksgiving to the Creator.

If it had not been dogged with misfortune Ethiopia was once a great nation. And its people have left legacies that live for posterity in the annals of world history.

Obsolete attitudes have always held Ethiopia back. Despite developing one of the earliest civilizations thousands of years ago, nowadays the country lags far behind most other nations in terms of keeping pace with modern-day advances.

Overshadowed by the political upheaval roiling the country the headwinds buffeting Ethiopia’s economy have the potential to turn into the mother of all crises if they are not promptly dealt with.

Foremost among the hallmarks of a civilized society is the possession of strong moral values and ethics. Such a society shows honor, compassion, solidarity, loyalty and love for all of human kind; it knows right from wrong and acts accordingly; it cherishes justice and equity but abhors ethnic, racial, religious, gender and cultural discriminations.

The international matches slated to be staged in Ethiopia have reportedly been switched, albeit temporarily, to neighboring countries because the country’s stadiums have failed to meet the minimum standard set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).