This is a particular time of year when there is a lot of dislodgement in the public sector. It is hardly confined to the ministerial and similarly high positions in the various authorities, commissions, and agencies.
 
Such is the nature of being in government, for many positions in public office are transient. Judged by the experience of the EPRDFites, those who have not been blessed with keeping their seats on the politburo of their respective parties in the coalition would find it difficult to maintain senior positions in the government they run, while those newly joining these exclusive clubs of politicians are climbing the ladder fast.
 
The going up or the tumbling down is not limited to the highest political appointments to federal agencies, whose benefits are pitifully unattractive: A salary of less than 5,000 Br, free housing, the latest model Toyota Land Cruiser (V8) and a chauffeur, as well as security details. Rather, the awesome award and compensation come in the form of appointments to chair the many boards of state enterprises.
 
That ought to be come as little surprise in a government that controls large chunks of the economic pie. In finance, transport, communications, energy . . . the overriding firms are state owned and all have boards of directors that need to be filled by people loyal to the party. Alternatively, the state uses the positions as an incentive to keep those whose expertise it needs.
 
Some of these firms pay over a 1,000 Br for an appearance at a board meeting, while those little known and less relevant to the economy offer as low as 400 Br, claimed gossip. Interestingly, there are those bigwigs that sit on boards of more than two companies at a time.
 
No wonder that those in the gossip corridors are very keen on information about the reshufflings of boards of directors in general and their chairpersons in particular, subsequent to shakeups in the political order.
 
With the departure of the Revolutionary Democratic camp’s veterans, such as Seyoum Mesfin, Ethiopia’s longest serving foreign minister before he was replaced by Hailemariam Desalegn, on overseas diplomatic missions, the roles they formerly occupied on the boards of directors of these state owned firms are to be taken up by those left behind.

The most sought after prize in the industry of directorship, that of Ethiopian Airlines, went from Seyoum to Addisu Legesse, the former deputy prime minister. Taking over from Seyee Abraha in the early 2000s, Seyoum navigated the complex world of global aviation while chairing EA’s board. He saw the company’s transformation into a billion dollar airline, transporting over 3.1 million passengers annually, from one worth less than a million dollars six years ago. Addisu made his first appearance at the Hilton last week, during not only the farewell party for Girma Wake, the departing CEO, but also of Seyoum, as departing chairman.
 
Of the other directors at EA six have also been replaced, according to gossip. One newcomer is Sinknewsh Egigu, minister of Mines (MoM).
 
Another senior figure to move into a diplomatic post is Girma Birru, former minister of Trade and Industry (MoTI), who was also chairman of the board of directors of the state owned power monopoly, the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), managed by Mehiret Debebe. Girma has been replaced by Debretsion G. Michael, minister of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT), gossip disclosed. Yet, Debretsion’s position as chairman of Ethio-Telecom has been given to Driba Kuma, minister of Transport (MoT), according to gossip.
 
Another interesting appointment comes with Mekonnen Manyazewal, minister of Industry (MoI), the lone non-EPRDFite in the administration of the Revolutionary Democrats. He has been appointed to chair the board of directors of the Ethiopian Investment Authority (EIA), run by Abi W. Meskel. It is the same position Girma Birru occupied before appointment to his new role as the Prime Minister’s special envoy to the US, gossip disclosed.