Events in the country are moving fast to keep abreast and chew one’s own cud. The resent audio message and the time of its release suggests that people running the country want the  hoi polloi seat on the edge of precipices begging for their lives to be saved. It is time to play brinkmanship and shine.

But whoever is playing with fire will soon learn who it is playing with or against to his/her detriment. And whoever is pressure-cooking a plot will be in for a surprise.

When Shemeles Abdisa, the chairperson of Oromo Prosperity Party, claimed that he and his group gambled with a fortune but surprisingly to come out as sole winners, they fired a single shot that killed multiple enemies and friends at the same time.

Through dating and reckless gambling they managed to wrench the EPRDF from the Tigrian domination and reshaped it as their mirror image - Prosperity Party -  that serves the Oromo causes in all aspects be it politics, language, social institutional and culture, nothing they left unturned in pursuit   of the Oromo hegemony over the rest; hallelujah sigh of relief breathed the audience!

Any other group, nations and members in the Organization they forged (PP) only operate as subservient to the Oromo causes and welfare.Pure and simple. Shemeles blazoned in his speech:  “Oromo people do not be confused go out, maffick and rejoice. We are here to surreptitiously serve your cause do not get us wrong!!  We are with you, jump the bandwagon, and let us sail to the end”!

By releasing such a statement Mr. Shemeles was trying to kill with one hand those he called subservient friends and save with the other hand those he realised have turned enemies - the Oromos/Querros.

This message was intimating to the Oromos that there will be many good news unfolding if they were to remain steady fast loyal to PP and nothing to fear off if only they wait patiently thing will unfold to their advantages. Dictators unfailingly promised Nirvana during their reign of terror, Nero scorched Rome that exuded homelessness, Julius Caesar extended food shortage that reached the gates of Egypt, the breadbasket of the ancient world, Hitler, Mussolini, Kaddafi, Saddam. Mengestu blessed the world with war and wanton to satisfy their impulses for immediate gratifications for fame and now Shemeles!!

But Mr Shemelse is a second rate politician with little or no grey matter in his head. He is killing the Oromos with one hand and leading those who are alive to sepulcher with the other hand as spelunker down the gorges of Abay, Omo, Shebelle and Awash for fun.

No wonder he is playing with fire, as he is excited with his plots, counterplots and gambling niches to win the lot, though little does he know he is in for a surprise from those he created as enemies from friends left and right.

The Oromo people he is trying to win over as much as the Oromos he has alienated DO NOT NEED to GAMBLE or SET a PLOT to Assert their democratic rights as people to decide their own destiny of self rule  including and up to secession.

A federal set of arrangements and not a conspiracy or a plot guarantees such a destiny that can and should be incontrovertibly achieved. One does not need to conspire or play a fiddle to demand what is one’s legitimate right. One does not have to hide and disguise but walk the walk, straight and head high held.

A coercive formation of a single party (PP) with satellite bodies lumped together will not atomically guarantee the rights of a self determination of a nation. A Unitarian party cannot and will not be a substitute to a federal formation that is based on a fare and egalitarian distribution of power among equals of nations that extends to include even secession.

Even if it were possible that the Oromos dictate and keep the PP intact after its own image for some time, what guarantee is there that the Oromos will always remain on top and in charge of the Organization (PP) indefinitely to carry out their concealed missions that relays on coercion and not consent of satellite parties that are attached to it. If as Mr. Shemeles claims that he and his Co succeeded in toppling the TPLF and snatched away the EPRDF just to turn it to PP; why would it not be possible for someone that operates from within PP, of course as a satellite, topple Mr Shemelse and his cohorts from PP   to form yet another party or a metastasized of PP to serve another group interest next time round?

Whatever advancement has so far been achieved regarding the use of own language and self rule has a lot to do with the EPRDF and not the PP endeavors. if anything the PP has spend the last two years in shuttle diplomacy with an arch enemy of the Ethiopian people- Isayas Afeworki (let us make it clear he wanted to wreck havoc so he would dictate and exploit the region to his own end. The only group who prevented him from achieving his goal in the past were the TPLF, hence the revenge and any nationality who thinks Isayas would do any better with them is living in shangtelia) and organizing covert and overt killing of opponents and high ranking people seen as a threat and obstacles to implement its Unitarian dictatorship the country had been under for the last 100 years prior the EPRDF came to power. What Shemeles failed to see is that the nations and nationalities, including the Oromos, fought tooth and nails to remove such a rule, the Prosperity Party is now trying to reinstate but in vain. The Oromos fought not to impose their own dictatorship and helot owning state superstructure but federalist where nations and nationalities coexist as equals.

Shemeles is offering, hoping the Oromos will take his offer, foolish as he is, for them to go in to the past and enjoy the privileges of the feudalists then using the Amharas and now for Shemeles the Oromos, as cannon fodders and sources of man power to defend their make believe privileges they share with the feudalists under the pretext of language- will pick the fight with the rest of Ethiopians. In so doing, Shemeles and his Co are neither here nor there, they are self centrists, but create fear and suspicion among nations to promote their own interests to stay in power come hell or high water. The game of the day?  Killings here, killings there, mayhem everywhere a fertile ground for dictators to reign unperturbed.

Mr Shemeles is an ingenious person to say the least, that with one hand he is engaged in the killing the Oromos and with another  hand he  leaks out a message telling them that he is working to save them Oromos from others. This is a desperate move by a desperate person to gain their loyalty and support from people who have lost confidence and trust.

The Oromos do not need plots, conspiracies and the spill of innocent blood of their own and others to demand and safeguard their God given rights - to live in peace, free as they would like to be. Only a federal system that guarantees self determination including and up to secession which the Oromos have every right to claim and fight for is a standard bearer, no one could deny them. No sauce, no kettle, no salt or drama is required!!