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Why I want to replace Hitler as BOM chairman

 

When the sub-county director of education, who really admired me when she summoned me, gave me a letter declaring my new, progressive Board of Management null and void, I did not tell anybody about it.

I was thinking of legal manoeuvres that I could employ to escape the jurisprudential labyrinth and retain Hitler, Alphayo and Nyayo on the board.

But following Hitler’s behaviour last week, may be it is time to listen to the sub-county director of education and throw him out.

Last Monday, Hitler arrived in school and walked around inspecting it like it was his property.

I know there are those who would complain that Hitler was overstepping the mandate of a BOM chairman, but I would rather that than Lutta, who did literally nothing when he was the chair, except eating the sitting allowances.

The next day, someone knocked at my office’s door at noon. It was Ali, a well-known jack of all trades.

“Dre, I hope the house I built for you is serving you well,” he said.

Ali was one of many contractors I had hired to build my house. I said the house was okay, and wondered what had brought him to my office.

“You don’t know we are repairing the school toilets?” he posed.

Surprised, I asked: “Which toilets?”

“The toilets were almost collapsing and could have killed students,” he said.

“Who told you to do the job?” I asked.

“The school chairman, Hitler. In fact, I was coming to complain that we have not been given food or paid. I am broke; and my boys can’t go home empty-handed.”

“I am sorry we haven’t budgeted for that, so we will not be able to pay you,” I said.

“Dre, I have worked with you and I know that you are a mean man,” he stated. “But this is not your money I am asking for, it is school money, it will not come from your pocket.”

“I know that, but this is not a kiosk – we have processes to follow,” I said.

He laughed loudly. “Did you look at the toilet before you start talking about processes? If it had collapsed and killed a student, would you have talked about tendering?”

I stood my ground and said I would not pay for what was not planned for. He called Hitler. After talking to him for a few minutes, he gave me the phone to talk to him.

“I am the one who told Ali to repair the toilet,” Hitler said. “Please pay him Sh9,000.”

“It doesn’t work that way,” I said.

“If you are a serious headmaster, you would have known there were toilets that needed to be repaired.” He went on: “You should have taken action and not waited for the chairman to act.”

Unable to convince me, he said he would see me the next day and then hang up. The next morning, I had a personal issue to address, so I arrived at school late.

I was surprised to find a staff meeting ongoing, chaired by Hitler.

“Thank you HM for arriving,” he said when he saw me. “I am the one who called for this meeting to discuss lateness and absconding of duty.”

“Thank you Mr Chairman for this,” I said, not wanting to confront him in front of the teachers. “Can I request that we talk about this with you in the office?” I asked.

“Yes we will talk but I need the teachers to know that it is illegal to come to school late, or not go to class,” he said. “I don’t want to sack anyone.”

In the office, I told Hitler he was overstepping his mandate. “It is not your job to be involved in the school’s day-to-day running. It is my job.” I said.

“How can you run the school when you are arriving past 10am? Or when you do not know that toilets are almost collapsing?” he asked.

“By the way we need to pay Ali today,” he said.

However, I said that would only be possible after going through the tendering process.

“What tendering do you keep talking about Dre? Those toilets could have killed someone.”

Now upset, I told him to leave the school and let me run it.

“Dre, yes you appointed me to the board but it has not taken me long to know that you are not the right HM for this school,” he said.

“And tomorrow I will go to the AEO to ask that you be transferred. We need someone serious here,” he said.

I said nothing knowing that should he walk to the sub-county director of education offices, that is when he would know the meaning of null and void.

In the meantime, I had to calm down teachers who were asking why Hitler was ordering them around.

May be it was a mistake to make Hitler chairman of BOM. But I cannot see anyone else in Mwisho wa Lami who can replace him. Maybe Nyayo?    BY DAILY NATION    

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