Abraham Adole, the former deputy head of Eastern Shewa Zone, has been appointed as Mayor of Adama Town – a post vacated by Beker Shale when he was appointed as the director general of the Ethiopian Revenues & Customs Authority (ERCA), last month.
Abraham, who now has a BA degree from the International Leadership Institute, started his official duty by welcoming the guests gathered at the Gelma Abageda Hall, in Adama Town, to discuss the draft structure plan designed to integrate economic and social activities in Addis Abeba with the Oromia Special Zone, on Thursday, June 27, 2013.
Kuma Demekssa, mayor of Addis Abeba and head of the towns of the Oromia Special Zone, attended the meeting.
Abraham, 40, has 15 years of experience moving up the ranks of civil service. He started as a teacher, at Yabelo Primary School, before then moving to the Yabelo Wereda administration.
After holding various posts in Oromia Regional State, he moved to Borena Zone, as head of the public mobilisation office, in 2009. Abraham also served as member of the Borena Zone Cabinet at that time.
The Office of the Mayor in Adama is one that has seen five officials come and go since 2009. Between 2009 and 2012, Tola Berisso (PhD), Alaka Simbiro, Ayele Werku and Guta Acharo have all served as mayors of the town. In December 2012, after Adama hosted the fourth city festival, Beker, who had served as Commissioner of the Oromia Police, became Mayor of the town.
On May 29, 2013, however, Beker was appointed as director general of the ERCA, after Melaku Fanta, former director general of the Authority, was arrested along with many other high level officials, including Gebrewahed W. Giorgis, deputy director general of the ERCA’s Enforcement Division; Mamo Abdi, advisor to the director general and Eshetu Woldesemayat, chief prosecutor, two month ago, on suspicion of corruption.
Beker’s selection by the Prime Minister’s Office created a month long vacancy in the town’s administration, which ended with Abraham’s appointment.
“I know that the town’s residents have a lot of questions, which need to be answered by me”, Abraham told Fortune. “If we work together, I am sure the town’s administration will solve most of the problems affecting the residents.’’
Married and a father of three, he is tasked to lead a town that regularly hosts conferences, and expressed his dream of seeing Adama, one day, hosting international conferences.
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