Thursday, February 28, 2013

The List

Fiery Ginger Warrior and the crusading Mountain Man are desperate to confront both Founder and General Manager Ato S and Advisory Director, Boss. We want her to step down and Ato S to let us run the school.

Back in October when Ato S decides to take an interest in school, he makes it very clear he wants Boss sidelined in the organogram.

In November he requests Ginger Warrior to draw up a list of “concerns” he has, and it doesn’t take long to draw up a list of 15, which include several example of cronyism, conflicts of interest, deviousness, dishonesty and shady practices and sends it via email to Ato S. but gets no response.

At the start of  February he sends it to me. I only have time to write 3 more before Ato S arrives in my office. I rant at him after he informs me that Boss is needed. She is the one who has created most of theshite, and i personally print off The List to highlight her incompetencies.

With Boss now back in Addis, Ato S passes The List to Boss, and both GW and i get tearful phone-calls saying she wants an opportunity to address The List. She wants to turn it into a “360 degree” appraisal, but both GW and i have requested to Ato S that we refuse to be appraised by Boss. She knows jack shit but has spent years blagging and bullshitting her way through much of her life.

Rather than sit round a table with the Top Management Team, new arrivals Ato S (3rd meeting for new Head of Admin), Ato E (1st meeting for the new Dr No replacement as Deputy General Manager) and Head of pre-Uni Mr Ted. GW and myself request the presents of Ms J (my Head of Early Years) who has been a stalwart at the school for more than five years for a historical context – in other words to ensure that Boss will struggle to blag and lie.

GW goes back to the list and doubles The List in a 24 hour blitz. It’s a shocking and damning indictment, but only emails it to me.

Which is just as well. Boss gives a long rambling “explanation” as she goes through some 12 of the “Original18”. She clearly has opted to bore us to sleep. She denies any wrong-doing and Ato S is the only one who chips in to support her. GW and i take notes whilst all the Ethiopians sit glumly in disbelief to the frail old, Machiavellian woman tries to justify herself.  

It takes more than 2 hours and we all wanna be out of there. Sycophant Mr T says The List is horrendous, but as GW swiftly points out publicly it was not meant for public consumption but written for Ato S’ eyes only at his personal behest.

Mountain Man always wants his 2 cents worth. He points out that after almost eight years, the school remains two buildings with fee-paying students. I remind Boss that my remit was to get the school accreditation, and that it doesn't matter what the academic directors do, the school will never be granted accreditation with its non-transparency of budget, cronyism, a salary scale which is not adhered to and the demented purchasing system.  And again i repeat “it is morally and unethically wrong”. And the meeting ends on that thought.

Ginger Warrior and Mountain Man are prepared to savage Boss and Ato S at our earliest opportunity. Boss has returned to UK for her final treatment. Along with Ms J, we are prepared to walk out at the end of the academic year.

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Missing Photograph


Each compound has a photo-board. On my site it’s a hots-potch of laminated photos of all staff under the heading “People Who Help Us”. Many have been taken or just fallen off. But it is more formal at the Secondary School with a pyramid on the Reception wall. Sicko sexual predator Mr A took his own photo when he was forced out of the door, and now there is another photo taken off...Dr No.


But Dr No is still on the premise and is absolutely livid. And, of course, he swiftly points the finger at Ginger Warrior. When this is vehemently denied, the suspicion falls on Mountain Man. In the first instance Mr T. (Head of Uni Prep) asks me directly which i simply laugh at, but i am then approached by The Weasel who says if i have the Dr No portrait, i should return it immediately, otherwise no cheque will be signed for my School. I tell him to report back to Dr No that i had heard it was the School Nurse who had a major crush on The Reptile.

Ato S. turns up at SMT with a very formal letter from Dr No informing the School he was taking legal action from the theft saying it was not only “humiliating” but also potentially “life threatening”. Ato S is clearly agitated by the theft and asks me directly if i have stolen it. I have had enough of all this shite. I get up on my high horse. “No i haven’t. And i am sick and tired of all these bizarre and ludicrous accusations against me. I have had no paper for almost a week because Dr No won’t sign any cheques, and all you do is waste my time. I have a school to try and run and i’m outta here”.

I gather all my papers together, but i am begged collectively to stay. And i relunctantly do.  We return back to the SMT agenda in somewhat subdued fashion and there is a sense of relief when we finally finish up.

But i still haven’t heard the end The Missing Photo. The School Lawyer calls me two days later asking if i know its whereabouts and i go ballistic at him. I will not tolerate these accusations any further. I inform him my father is a lawyer and suggested i
1) Left Ethiopia
2) Refused to go to work whilst Dr No was still in officially an employee of School
and/or
3) Take legal action against Dr No for slander and sullying my immaculate reputation

A complete fabrication but i can play dirty when i have to too.

The lawyer quickly attempts to laugh the matter off and ridicules the accusation made by Dr No.

“Don’t worry Ato Mountain, he will soon be gone”. 

I impatiently wait for it to come to fruition; i want the reptile as far away as possible.

who would want to humiliate the Reptile?

 




 

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Teacher Junkies



Khat is the traditional local drug of choice, and during my visit to Ethiopia in 2010, i was invited to a khat house in Bahir Dar. It was a very unpleasant experience.

Many countries have now outlawed the leaf including Germany and the United States, but Britain has decided to cash it on it’s popularity amongst Somalian and Ethiopian residents and brings in well over a million pounds in tax.

I am reliably informed by all-knowing Rasta Mrs R that many of my staff are regular users. Several of them gather at Mme Julie’s on a Friday afternoon to “revitalize” themselves and chew the fat and the khat.