Dear Editor,

I was interested in the big breaking news in your paper and on social media about a woman being appointed the “Acting Assistant Commissioner.”

I’m just wondering what the big fuss is about over the woman taking on the role of Acting Assistant Commissioner or Acting Assistant chief executive officer in Police? 

After all it is just an acting role that is solely selected by the C.E.O, or Commissioner in this case, which means she has not gone through the objective merit based recruitment and selection process required to assume the substantive role of Assistant Commissioner or A.C.E.O.

All the recent publicity seems an anomaly given other government ministries or agencies do not make special media releases flagging experience and qualifications every time a staff member is appointed by the C.E.O to an Acting Assistant C.E.O post. Such promotional stunts do not happen either for acting C.E.O appointees for that matter.

I remember too there were couple of women that assumed acting assistant Commissioner roles not too long ago but there was no accompanying publicity fanfare. And I believe there is an existing woman A.C.E.O in Police and again no such media hoopla.

So what is so special about this newest acting assistant commissioner/Acting A.C.E.O? At least the Samoa Observer did not print her entire CV, imagine if that happens all the time when someone becomes an “Acting” something.

Anyway, just saying! 

O.S.A.M