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 (3^rd meeting for new Head of Admin), Ato E (1^st 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.