Parliament opened its October session this week with the Prime Minister La’auli once again preoccupied with the extent of his power to run the country, insisting that no one must question his authority or that of his Cabinet.
The cause of the PM’s irritation was an intervention by Hon. Lealailepule seeking clarification on the role of Chief Executive Officers of each Ministry, who are delegated authority in accordance with the duties and responsibilities set out in their respective organisational charts, but whose roles and responsibilities appear to be ignored.
Delegation of authority is one of the most powerful tools in management for ensuring that more work can be done efficiently, provided the necessary follow-up and accountability processes are in place.
This ensures that the CEO’s work is done, while the Ministers are busy with their Parliamentary duties or on official travel business. If they don’t deliver in accordance with their delegation of authority, their contracts are terminated or not renewed. That is the accountability that motivates our hard working CEOs and civil servants.
It was obvious that the concepts of delegation of authority and accountability were completely lost on the Prime Minister.
La’auli saw the question as another attempt by the HRPP to oppose his government, which sent him into his latest Hitler-type outburst.
Unfortunately, none of his Cabinet Ministers or Associate Ministers could help resolve the Prime Minister’s confusion.
This made the exchange in Parliament all the more revealing. On the one side, Lealailepule is asking about simple management principles and in response La’auli is shouting about his power over all creatures, great and small!
As Samoa and the rest of the world watched, we were reminded of the famous saying, “never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Leader of HRPP