Exclusive –The retirement of Eng. Abeer Barakat Al-Zouhair, Director of the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization, following the “Shamousa” incident, has brought back into focus a fundamental question long debated in public discourse: is holding a public office still a safe space for officials, or has it become an open test of accountability and scrutiny? The reality clearly indicates that the rules of administrative responsibility are changing, and a position no longer serves as a protective shield at the first sign of trouble.
اضافة اعلان
Today, responsibility is no longer tied solely to intent or justification but to impact and outcome. Institutions affecting citizens’ lives and safety are required to maintain the highest levels of discipline, and any lapse cannot be concealed or postponed. In this context, swift administrative decisions send a message in themselves, even before being viewed as routine regulatory measures.
Notably, this shift reflects a trend toward early crisis management, preventing issues from accumulating into burdens on the government or becoming perpetual subjects of public debate. Officials are now evaluated not only by their achievements but by their ability to safeguard their institutions from falling under suspicion—particularly in sensitive regulatory sectors.
However, the most pressing question remains: does this represent a permanent approach or an exceptional case dictated by the circumstances of the Shamousa incident? Positions only become “unsafe” when accountability is applied uniformly, without exceptions, and according to clear standards free from selectivity or media pressure.
If these measures are complemented with serious reviews of regulations, strengthened internal oversight, and transparency in decision-making mechanisms, the message to every official will be clear: a position is not a reward, but a daily responsibility subject to scrutiny at any time. If actions stop short, public debate will continue, and trust will remain under test.
Ultimately, public positions may not be “unsafe” so much as they have become more demanding… and those unwilling to bear this responsibility should reconsider before accepting them.
