November 12, 2018
The multi billions dollar business conglomerate EFFORT (Endowment Fund For Rehabilitation of Tigray) is an illegal mafia business organisation which controls significant economic sector of Ethiopia. It trespasses all form of known legal business norms and laws to enrich its owners who are the top brass TPLF elites. The company is the cash milk of TPLF for all its destructive activity on Ethiopians. It is number one company in the country by its wealth and asset/capital.
This mafia organization is also known as “blood money”. The source of its starting capital were from stolen money of commercial banks of Ethiopia in Axum and Adewa by then TPLF bandits leader including the late Meles Zenawi in the late 70’s. They enriched their purse further by looting business people, government and public organization in Tigray in hit and run tactic.
When Northern Ethiopia, specially Tigray was affected by the biblical Famine in 1983/1984, the world was shocked watching BBC as hundreds thousands /millions of starving, dying children, mothers, elders of Tigray Ethiopians and the drought hit agricultural field and the Skelton of their cattle. Bob Geldof, a young Irish singer and his friends organised “Do they know it is Christmas?” song and later “We are the World” music concert which involved the then famous singers (It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album ) at Wembley stadium and other venues televised to the global audience raised more than 100 million dollars for drought and famine affected Africa mainly for Ethiopia.
Bob Geldof gave TPLF the 100 million dollar to TPLF masters as TPLF con men tricked him delivering sac full of sands claiming it is wheat and barley. The money was used to buy weapon and organise Marxist Leninist League Tigray ( MLLT) communist party instead of saving the people they claim TPLF represent or fight for. Hundred thousands of Tigray Ethiopians could have been saved but TPLF chose their death to enrich themselves and establish the mafia organisation EFFORT. That is why this organisation is known by many people who know the history as “blood money”.
TPLF as it controls more lands following the fight with then government abandoning many cities and town, most of the government and public organization capital and wealth were looted and stolen to enrich EFFORT. Had TPLF was a responsible party, it would have returned these properties to the state it controlled but rather chose to fill its beggar EFFORT’s purse.
According to recent information from people who knows the detail, the 26 millions dollar paid to then Ethiopian government at its eleven hours in 1991 as compensation for Ethiopian airlines which should transport Felasha Ethiopians migration to Israel in “Operation Solomon” was directly pocketed to EFFORT under Meles Zenawi direct order from the Ethiopian state bank account in New York.
One of the main objective of TPLF is to be the dominant economic power on top of political, military, security and foreign relation and all sector dominance in Ethiopia. EFFORT was tasked with economic dominance to enrich the TPLF elites.
EFFORT (through its several companies) took billions worth of loans from Ethiopian commercial and Development in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s bank money on direct order by the Prime minster to the bank governors. Despite the banks effort to collect their money in due time, they were ordered to delete it as discredit loans. (Read “Yemeles Lekakit” book by the former state minster Ermias Legesse)
EFFORT’s companies have been able to dominate all sector of Ethiopia’s economic activity by direct order of the prime minster and government minsters by throwing away other competitive companies out of the business field. The share holder of these companies are few TPLF elites each worth billions dollar in illegal business in the country acting as mafia state.
The several mafia organisations under the umbrella of EFFORT are led by exclusively Tigriean origin CEO and most of its employee are Tigreans (who support TPLF) while excluding Ethiopians while operating in Ethiopia. The organization is registered as endowment charity but the truth is it is business trade arm of TPLF. Though Ethiopia Constitution forbid political parties owning business, TPLF is doing it under the cover name of Endowment company sparing from paying taxes and being properly audited. The majority of Tigray people haven’t benefited from this organizations but earned undeserving mistrust from their brothers of the rest Ethiopians.
EFFORT played significant role in TPLF’s authoritarian brutal rule and funded all the destructive measures against Ethiopian people. EFFORT continues to fund the covert activities to destabilise the country and the current progressive government led by Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
The Ethiopian government should nationalise this business conglomerate or dismantle the mafia business state to dry up the fund for the criminals who are creating havoc and obstacles during this peaceful political transition. By nationalising or dismantling it, the government will create fair economic competitive field for the legitimate business community in our country.