Mocking pretenders

Every time we hold an election, and often in-between, we discover new talent to replace existing executives in all of the state entities in the land. And bear in mind that state entities continue to spring like weeds along the verges of all our roads. Each newly created entity needs chairpersons, boards of incompetence, CEOs and the like. The governing political parties find, on an endless basis, local executive talent to manage these corporations— from major enterprises like TTE C or CAL, down to smaller entities which make us wonder why the State is even involved there? Since when do we have these reservoirs of executive talent to roll in and out of our “state corporate sector”? Are we in a position to export executive talent—to the Caribbean, and the rest of the world? Of course, this assumption rests insecurely upon the premise that these revolving door executives have some modicum of talent, not to mention, integrity. But we all know that this assumption is a farce, and that our country, and all of its state enterprises and commissions and the like are poorly and corruptly staffed from the top down.

The creation of corporate entities to do the work of ministries and ministers has resulted in the advent of a new corporate class drawn almost solely from the friends and families of politicians. This new executive class is a defiant, even bumptious excuse for corruption, palimony and patrimony, with lifestyles now recognized as entitlement for directors and senior management to feed at the troughs of corruption which the state enterprise sector keeps filling with money. Watching, even as news highlights, the episodes of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee into State Enterprises should make every citizen cringe in shame. The bumbling, ineffective performance of these entities, as led by their directors and CEOs is shameful. But they appear shameless as they describe their failings to the committee, almost righteously indignant that anyone dares to question them on their performance. We do not know how these oversight committees functioned in the past, but it is safe to assume that they all fit into the pattern of allowing state enterprise directors to defer presentation of data or withhold information on nebulous grounds of “confidentiality”.

However, under the current chairman, Independent Senator David Small, this committee is demanding performance, accountability and integrity from members of state boards. How dare he do such a thing? How dare he rock this comfortable boat, which has provided wealth, privilege and status to party faithfuls for years? Where was this type of inquiry in the recent past? If these hearings were held at all, we can be sure that the committee, members of parliament and the senate, were quite comfortable to permit persons before them to postpone presentation of accounts and data indefinitely.

But that has now been changed, rather corrected, by a chairman who accepts his responsibility to provide oversight to these freewheeling state enterprises. I congratulate Senator Small for taking his responsibility seriously, and causing the other members to shamefacedly fall in line. I am not aware that people generally are aware of what Senator Small is exposing for us. Nor do I really have confidence that he is going to get meaningful support—like the charging and convicting of some directors for dereliction of duty if not conspiracy and corruption. At any given time, lots of “friends” are involved, as beneficiaries of directorships which give them access to free travel, entertainment, upgrades of the restaurants they frequent, and the premium alcohol they consume.

Other “friends” get contracts to redecorate executive offices and boardrooms, and more intimate “friends” become personal assistants.

All this is how the state enterprise sector treats its VIPs. But this is just the visible part, which we see at functions, rushing through airports and flying first class, with personal assistants in tow. What we do not see is what they actually do—you know, what is their work? Well some state enterprises are real corporations, but many of the newer ones are not. They have been established for the primary purpose of awarding contracts: Design and consultancy contracts, construction contracts, contracts to review contracts, and regardless of who is in power, awards are made to friends and fellow travellers.

The appointees to the boards of these companies created to award contracts to contacts have assumed an attitude of self importance which is reinforced by overspending on everything, especially their perks.

They are well described by Rapso group 3Canal as “mo c k i n g pretenders”.