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).

Ethiopians know well that united they can do wonders, that they will be accorded respect when they earn global recognition for their country through collaborative efforts. On Monday July 29, 2019 news that Ethiopians from all corners of the nation turned out in droves and accomplished an unprecedented feat in the number of seedlings planted in a single day reverberated around the world.

The appalling murders, pillaging, vandalism and displacement which took place the previous week in the Sidama Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State clearly show that if they find the smallest of openings gangsters can destroy the nation.

Presently Ethiopia is teeming with neophytes which do not care an iota about fundamental issues of paramount national importance and instead are consumed with trivial matters.