Life Matters, Trash Talk Is Cheap

Dear Editor

After reading the commentary headlined, “Misplaced Priorities,” [Volume 10, Number 470, May 4, 2009] it is clear that Lulit Amdemariam’s column, “Life Matters”, targets controversies. She usually attempts to draw the attention of her readers by focusing on controversial but not well analyzed issues. An instance could be Lulit’s comment on the media coverage on the incarceration of Tewodros Kassahun, a.k.a. Teddy Afro.

Lulit is entitled to her views. However, what she does is deliberately engage in raising uproar and annoying readers. While the whole world admired the funeral procession of the legendary Tilahun Gessese, Lulit claims that the media coverage was too much. I do not consider this as a dissenting view. Rather, it is a well-planned strategy of scrambling for popularity in the name of comment. 

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No Doubt Tilahun a King

Dear Editor

I read Lulit’s recent commentary headlined “Misplaced Priorities” [Volume 10, Number 470, May 4, 2009]. Unfortunately, I am always confused by her point of argument.

Could Lulit not see the place Tilahun Gessesse has in the hearts of Ethiopians? Was she not able to see how his songs influence generations of Ethiopians?

Tilahun has accomplished a great deal to remain an icon in the eyes of his people. The reason why Ethiopians mourn so bitterly is clear; it was due to the way his life ended, for no one had expected Tilahun would end up like that- severely injured on his neck, his leg amputated, and finally death on the same day 16 years after the tragic injury to his neck.

The Ethiopian people love and mourn the loss of Amede Lemma and Sinidu Gebru. But Tilahun outweighs them in many ways.  

Endashaw Anteneh

Get Facts Straight on Djibouti Port

Dear Editor

The Management of the Port of Djibouti takes strong exception to the news story headlined, “Ethiopia Forge Road Links with Kenya, Sudan” [a story by the Reuters published on Volume 9, Number 466, April 2, 2009]. Among other claims, the story alleges that “Ethiopia had to pay an extra 22 million dollars in 2008 on top of the 700 million dollars it pays annually in port fees to Djibouti.” This is completely false.
 

In fact, Djibouti Port has, in recent months, increased and extended the level of services and the facilities for Ethiopian importers and exporters. The opening in February of the multi-million dollars and DP World managed Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT) has allowed Djibouti Port to free up more berths and storage space for Ethiopian imports and exports. Furthermore, we grant all Ethiopian transit cargo a special no-fee storage grace perio0d of eight days, allowing consignees sufficient time to clear and transfer goods bound for Ethiopia.
 

Given our very significant efforts to facilitate Ethiopian trade through Djibouti Port, and in service to the facts, we strongly request you to correct these errors and misperceptions by publishing this letter from the management of DP World Djibouti without delay.
 

For future reference, any publication requiring information concerning Djibouti Port and its tariff may be made following enquiries at the Djibouti Port office in Addis Abeba, and we will promptly and courteously provide all the accurate information, facts and figures. Djibouti Port strives to continuously improve its services to its esteemed customer in Ethiopia, and will continue to do so.

Djama Ibrahim Darar

Commercial Director, DP World Djibouti

Telecom Services Should Open Up to Competitors

Dear Editor

It is interesting to read that Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation’s (ETC) next generation network (NGN) will only give 153 kilobites per second (Kb/s) speed, while other companies across the world offer services with the capacity for 384Kb/s, in addition to high speed packet access (HSPA) extension of up to two megabites per second (Mb/s).
 

The whole issue hinges on the telecom monopoly. I wish newspapers like yours challenge the idea of maintaining a telecom monopoly operator, with borrowed (Chinese) money, as opposed to letting private sector involvement in the telecom sector.
 

Monopoly only breeds stagnation and corruption. ETC needs a competitive environment where the private sector is involved, to be innovative and to come up with new technology and customer sensitive marketing. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in attracting multinational mobile operators for licensing could have also helped the foreign currency shortage the country currently experiences. 

Asteway 

South Africa