Corruption issues in Ethiopia’s southern state

The Federal government of Ethiopia spends well over 40% of the federal budget on Education, Communication infrastructure which includes improving roads, Power grid-lines, and Tele-communication. The Government has spent a lot on improving the road system. But this progress is not mirrored on the southern Somali region.

The federal government planned to improve the Somali State’s infrastructure during the current infrastructure development planning by building more roads and improving existing roads. However, some say that the federal government has not followed through with its current plan. The Ethiopian Roads Authority has been given the authority to carry development plans instead of contracting with foreign construction companies. According to Sources from the Somali state, the ERA has had some corruption issues and concerned Ethiopian Somalis want foreign road construction companies assigned for the Somali state.

Yet this might not be the only sector the Somali state is not getting its equal share. Over the past 5 years, the Ethiopian government had issued investment licenses for thousands of investors. Majority of this investment has been in agriculture, hotel and tourism, education, health and construction sectors. The new investment has immensely contributed to the remarkable economic growth the country registered over the past 5 years. However, the new investment isn’t shared equally by the country’s Somali State.

In general, the Federal government’s development policies seem to be favoring some states. The Oromo, Tigre and Amhara regions have received more than 80% of new government investment in education, telecommunication and roads development. Education and infrastructure development determines the two most important elements that attract foreign investment. Numbers from 2005 showed that primary education enrollment is very high, above 75%, for the Amhara, Tigre and Oromo regions but it is around 20% for the Somali State.

Also access to electricity and doctors per person ratios are much higher in other states compared with the Somali state as well as Afar state. Some citizens complain that Ethiopia is a country that exports and has more plans to export excess electricity to Kenya, Djibouti and other neighboring countries but the Somali state doesn’t have sufficient electricity.

But the blame goes around to everyone including the regional administrators. Some say the Somali State administration has wasted some of the regional funds and even the new schools built were without much system planning. Both the Somali policy makers and other representatives are not keeping the development and the quality of it equivalent to that of other states. And some of these Ethiopian Somali leaders are involved in corruption and have been wasting public funds.

Investment on education could help improve the community's chances of attracting new businesses, particularly those businesses that require highly skilled employees. A lot of improvements have occurred through out the state but more can be done to solve governance so that it can develop as fast as other Ethiopian states. Also the federal government needs to provide incentives for teachers who are willing to relocate. Previously, the government’s rehabilitation policies for the damaged and war torn regions of Ethiopia gave more share of recovery funding for the northern parts of Amhara region, Tigrai state and Somali state. All of these areas were devastated and their infrastructures were wrecked by battles in the 1980s and also by the Ogaden war. But the Somali region didn’t fully utilize the higher share of the budget it received via rehabilitation policies. Some of them were empty promises and even when funds arrived, regional level corruption has damaged the development efforts.