Terefe Musa was the director of all schools in the state of Gambella, as well as head of the Bureau of Education. Through his power he corrupted the school system with drastic schemes, illegally transferring educational technological tools donated by the UN to Gambella schools, shipping them to Walega, Illubabour, Metu. Musa swept everything he could lay his hands on, taking them to his home region without attracting the attention of the Gambellians. Apparently, Musa wasn't in Gambella out of good reason but for a large-scale mission, draining, depleting, sabotaging Gambellian economic infrastructure. To put it another way, Musa, another highly ranking official in the Gambella bureaucracy, cheated and favored their tribal outsiders in jobs and education. Consequently, jobs meant for Gambella residents were given to noncitizens of the state, as well as scholarships given to residents from other regions and provinces. Through bureaucratic networking with his tribal kin, Terefe Musa was able to overtake Gambella schools by blocking native students from other counties from attending Gambella schools. As the Anyuawa say, even people trying to conceal nit dealing under water were eventually exposed by the bobbles. The revelation of Terefe Musa's treacherous scheme did not take long. When what was hidden in the tinderbox was revealed, it angered many people, both friends and enemies. We witnessed a colossal mess that should have never happened, but it did. If Musa did not explain what happened, the students demanded that Terefe admit his guilt, repent, or be removed from his position. But Musa did not accept the criticism, instead he talked about other diverse issues not related to the agenda, to whitewash the problem. In response, he was roared down by the students who told him he shouldn't continue to be the director. There was one man who shouted Waraayale, Tell Terefe Musa, not to tell us how much our swollen testicles weigh. He declared, Waraayale, Tell Musa, we know our disease; we don't need someone like him to explain it to us. Uncle said, Waraayale, it's hard to tell him something like that. Don't be afraid to tell him the truth. Intensely cowed and pressured, Waraayale delivered the message precisely as he was told colloquially to Terefe Musa. A group of people shouted better! Emboldened by Waraayale's courage, the audience applauded ceaselessly after he told Terefe Musa. While this was happening, Waraayale turned his back on Terefe Musa, looked at his uncles, and said, "I did it!" His bright red face reflected the stress he had released, indicating that he was no coward. One could sense courage in him. I'm not afraid, everyone laughed and cried. Come on brothers, join us. It appeared that Terefe was puzzled or confused by the speaker's warped idiomatic statement. Unfortunately, he was booed down and quit after trying to walk over it by addressing students with different types of issues. He must have realized something; he might lose his mind if he doesn't come to terms with the situation. Although it was impossible not to read what was in Terefe Musa's head, one could tell that he was going through tough times, that no one was on his side, that everyone except him opposed him. It seems that Musa did not realize the gravity of the issue brought up against him, as he dismissed it lightly, thinking what the authorities would do to me if I did not comply. There have been long-standing problems of superiority complex exhibited by many highlanders living among the Gambella people. But that's another topic, I wouldn't discuss it here. Anyway, in the face of intense fire, mounting pressure, Musa gave up trying to save his skin, he accepted all the things the students demanded, he left the meeting he was encircled by. A few days later, Musa attempted suicide by jumping into Openo river, but the Anyuawa, the very people he had betrayed, cheated, and neglected, jumped into the river and saved him. Even though Tefere Musa had criminal records, he still needed to be saved. In the case of Anyuawa, Terefe Musa, dark backgrounds did not matter at all. In the eyes of the Anyuawa, Musa's evil acts are not as important as caring for humanity. Despite their noble understanding of human nature, Anyuawa have not prospered due to their good Samaritan nature. Anyuawua welcomes many good and bad friends, strangers to our land, whose only purpose is to find greener pastures. In our country, everyone wants to come, but not vice versa, since our people don't travel abroad. Gambella has attracted many people who have not been good stewards of the resources, but rather exploiters, destroyers. We have leaders who give money away to other people, leaving the children of Gambella hungry. New thinking is needed: Democracy and Representation must go hand in hand, which means knowing who represents our interests, knowing who gets what, and why? Our top priority should be to check the background of our leaders. We must address all crises head on, and the issue of representation must be addressed through local, regional, and national mechanisms. We must confront nepotism through legislation, through parliamentary imperatives, because it is a national crisis. There is no turning back the clock, we must embrace the present, and we must learn from these stories, so that we can map out and shape our future.
Hasta la vista my friends!!
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