Qaisar Mutawea Al-Madinah It is a fact of life that no top official in any ministry or government department works alone. He will have a number of aides and assistants who will help him achieve his vision to improve the services his department is providing. There was a time when we used to have senior officials who would expel any employee who told them the truth. Some of our ministers in the past would not tolerate employees who would dare to oppose them or object to their decisions. These ministers believed that anyone who would not agree with their opinions was an enemy who should be expelled from his position. They were unanimous that anyone who licked their boots was the sincere and the most loyal employee who should be rewarded. We heard a number of stories of competent employees who were dismissed because of words of truthfulness they uttered that the officials did not like. As a result of this type of officials, some government departments were run by bootlickers and drum beaters who constituted the minister's entourage and close companions. The drummers would not say or do anything that might not please the minister. They would take in their fold only employees of their character and dismiss the honest and the straightforward ones. It was not surprising that the drummers would have a great influence on the minister. They would use this power to serve their own personal interests and to get rid of all the other honest employees. At that time, the parameter of appointment and promotion was how loud you would play your drums in the ears of the minister. The more the minister was pleased with you, the better your chances at being considered an outstanding employee regardless of your competence or qualifications. The minister's evil companions would cut him off from the others. They would have him all to themselves. In such cases, the minister or the top government official would be completely alienated from the reality. Therefore, his decisions would always be incorrect or shortsighted. Today the situation has changed. The minister himself may not stay long in his position if he did not prove his competence. He may lose his portfolio in a matter of few months or days if he fails to show his ability to deliver. The ministers of today have to prove that they are capable of providing better services to the citizens and to the homeland. They will have to listen carefully to the citizens and solve their problems otherwise they may find themselves out of their ministries. There is no way now a minister can have his eyes blinded or his ears deafened by bad companions. If he, however, opted to encircle himself with bootlickers, he should be ready for his quick ousting. When the minister is sacked, he will not find any of the bad entourage around him anymore. Their presence around him was not for his sake but for the sake of his position. If this position goes, they will also go. Therefore, the ministers and the senior officials will have to be very careful in selecting the people around them. They should form their teams from the qualified, honest and sincere employees who will not hesitate to tell them the truth and to oppose their decisions if they were not appropriate. The “good guys” around the minister will inform him about all the negative elements in his ministry and will suggest the remedies to him. They will also make him close to the citizens and not isolated from them, as was the case in the past. If any minister prefers to live in the past, then he should prepare himself to be part of this past.
