Addis Ababa, 14 September, 2015 (WIC) –The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, called up the people of the world to visit their ancestral homeland.
In his speech made at the Millennium Hall on the eve of the Ethiopian New Year Hailemariam noted that Ethiopia is home not only to Ethiopians who currently live in its boundary but also to the entire human society that lives across the planet earth.
“Ethiopia is the cradle of mankind. The human race has its origin here in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is where all began. It is here in Ethiopia that our ancestral parents travelled back and forth without discrimination. I call up on the entire human race to pay a visit to Ethiopia and reconnect with its origin,” said the premier.
The premier also noted that Ethiopia stands together as a nation to the values that link the human race together without any prejudices.
“Let us unite for what binds us together as a human family. Our physical differences are not natural,” said the premier to the audience packed inside the hall and those that have been following the eve celebration event on the live satellite transmission of the National TV.
He remarked that Ethiopia is a land of diversity land gifted with immense natural, social and historical attractions.
“Ethiopia is a land where beautiful people with diverse cultural and social make up live. Lack of understanding that diversity as a source of strength has pulled back the progress of the country in to Dark Age. However, that has become a thing of the past since the country is reclaiming its historical position by thoroughly recognizing its diversity as source of beauty and strength. That is why we put forward our motto of renaissance as ‘We were great. We will be great’,” he said.
“The growth registered in Ethiopia is indeed a testimony to the journey of renaissance we are in,” said the PM.
The PM also highlighted in his speech the fact that Ethiopia has been a center of African liberation struggle from the yolk of colonialism.
“Ethiopia has been the source of pride for Africa in its struggle against colonialism. We can repeat that sense of pride in our struggle against poverty. We can do that as well so that equitable distribution of wealth becomes the norm of the rising Africa,” said the premier.
Redwan Hussien, Minister of Government communication Affairs on his part noted that Ethiopia has achieved a lot in its transformative economic agenda of the past five years Growth and Transformation Plan I (GTP I).
He noted that his office prepared the ceremony in collaboration with Ethiopian Broadcast Corporation, Serawit Multimedia and Shewaferaw Multimedia in order to propagate the success in GTP I and gather momentum for the coming one.
The Mayor of Addis Ababa, Diriba Kuma, also said that his administration will focus on accelerating the renewal of the city and to fight rent seeking tendencies during his tenure.