While living/working in Surkhet District managing a health project with Tribhuvan University, Ministry of Health and the University of Calgary (1990-95), I became familiar with several other projects in the region. The most interesting one turned out to be the building, equipping, staff training and turnover of the Twin Otter Support Facility at the Nepalgunj Airport, in 1993. That project was headed by a Canadian pilot who had been a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Vince Madden was stocky, no-nonsense, intelligent and well-organized; that side of him was necessary, as he was working on his own and knew exactly what needed to be accomplished, what timelines were realistic to competently achieve the goals set by His Majesty’s Government in partnership with the Canadian Government.

The project was, indeed, progressing well, as the maintenance hangar was getting close to completion and then once fully equipped, training and actual repairs could begin.

He and I got to know each other well; any time I had to be in Nepalgunj he invited me to his office at the airport, where he would open his filing cabinet, share some screech, and introduce me to his other side: a detailed mind, frustration with the relatively limited bureaucracy he had to deal with, an effusive raconteur…with back-slapping humor to match!

So, Vince begins: “Ivan, you are aware of our formal agreement with the government?”

“Without the intimate details, but yes, I know. Oh, that’s enough screech, thanks.”

“So, we are funding the building and equipping of the facility; Nepal is responsible for all training costs.”

“Sounds normal and reasonable.”

“To properly equip this place for professional maintenance, we had to import material, machines etc. flown to Nepalgunj; of course, all this was clarified in our MOU”.

“Makes sense; good foresight to have included this.”

“The kicker is, that several trucks-full have to be loaded and released from Customs. They have already made me come twice to fill out ‘missing information’ (not originally required); and then on my third visit (needing to take all this time away from the worksite), it was ‘suggested’ that a fine need be paid for all this extra, unexpected administration.”

“So, you had to schmear the guy!”

“Well yes…so to get this done, and having never been in such a situation and therefore being ignorant of a “proper inducement’, I said ‘look, here’s a thousand, let’s get this over with’; but the agent had the gall to tell me it was not enough!”

“I sense a crescendo emerging. A tiny bit more screech, Vince! Thanks.”

“So, I had it. I had developed good relationships with everyone, certainly some senior people; working my butt off to get this essential maintenance facility up and running through a formal agreement; and still they put this impediment in my way –knowing but apparently not caring—that this would delay the whole project. Fortunately, one of my best local buddies turned out to be the Chief of Police.”

“Good. So, you had the fellow arrested?”

“Not quite. Remember, I was getting to my wit’s end. Our project agreement was not being applied; delays were now inevitable; my ethics were being challenged; and this agent was treating me like a fool. So, I drove my truck up to the Airport Manager’s office entrance—I mean the front bumper was about a meter from the front door– then I walked literally through the screen door, took out my (unloaded) handgun, placed it on the desk, very briefly explained what has been happening with his Customs Agent colleague, apprised him of a standing bilateral agreement, and suggested that he sign an immediate release of the shipment. He complied right away! Everything was quickly released onto transport trucks”.

“That was indeed an assertive move, Vince! Just a bit more screech, if there be any left.”

“I followed that up with an immediate visit to my friend, the Chief of Police, so as to brief him on the whole scene including showing him my small revolver. Then the two of us laughed like never before!”

(After having ably completed this project, Vince took a contract in Africa but sadly died in a plane accident (I have no details on that). Rest in peace, Vince!)