By Samuel Admassu

In the grand theater of global leadership, few figures capture attention quite like Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, who wants to be seen by everyone as an expert in everything, from military affairs to modern business.

This constant need for praise coupled with his public persona often appears to gravitate towards an almost singular pursuit of self-aggrandizement, fostering a narrative of unparalleled expertise and indispensable leadership across every conceivable domain.

This quest for universal acclaim, observers suggest, frequently transcends the practical realities of governance, transforming national achievements into mere personal spectacles driven by his boundless ambition.

A radio operator

Consider a man who, despite a military career primarily as a radio operator (a critical role, it must be noted, though far from frontline command), confidently presents himself as a high-ranking strategist and acts like a military genius.

Or take the academic in him; his entire academic journey has come under serious question. His PhD, awarded by the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University in 2017, has been widely debated and alleged to be heavily plagiarized, in which despite credible reports from scholars and international pressure, Addis Ababa University has controversially refused to launch an investigation or revoke the degree, yet who readily steps into the intellectual arena as if he were the progenitor of profound thought.

The narrative continues: Abiy can embody the medical professional before seasoned doctors and real medical professors, pretend to be a holy leader and claim spiritual enlightenment before lifelong clergy and religious figures who’ve spent their lives in prayer, present himself as a laureate artist to the nation’s creative minds, and lecture on proven business models to entrepreneurs who have navigated decades of economic realities. This fervent desire to be seen as the towering figure, the icon for every occasion, often overshadows the collective effort and the genuine needs of the populace.

A meeting

A clear picture of his ambition flashes in my memory. I distinctly remember meeting Abiy Ahmed personally in a Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya in 2009. He was a senior government official, and he mentioned his dream of flying home on a state-owned jet, much like America’s Air Force One. What truly amazed me was when his comrade added, with a chuckle, that this same man wanted to fly the plane himself!

What’s even more remarkable? His hometown does not even have a helipad, let alone an airstrip.

This distinctive style finds its most illustrative and, at times, bewildering expression in the very streets of Addis Ababa. In the name of “corridor development,” residents are reportedly being displaced from lands they have held for decades. Yet, as each meticulously manicured stretch of road, pedestrian walkway, or bike lane is completed, it seems to await a peculiar ritual.

The Prime Minister himself, often accompanied by his cabinet, must personally inaugurate it, driving a car down the new tarmac or cycling leisurely along the new path. These moments, designed for public display and the capture of credit, reveal a singular sense of ownership over public works, sometimes overshadowing the real impact on citizens.

A simple toilet

A touching, almost comical, story from these “inauguration” spectacles truly captures the spirit of this phenomenon. An elderly woman, merely seeking to use a newly constructed public toilet along one of these “artificially developed” walkways, found herself abruptly intercepted by federal police. They questioned her intentions as if she were spying on a secret nuclear plant, with an intensity typically reserved for national security threats.

Upon learning she simply needed to use the bathroom, she was reportedly informed, to her disbelief, that the facility had not yet been “inaugurated and officially opened for public” by His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Her retort, a mix of wisdom and despair, resonated deeply: she quipped that she could only hope he wouldn’t decide to build a hospital with a special care unit for pregnant mothers, because her people would surely suffer and pay a profound price until he himself could get pregnant and showcase the entire labor procedure for the world.

This starkly illustrates the human cost when essential public services are held hostage by ceremonial grandstanding.