The last thing the nation deserved after three years of rule, by him, and 50 years of government, by his party, was to be told that the nation is being taken back to the drawing boards. The nation, had been screaming for a report on milestones, not excuses. What was even more depressing was that while his Cabinet, and himself, had gone on a retreat to introspect, they merely, “introspected others”. What was supposed to be introspection, became a tea-fest, where sitting as jurors, judges and executioners, they decided who would take responsibility for their party’s failures. At no point, did they acknowledge any responsibility for the state of the nation. According to him, and his Cabinet, the civil servants were failing the nation.
I had problems with his Excellency’s approach at several levels. Firstly, His Excellency, and his party, have been returned to power more than 10 times on the merits and achievements of the civil service. I know nothing they have gloried upon, that was not achieved by the civil service. They have appropriated the achievements as their own, being the party in government. Yet, when it came to failures, they sought to absolve themselves. There was even another reason. To begin with, all executive power constitutionally, vests upon the President. He exercises same through the civil service. The civil service, as he rightly pointed out, is the vehicle for the delivery of his constitutional mandate. The nation has employed him, on the basis of the success of his party at the polls, and he has, in turn, employed the civil service. That is why he generally has sweeping powers, to hire, and to fire. Essentially therefore, the civil service fails him, and he fails the nation. Seldom, do you hear a Chief Executive Officer report his workforce to the board that they are the reason why the company is failing, and that he is not responsible. Without ownership for the mess, I found the address irresponsible, and gravely disappointing.
