ESFNA: The Judge Invitation Choked the Sheikh By LJD
For years, the Ethiopian Sport Federation in North America (ESFNA) has been telling the Diaspora that the money it has been receiving from Sheikh Al Amoudi, the accomplice of tyrant Meles Zenawi, has no strings attached. However, the Sheikh recent act that initiating a legal action to repossess the $240k donation he gave to the ESFNA has made it absolutely clear that the blood money he has been giving to the federation has been eclipsed in his political mission.
After Mohammed Bouazizi burned himself to death in December 2010, Tunisia’s status quo was shuttered, and Bin Ali was forced to flee. Following the nomination of Judge Birtukan Mideksa for the ESFNA Guest of Honor in October 2010, the Sheikh is choked, and he is forced to choke off his iron grip on the ESFNA. Drawing a parallel between Tunisia’s revolution and the ESFNA’s ordeal might seem extraneous, but the point I am trying making is both situations took one incident to trigger events.
I like to take this opportunity to tip my hat to those board members of the ESFNA who persistently guarding the federation; especially to the board members of the Abebe Bikila Sports Club of Los Angeles for the courage and the wisdom they demonstrated when they nominated Judge Birtukan for Guest of Honor. Because without the rift the Judge nomination caused among the Diaspora, the shortcomings of the federation and the Sheikh motives for sponsoring the federation could not have been revealed.
Most think the woe the Diaspora has been experiencing since the ESFNA Executive Committee reversed the vote against in favor of Judge Birtukan’s invitation is worthy of its outcomes because it led into:
1. Uniting the Diaspora during the struggle to restore the ESFNA board of directors’ vote approving the Judge invitation.
2. Sparking off the Diaspora to spontaneously and methodically engage in the affairs of the ESFNA which led into uncovering so many things, including lack of effectiveness, transparency, and accountability in the management of the federation.
3. Rejecting the old ways of running the ESFNA. And encouraging the federation fans to speak loudly against the status quo of their organization.
4. Creating ground for those who got fed up by the incompetency of the ESFNA to deliver a competitor of the federation, the Ethiopian Heritage Society of North America.
5. Exposing the Sheikh drive for sponsoring the ESFNA, and forcing him to lift the yoke he placed on the shoulders of the federation.
Though most of the shortcoming of the ESFNA are revealed, recommendations for improvement are provided, and the Sheikh may no longer able to use the money he snatches from the throats of the starving Ethiopian children to keep making the federation unproductive, the organization survival hangs on the resolve of its board members, including to change their culture, to be transparent, to reform, and to rebrand the federation. Not taking advantage of their present predicament to transform their organization to be ready to ably compete might amount to nailing the last nail on its coffin.
Before I finish, adding to what I pointed above, the ESFNA is in a perilous position, between the devil and the deep blue sea. For instance: First, the legal action the Sheikh initiated against the ESFNA indicates his attempt to make the federation pay his way out of the organization. Second, teamwork between the board of directors and the Executive Committee members is not there anymore; some board members make a joke about lack of teamwork among them by saying we are good only for eating together but not for working in concert. Third, thrust among the Executive Committee members is at its lowest level in the organization history. Forth, confidential email exchanges and correspondence among the nine executive committee members, including privileged and confidential attorney client communications are being leaked to the Ethiopia First website editor, a henchman of the EPRDF. The leaked documents can be found on www.ethiopiafirst.com. Fifth, most of the Executive Committee members are about to finish their term. At the end of the year, they will step down from their posts.
Those who have stake in the federation must beware of a fact that nearly all outgoing members of an organization do not pay due attention about developing issues of their organization especially when they are about to leave during a turmoil as the one the ESFNA is engulfed by. So, you all must question whether the legal case regarding the $240k the Sheikh is trying to reclaim is handled by those who firmly guard your self-interest.
The writer who is responsible for this article can be reached at LJDemissie@yahoo.com
Off course ESFNA never depend on the blood money. Also, esfna should return the $240k.
Why you cared and wrote about this dead federation?
To prove his loyalty and to be recommend to Al Amoudi by Abennet G. Meskel, Fassil Abebe is nailing the last nail on the coffin of ESFNA.
Brother, ESFNA is dead. It is murdered by Fassil and Abennet. The only thing left is nailing the last nail which Fassil is working on it very hard.
It is a shame!People like Eyaya leaked the letter to their masters
after the Board decided to reinvite Judge Bertukan.They are asking
their money back just because of Judge Bertukan.I am glad they are
exposed for what they are.I think Fasil is now on the ESFNA camp not
on the ESFNA enemies.Let’s go to Atlanta and support ESFNA.
@Abdi from DC
You are dead right about Fassil. He is also licking Abennet’s behind to be recognized by the sheik. He is suggesting negotiating and returning the money because he has made a deal with Abennet. The deal is Fassil get $65,000 if ESFNA return the money.
You have been demonizing Al Amoudi all the time saying evil personal things about him, but you want to keep his money, huh? You can not deny that he has been extremly helpful to Ethiopian football in the last years. Just one example: he was there when the Ethiopian football legend Mengist Worku needed long and expensive medical treatment abroad.
You need to accept the fact that Al Amoudi has the right to support any political party he thinks is worth supporting, and he is a man of Ethiopian origin. It is sad that the so-called opposition has hijacked the ESFNA -a supposedly cultural and sport event for all Ethiopians- for promoting it’s political agenda.
By the way, Birtukan is the only honest person around this chaos.
This is a blessing in disguise for ESFNA.The wrong guys(Eyaya,Sesebe,and
their friends)won’t have their bad infulence on ESFNA in the future.ESFNA
can afford to hold its events with his own means.They have to clean up
their act so that the people will come every year like they did the last
27 years.Get rid of the hodams!Tell them to leave you alone.
@RedOne
It is an important skill not reading unwritten stuff. I do think the writer said keep the evil man’s BLOOD MONEY. He only said protect ESFNA’s interest.
Fasil Abebe,….Fasil Abebe. What do you want him to do guys? Isn’t he just the representative of the organization? Where are the rest of them at this time of trial? Like, where is the Chief Executive? The President? Why don’t they face the public as Fasil is doing?
To me, as a member of one of the teams that represents the ESFNA, Fasil has shown what he really is. I am proud of him. He is a person of integrity,sincerity and man of the organization. What else can he do, say and write but the official stand of the ESFNA.
Please ease of our PR man!
Thank you
@Demoz
The PR is finally is doing his job-which is representing
ESFNA.The really enemies of ESFNA are Ayaya&Sebsebe from
DC,Abebe from LA,the president,the business manager,and
their friends.Their true color came out finally.Thanks God!
Long live ESFNA HODAMS YEWDEMU.