Who is looking out for Finfinne - Are Chinese-built structures in Addis safe?
Who is looking out for Finfinne - Are Chinese-built structures in Addis safe?
Gadaa.com Editor's Note - May 20, 2008
 |
Looking back, it is important to note that school buildings were the most affected by the quake. Thousands of children, who were attending classes, were buried alive underneath blocks of crumbling concrete walls. Whereas government buildings located in the same quake zone as the schools did not even get a scratch (so to say) from the earthquake. Over the past week, this fact has raised eyebrows among many engineers and experts of building safety standards. These engineers and experts ask: why would government buildings stand tall and schools crumble down when both structures were equally hit with the same quake? The answer exposes the poor and inadequate building safety standards and codes that have been in practice in China for years.
At this point, one has to question about the building standards and codes that the recent influx of Chinese construction companies brings with it to Africa, especially Ethiopia. As Woyane tries to divert attention from its failed social, political and economic policies, it has allowed uncontrolled, and probably unsafe, building frenzy in Finfinne over the last few years. In addition to making hundreds of Finfinne residents homeless (some even had their houses bulldozed while they were sleeping in them - as reported by BBC in June 2007), it is hard to come to grips with the fact that the main building contractors in Addis are Chinese companies. This becomes even difficult to live with after last week's earthquake and the building safety practices it revealed. If Chinese builders are building unsafe school structures at home in China (schools their own kids go to), how much ethics and professionalism would they possess to make the Ring Roads, the future home of the African Union, and other structures in Addis safe? Who is looking out for Finfinne?
China and Woyane have their own vested interests in being actors of the building frenzy in Finfinne. China lends its talented engineers and know-how's to build structures in Addis. In return, it opens up a huge market for its sub-standard merchandizes (and probably also future emigration home for its exploding population). Woyane gets to woo its "visual admirers," those who are writing books about the tall buildings in Finfinne while playing blind to the homeless crowd crawling on the steps of these buildings. Woyane also gets to buy some time in power by diverting attention from its failed policies. Therefore, why would Woyane risk stopping the building frenzy that has given it a short-term political gain by asking the Chinese builders tough questions on building safety? Woyane has no reason or moral capacity to be the enforcer of safety standards and codes in Finfinne; and as for the the Chinese builders, the appalling destructions have shown their professional integrity last week when collapsing schools buried kids alive. Gadaa.com wishes comfort to parents who are now mourning over their children's graves.
Have your say or pass the word below. Who is looking out for Addis/Finfinne?
No comments:
Post a Comment