Issayas Jirra is back into EFF President second term in a land slide victory
Essayas Jirra elected EFF President in a land slide vote ahead of Amara heavyweight representative Melaku Fenta. The Executive body that comprised of three Women and six men named Dagnachew Negera of Amhara to vice presidency.
With a midweek news sensation of foul play among the three candidates, speculation was high that a close election would take place. But it turned out to be a one horse race with the incumbent president dominating the circus at the final count Essayas Jirra elected President for his second term in office securing a staggering 94 votes while the much talked about Amhara representative Melaku Fenta stood far second collecting just 27 votes while little known guy from Diredawa Tokichaw Alemayehu bagging 14 votes.
The Ethiopian Football highest governing body, the National General Assembly also elected a nine members cabinet having three women for the first time in the federation’s history.
Habiba Siraj from Addis Ababa, Faiza Reshad from Somali region and Bezuayehu Jemberu from Diredawa were voted in to the cabinet collecting 101, 65 and 63 votes respectively.
Murad Abdi, Sherefa Delech, Addisu Kamiso, Dagnachew Negera, Ujulu Aday Gnubri and Asere Ibrahim are named members of the cabinet that is to serve Ethiopian Football Federation for the coming four years. The cabinet members unanimously named Dagnachew Negera to the vice presidency chair vacated by Abebe Gelagay who replaced the former rebel turned Colonel Awol Abdurakim considered to be in hiding since the TPLF declared war against Ethiopian government since two years from the coming October
Vice president for the past eight years Abebe Gelagay from Diredawa, Technical head from Amhara Sewenet Bishaw, Afar golden boy Alimirah Mohamed and Yosef Tesfaye of Addis Ababa are major personalities that packed home after serving two terms.
Gotytom, Obri confirmed for New York City clash
World champion Ethiopian Gotytom Gebreselase, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir and world cross-country champion Hellen Obiri will toe the line at the TCS New York City Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, on 6 November.
Jepchirchir’s fellow defending champion Albert Korir is one of the headline names in the men’s race. The Kenyan will take on Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata and Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye.
Gotytom, the 2021 Berlin Marathon champion, struck gold in the marathon at the recent World Championships, smashing the championship record with 2:18:11.
Last year, Jepchirchir won the Olympic marathon by 16 seconds, and then four months later won the New York City Marathon in 2:22:39, just eight seconds off the course record. Then in April, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, Jepchrichir fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh in a thrilling sprint to the finish to take the Boston Marathon title.
Obiri, a two-time world champion over 5000m, will be making her marathon debut. The double Olympic silver medalist set a half marathon PB of 1:04:22 earlier this year and went on to claim silver over 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Israel’s world marathon bronze medalist Lonah Salpeter and Ethiopia’s 2015 world 5000m silver medalist Senbere Teferi are also in the line-up, as is USA’s Sara Hall and Britain’s Jess Piasecki.
Vera Songwe steps down as ECA Executive Secretary
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe, has stepped down, effective 1 September 2022, after five years of dedicated service to ECA and its Member States.
Announcing her decision to step down during a town hall meeting on 22 August, Songwe thanked ECA staff for their team spirit and support during her tenure.
“It has been a privilege to work with you and serve the whole UN system. I cannot express enough my appreciation for the support, encouragement, guidance, patience, and friendship I received throughout these years from you,” said Songwe.
Under her leadership, ECA played a key role in promoting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at national, subregional and continental levels; advocating for adequate resources to finance Africa’s COVID-19 recovery initiatives; fostering public-private partnerships; and promoting local manufacturing to ensure sustainable economic growth and reduce growth volatility in Africa.
In a farewell note to staff on 31 August, Songwe said she was “pleased to convey the Secretary-General’s decision to designate Antonio Pedro (ECA’s Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Programme Support) as Acting Executive Secretary, beginning 1 September 2022, until further notice.”
