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It was Chester Bernard who illuminated the hallmarks of good leadership. Where in his construct, he rejected the argument that leadership is synonymous with extraordinary skills or power. As a matter of fact, he envisaged leadership as one’s ability to influence the behaviour of subordinates, whilst persuading them to follow a particular course of action. In which, inferred from this postulation is, a successful leader is one who understands motivations, thus engages influence and persuasion, in realising a goal.
Square Peg
Truth be told, Bernard’s seminal work is very much applicable today, as it was in 1938. For it foresaw leadership as, purpose and people driven, where the leader, like an orchestra conductor, guides her team to a defined goal. Where implicit in this model, is the concept of responsible leadership, in which the leader embraces accountability.
So it’s in this context, we appraise Priya Manickchand’s leadership at the Education Ministry (MoE). For thus far, counting three excruciating years, visionless has been her stewardship, so much so, she has been conferred the pseudonym, Square Peg. That’s to say, this befitting attribution, speaks not of body habitus, rather is informed by her stunning incompetence, of cliche, square peg in a round hole.
Moreover, she epitomises the PPP charlatan, who’s forever frontal, craving the limelight to solitarily covet ownership of successes. Which was evident with the donated paediatric Covid vaccines. For she stood frontispiece, as if they were PPP procurement, bragging of practising the science. However, even as we nauseate over the comical spectacle, cognisant we were, the MOE hadn’t responsibility for vaccine administration, thus this wasn’t Priya Manickchand’s responsibility.
Thereafter, consequential to the protracted school closure, many children disengaged from the education system. But then once again, even though Operation Recovery, returning children to school, was collaborative with Social Services, Manickchand plastered the front pages, single handedly endeavouring to return every child, of which she spectacularly failed.
Which takes us to schools’ construction, where despite not her responsibility, Priya Manickchand would position herself in the headlines, clumsily turning the sod and observing contracts signing. Then on construction completion, Priya Manickchand would be at the forefront, cutting the ribbon. In effect, Priya Manickchand, like pot-salt, took on responsibilities that elevated her political standing.
Mark’s Take
Thus, we revisit the Mahdia catastrophe, which took the lives of twenty beautiful children, compensated for with a degrading $5million. Where immediately after the catastrophe, desperate to paint themselves angelic, PPP went into naked propaganda mode. But as they so did, attempting to pull wool over our eyes, they conveniently omitted to mention, a damaging UNICEF review, on fire unreadiness of our dormitories.
However, the whitewashed review was soon exposed, which saw Priya Manickchand facing difficult questions on why she hadn’t actioned the recommendations. Of which, she shamelessly shifts responsibility, arguing that construction and infrastructure works aren’t her responsibility. However, none was implying such, expecting Priya Manickchand to attend every school, installing fire-safety devices. For what the Stabroek News question was interrogating is, Priya Manickchand failed oversight in actioning this, among other UNICEF recommendations. Recommendations, if actioned, could’ve most certainly prevented this catastrophe.
Thus we reflect, Covid vaccination wasn’t her responsibility, yet Priya Manickchand was Frontal Priya. In fact, returning our Covid absentees to school wasn’t her responsibility, yet Priya Manickchand was Frontal Priya. Then schools construction wasn’t her responsibility, yet Priya Manickchand was Frontal Priya. For she intrudes contract signings. Turn the sod. Inspect the buildings. Cut the ribbons. All in all, a proud pot-salt.
However, with twenty children dead, Frontal Priya who always craves the limelight, is now shifting responsibility to a mystery “Relevant party.” But we have news for Shifty Priya, these children died in an educational facility, that was under her stewardship.
The fact is, Priya Manickchand was full scale Pot-salt Priya, when she took ownership of those, not her responsibility. Which means, unanswered is, why isn’t she taking ownership of the Mahdia catastrophe, as she should? For herein lies the answer: Priya Manickchand aka Pot-salt Priya, is a limelight leader. A front-page leader. A headline leader. Not a responsibility accepting leader. Not an accountability leader. For she’s a weak leader. A mediocre leader. An incompetent leader. A blame shifting leader. An opportunistic leader. A save-her-skin leader. A throw under the bus leader.
For our children’s blood is on her hands, which means she must go. No COI can save her. No degrading $5million can save her. For frontal Priya must go. Pot-salt Priya must go. Shifty Priya must go. Square Peg Priya must go.
