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Although the Project Office had launched the
construction of 31,756 houses in 2005/06 budget year
at a cost of 838.8 million Br, all the houses had
been transferred to the next budget year without
completion. Still, only 15,000 of these houses have
been completed and transferred to residents of the
city. Of these, 12,000 houses were transferred to
end-users two months ago, 2,000 being accompanied by
uncertainties as they are either nonexistent or have
already been transferred earlier.
Disappointed by a report he received on the
circumstances, the Mayor stated in a Cabinet meeting
that he would have left his position had it not been
for fear of a different interpretation of his
departure, a reliable source told Fortune.
The current Project Office also could not construct
a single condo until June 2007, the end of the
previous budget year, though it set out to build
33,000 condominiums at a project cost of 834.4
million Br. The only task completed this budget year
is land preparation and design, sources disclosed.
Enraged with the Administration’s failure, residents
of the city have been complaining about the housing
shortages in the city, conferring with
representatives of the Ethiopian Peoples
Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in the past
three months. Subsequently, the ruling party
authorized MoWUD to assist the Caretaker
Administration; this has played a significant role
in the appointment of the former Mayor of the city,
according to these sources.
The Lease Board of the City, the Addis Abeba Water
and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA), the Addis Abeba City
Roads Authority (AACRA), the 10 districts, Kenema
Pharmacies Administration, Cinema Houses
Administration, Abattoirs Enterprise and four
colleges (Entoto, Wingate, Nifassilk and Misrak
Comprehensive) are all run by their own boards.
The Cabinet members of the city were members of over
six boards (except that of the districts’ boards)
and also lead various bureaus under the
Administration. The latest decision banning them
from over two board memberships, therefore, came due
to their attendance of several meetings. Sources
told Fortune that members would be numerated
from 400 Br to 600 Br for every meeting they attend.
“We had no idea who the right person is for any
specific board at the time they replaced the
previous administration,” Wubishet told Fortune.
“The latest decision makes Cabinet members be
part of boards related to their specific areas of
specialization. Previously, some members protest
decisions in which they are not adequately qualified
to deal with and waste the time and energy of
participants.”
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