You can be a control freak only when you have weak people around you
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can be a control freak only when you have weak people around you
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ontrol freak only when you have weak people around you
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"You can be a control freak only when you have weak people around you". Ronald Perelman, Businessman and Philanthropist.
Effective management of government entails appropriate delegation of duties and responsibilities. As head of their respective ministries, Minsters are supposed to oversee and manage all aspects allocated to their portfolio. Of course, ministers cannot do everything and must delegate duties to public servants within each unit. Indeed, success or failure depends on the ability to effectively apportion duties and responsibilities; Ministers who fail to adhere to this approach are destined to be unsuccessful. This brings us to the functioning of the current Executive Branch of government in Dominica. This entity appears to run on the whim of one person – the Prime Minister. In this circumstance, the entire Executive branch of Government rises and falls on the quirks of Roosevelt Skerrit. This shortcoming becomes manifest in a crisis where all segments and all levels of the Executive Branch of government are needed for effective management. In addition, depending on the extent of the crisis, additional personnel and expertise outside of the Executive Branch, including Opposition Parliamentarians, NGOs, Regional and International Agencies may be needed. Failure to recognize and adhere to this approach can have unpredictable and unanticipated consequences for an entire country. Two weather events affecting Dominica in the past 2 years have laid bare the consequences of micromanagement in government.
In the Aftermath of Tropical Storm (TS) Erika in
August 2015, all stakeholders (Ruling Dominica Labor Party Administration,
Parliamentary and other Opposition Parties, community organizations) pledged to earnestly work
together towards recovery of Dominica. Indeed, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
said that TS Erika was “not all that bad as it brought everyone together”. Unfortunately,
without consultation with other stakeholders, Skerrit took off on a tangent to form
a National Reconstruction Task Force headed
by former President, Eliud Williams. This task force was supposed “to assist and advise on mapping a path
forward for the social and economic movement of Dominica”. Regrettably,
Dominicans were never made aware of subsequent work of this grouping. Likewise,
(Baroness) Patricia Scotland was appointed by Skerrit as Dominica’s International
Relief Coordinator. Although Mrs Scottland responded to public criticism of her meager and unproductive efforts in early
2016, the public was never updated about the outcome of her international
fundraising activities. Both of the aforementioned entities were set in motion without consultation with other
stakeholders including local community groups, village councils and opposition
parties. Hence, the appointees were accountable to one party and one leader. Therefore, it
is not surprising that the public received no updates from these ‘quasi-governmental’
entities. In the end, the Executive Branch did not learn much from TS Erika in order to prepare for future events. Band-aides were applied to damaged structures, emergency management was placed on the back burner and the Labor Party Administration went on its merry way of 'politics as usual'.
Twenty-five months later, Dominica is devastated by
Hurricane Maria and, we are seeing history duplicated. This time around, the
consequences of micromanaging the havoc wrought by Maria bears (potentially) long-lasting devastating consequences for Dominica and Dominicans.
Roosevelt Skerrit is of the belief that he (alone) has vision for Dominica and
is an institution within himself. He has mismanaged Dominica for so long, without
consequences, that he knows no other way. He is buttressed by a circle of
cowards who are incapable of guiding and advising him. Instead of working with
all groups in Dominica and the expansive, technically capable Dominican
Diaspora, the Labor Party Administration and Skerrit are doubling down. A
disaster management structure was not established prior to Maria, yet in their zeal to
micromanage relief food and supplies, they are mocking up and clogging the flow. Mr. Skerrit has paid lips service to the non-labor party affiliated stakeholders while fervently working to marginalize a large portion of the Dominican Diaspora. People on island are
rightly becoming incensed as they are unable to get materials sent by their
friends and family who are abroad. More disturbingly, donor organizations are becoming
increasingly frustrated at the slow past of clearance and distribution of donated
material and supplies. The central theme in this growing problem is one of
micromanagement by the Labor Administration. As result, more than one month
after Hurricane Maria, segments of Dominica still have not benefited from relief while other segments are enjoying abundance.
Enough with DLP ministers of Government hoarding relief supplies at their home and running around clandestinely delivering goodies to their supporters. The Dominican public should demand an end to this selfish and chaotic management. After all, Roosevelt Skerrit and all Parliamentarians are elected to serve and work on behalf of the Dominican public. Members of Cabinet, senior public administrators and Cabinet Advisers have so far failed to challenge Roosevelt Skerrit and his foolishness. It is not too late for them to change course. Otherwise, future generations will correctly hold all of these individuals responsible for failures that have led to their agony.
Enough with DLP ministers of Government hoarding relief supplies at their home and running around clandestinely delivering goodies to their supporters. The Dominican public should demand an end to this selfish and chaotic management. After all, Roosevelt Skerrit and all Parliamentarians are elected to serve and work on behalf of the Dominican public. Members of Cabinet, senior public administrators and Cabinet Advisers have so far failed to challenge Roosevelt Skerrit and his foolishness. It is not too late for them to change course. Otherwise, future generations will correctly hold all of these individuals responsible for failures that have led to their agony.
