Blackout In Addis Ababa

Yesterday(22/04/2013), the power gone off in a critical work time, a deem-light replaced the bright daylight. The blackout continued through the afternoon, actually accompanied by an uproar of generators as they turn off and on time and again, till they ultimately silenced for unknown reason. All office workers in the whole block could do nothing...went here and there aimlessly. And some would simply pop up their heads out of the windows to look out what the hell was going on.

Most staff members including high ranking officials left. Offices were almost empty. This reminded me a common joke while I was a university student.Social science students would call Computer Science " A Department that turns off whenever power goes off." It might have been so during collage life, but not now...in employed life.Yesterday was a proof. When the power went off all offices became empty.

Just after work, I went to AAU to attend a night class session. Fortunately, there was light till the session was over, but it went off at the end of the class. Then I had to go home through the dark street. It seemed a kind of jungle I saw on AVATOR movie. I bought a couple of candles to light my home till the power outage comes to life. Alas! I spent the remaining evening lighting a candle without any special purpose.

Eventually, I slept without blowing out the candle. Around mid night, I woke up soaked in sweat. Good God, my home was brighter than ever. The bulb was shining straight over me, and the candle was gleaming. I thought for a moment how lucky I was;otherwise, the candle could ignite a fire and I would be brunt to ash.

I questioned myself where the hydro powers being generated from Tekeze, Gibe II, Tana Beles, Ashegoda and others has gone. It is said that my country Ethiopia is exporting electric power to Djibouti and Sudan...100MW each. Why is then, Addis Ababa is suffering from recurrent blackouts? May be, our self appointed lords want to save more power to export so that they could amass the Dollars coming over. These greedy monkeys could do anything to fill their hallowed belly, their oceanic pockets.

I pondered like so for sometime. And finally I turned off the light and slept again.