The country’s Prime Minister is certainly not in season as it seems that almost every week some new scandal breaks into the public domain. Moreover he seems hell bent on exposing “the system” as if he wants to play a double role as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
Richard Duncan’s book, “Walking the straight and narrow” aptly described the attitude and utterances of the then recently elected Prime Minister Mitchell in 1995. It has been downhill for the public service since. Dr. Mitchell made it clear that (to him) political loyalty was more important than competence, professionalism was thrown out the window.
In a recent Press Conference, literally bathing in crocodile tears. the Prime Minister stated “all of us must feel guilty from captain to cook”. He was alluding to Cellphonegate and the general abuse of the public purse as he wants to drag the whole nation into a cesspool of shame.
The Prime Minister has no moral authority to speak about systemic weakness when he singlehandedly set out to undermine the “system” by putting square pegs in round holes and making appointments based on “who he could work with”.
Clearly he wants to impose his will on the state and the rule of law. By their own admission, the level of accomplishment of preset targets in the public sector barely reaches 50%. This speaks to excessive bureaucracy, incompetence and inefficiency.
The process of decision making in the public sector is very centralised. Dr. Mitchell wants to have his hand in everything. Nothing moves if I don’t approve is his mantra. As a result public sector managers are constantly looking over their shoulders while Boards exist in name only.
The fact is that people make the system work. When public officers are disrespected, maligned and victimised for doing their jobs as established in law, what can we expect? It has become commonplace to look the other way when officers detect wrong doing. But can you blame them?
Ask Simon about the Red Congaree Plague in Point Salines which came to our shores because he broke plant protection law by allowing contaminated soil to be imported for a certain project in the South.
Right is always right and wrong is always wrong! In the public service, the difference between right and wrong is blurred. Illegal activity and abuse of the public purse is commonplace and if you are an NNP activist, you will get off scotch free, so why bother. Sheldon Scott may have well continued to abuse the treasury had it not been for Kem Jones expose of the matter.
The Prime Minister made a promise to evaluate public expenditure in 2020 so as to stem the unjustified expenditure of taxpayers’ money. That is called damage control and to dilute public criticism of his handling of taxpayers’ money.
Hiring in the public sector is now tightly controlled as they try to keep out suspected opponents or simply people who do not belong to their tribe. These measures are intended to keep the information “inside” so the process of covering up wrong doing can be made easier.
The people are watching Dr. Mitchell, You can run but you can’t hide.