A viable nation can neither be built on nor destroyed by lies. Whereas ethical values guide visionary citizens when they embark on a nation-building exercise, lies and deceptions are the favored instruments of characters intent on tearing a country apart.

Damning as the report published by Amnesty International a week ago may be there is no denying that it helps the Government of Ethiopia and Ethiopians from all walks of life draw important lessons.

One of the manifestations of the dangers of the poor governance of a nation is the hand-wringing and running around like a headless chicken witnessed during emergencies.

Ethiopian politics has long been the battleground of two intractably opposed forces. These forces have been waging a war of attrition that has inflicted an incalculable damage on the country and its people.

As Ethiopia endeavors to overcome the raft of problems which have been besetting it for eons it is battling strong headwinds in the form of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the deepening rift between it and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The past fortnight saw momentous decisions bound to have long-lasting ramifications for Ethiopian politics.

The news that some European countries and the U.S. are starting to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions as well the low number of confirmed cases reported daily in Ethiopia for successive days should not lull Ethiopians into a false sense of security.

The government must guard against making rash decisions in response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has been devastating the world since the beginning of the year.

The Government of Ethiopia is exerting the maximum effort to combat the coronavirus disease raging across the world and mitigating its devastating impacts. Citizens are supporting it wholeheartedly in its endeavor.

The global COVID-19 pandemic calls for a concerted action on the part of each and every Ethiopian to seek homegrown solutions, complimented by international best practices, before it ravages the economy and social fabric of their beloved country.