FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers New TRADE AFRICA New

Fortune Logo
Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi (right) shakes hands with the newly sworn in Defence Minister, Lemma Megersa, former president of the Oromia Regional State, on April 18, 2018, in parliament.

Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi (right) shakes hands with the newly sworn in Defence Minister, Lemma Megersa, former president of the Oromia Regional State, on April 18, 2018, in parliament. Aisha Mohammed (centre), who just been replaced by Lemma after serving for less than a year and newly appointed as minister of Urban Development & Construction, looks on.


Lemma is only one of two regional leaders that have been brought into the federal government. Gedu Andargachew, former president of the Amhara Regional State, was sworn in as Foreign Minister, a post vacated by Worqeneh Gebeyehu (PhD), who had served for three years. Worqeneh’s appointment as director-general of the United Nations Office in Nairobi was announced on March 8, 2019, the same day Gedu submitted his resignation to the region’s Council.


Although both nominations passed with five abstentions and one objection, parliamentarians questioned the rate of cabinet reshuffling. The Construction Ministry, before being folded into the Ministry of Urban Development & Construction, was headed by Aisha before her appointment as Defence Minister last October.  Siraj Fegessa was Defence Minister until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) replaced him with Motuma Mekassa in April 2018, and Aisha was appointed six months later as the first woman to hold the post.


Reaction to the appointment has been divided. While some argue that the Prime Minister has brought allies to the federal government, strengthening his position in the power dynamics of the nation, others have complained that institutional integrity would be compromised if only political considerations are taken in making appointments.


PUBLISHED ON Apr 20,2019 [ VOL 20 , NO 990]

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.



Related Posts

[ssba-buttons]

Put your comments here

N.B: A submit button will appear once you fill out all the required fields.

Editors' Pick

Exclusive Interviews

State Enterprises from Oracles to Apprentices

Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW

Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...

Agenda

Rising Costs, Inflation Threaten Insurance Industry

Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...

Agenda

BREWING DISCONTENT

Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW

Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...

Fortune News

Electric Vehicle Push Leaves Investors in the Lurch

Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO

Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...

Commentaries

Climate-Driven Hunger Fuels the Next Migration Crisis

In the first half of this year, nearly 20,000 people crossed the English Channel to t...

The Scramble for Critical Minerals

The world's superpowers have developed a seemingly insatiable appetite for the critical minerals that are...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

Teaching Hospitals Shoulder the Burden While Administrators Count the Beans

Jul 26 , 2025

Teaching hospitals everywhere juggle three jobs at once: teaching, curing, and discov...

In Taxing Aggressively, Fed's Fiscal Reckoning Arrives

Jul 19 , 2025

Parliament is no stranger to frantic bursts of productivity. Even so, the vote last w...

Legal, Policy Volatility Turns Promises into Headwinds

Jul 12 , 2025

Political leaders and their policy advisors often promise great leaps forward, yet th...

Civil Society Feels the Squeeze as Reform Era Unravels

Jul 5 , 2025

Six years ago, Ethiopia was the darling of international liberal commentators. A year...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

Rogue Accountants Bleeding Businesses

In recent months, a troubling pattern has emerged across Ethiopian businesses: a wave...

The Invisible Bias Against Caring Fathers

Last week, I was in the hospital, sick and out of commission. While I focused on reco...

Life Matters

The Law, the Guards, and the Doghouse

A recent incident in my residential compound reinforced a growing sense of unease: ou...

The Manual-Less Revolution

Across the world, and certainly in Ethiopia, new devices arrive fresh from the box while their instruction manuals remain untouched. Shiny a...