Now that the Managing Director is officially robed, the focus will shift naturally to the position of farm manager. Although he rarely visits, the MD has special interest in that farm of ours. He loves it wholly wrapped under his whims. He often gifts the herdsmen in recognition of their hard work. His reward system has no boundary and transcends his own herdsmen. It takes a morally upright herdsman to ignore the MD’s call, which explains why people sell off all their belongings, to join our lucrative farm.
A few years ago, upon the natural exit of the then farm manager, the reigning club fronted the assistant as the successor, a thing that would later be described by the current farm manager’s rival as “accidental.” Anyway, the rival is a strong wordsmith who stings with words to one’s chagrin. This rival is also a latecomer of sorts – labelled” visitor” – into the reigning club.
Despite those circumstances, the visitor’s appetite for the position of farm manager has grown dramatically. From the onset, the majority had written off the visitor for different reasons. It is now clear that it was too early to do so. The bet on the current farm manager could have been triggered by factors such as wealth and leverage within the reigning club. It is also true that at least all herdsmen including some from outside the reigning club are under tight control of the current farm manager to the displeasure of the MD.
This is simply because the MD and control are like bread and butter. A seasoned MD like him cannot take the current farm manager’s growing dominance lightly. At least that’s obvious. The reigning club had sat earlier to deliberate on their choice of farm manager. The outcome of their sitting revealed that the charm was still on the current farm manager. Unfortunately, the winds of destruction came during the annual general meeting where the MD made contradictory statements that dashed the current farm manager’s hopes of reinstatement.
The visitor’s appearance at the AGM was unexpected to the extent he was even denied the opportunity to roar. Lest we forget, it is during the last funeral rites of an African man that his unknown child surfaces. Who knows that in this context, the AGM was the last funeral rite, and the unknown child was the visitor. The competition is becoming a fierce rivalry.
Each day, the camp with the majority supporters worries about the visitor’s source of support. Visibly, the visitor comes off as one-man army which is too good to be true for a rival. The involvement of the MD in all these squabbles continue to undermine to the doctrine of separation of powers. The confusion that stems from fusing farm business with that of the general enterprise led by the MD is not healthy at all. It also accounts for the village’s stunted growth.
The most interesting bit about this competition is that it’s not for the herdsmen to decide. It rests entirely with the MD – whether he has already decided or is yet to. Between now and then, the contenders can still look up the MD and negotiate their perks. The best negotiator is not one who will speak good English before the public gallery because the public has no locus in this undecided race. Not even the over 500 herdsmen have. The real contender is the one who will speak the language better understood by the MD.
As the contestants for the farm manager position throw jabs at each other and convince the public that they are the best stewards for the most coveted job, all that matters is the final whistle by the MD. Until then, no one knows who comes next. The chances of continuing with the accidental farm manager are equal to those of ushering in the visitor.
Luckily enough in the remaining few days, whoever will be given the grazing stick will take charge of a magnificent farm, where those deserving to eat liver can choose to slaughter a full cow. The only prayer is that may the MD’s best choice – who also happens to be the village’s number three – steer the farm very well through balancing the MD’s interests, which are inevitable, and those of the villagers.
The author Mr. Badru Walusansa is a socio-political analyst
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