President Michel by all accounts is a likable character doing the best he possibly can in stringing us along on behalf of his beloved SPPF. This we should all understand; the man needs to eat, feed his own family, and play!
Recently to mark 365 days since winning a five year’s extension to the last thirty, President Michel gave an interview to his now favourite TV presenter Mr. Antoine Onezime. Onezime has mastered the art of providing answers in the questions he puts to President Michel in a way that Ibrahim Afif could only dream about. Onezime is determined to show President Michel that he is the man to force the long suffering Ibrahim Afif into early retirement. During the whole duration of the interview emphasis was placed on booming the doom; President Michel did not let anyone down, especially the President of his party, whom together with the former financial advisor, are now driving their little toy they call Seashell, by remote control. It reminded me of an all time favourite song by Mr. Stanley Beaufond, “BOOM BOOM”. “Boom-Boom in the pumpkin plantation” – “Boom-Boom in the corner by the house”……….
We all know it and President Michel, I am sure, as our former Minister of Finance knows it - the opportunity to kick start the economic drive to create prosperity is long gone by. And before we can see any real boom we will have to deal with plenty of gloom. President Michel and co must accept full responsibility for dooming the Boom that they are now so desperately faking!
A bodyguard confided in me that this is the dream the big chief has been having over the last 365 days. Big chief has been screaming in his sleep at the top of his lungs, “oil! oil! oil! Send us some in generous proportions!”
After having tortured myself in witnessing the Panorama episode of last Monday, 13/08/07, presented by the amicable Jude, no one can argue with the authenticity of the bodyguard’s tale. After a short article in this column last week, ‘Oil in Seychelles Waters???! - Patrick Samson, Eddie Belle, Patrick Joseph, Guy Adam and co were summoned before the SBC television cameras to give fresh hope to the now numerous doubters that oil really exist in Seychelles waters. These guys are experts in their field of work; they presented a technical point of view, the text book scenario.
However once or twice they strayed away from their area of expertise, we can well forgive them considering the burden they are having to shoulder in pleasing the man providing their daily biscuits. Mr. Belle gave us a good account of how and where the money will be invested. Mr. Guy Adam gave us a detailed account of oil exploration and discovery in Mexico; thank you, Sir! I quite enjoyed the fact that a simple fisherman made the first off-shore multi-billion barrel discovery of oil in the seventies in Mexico, without the need for sophisticated technology of the kind that costs millions and millions of dollars.
Maybe, it is just an idea - don’t come jumping on my head; I am only trying to help. The Government of President Michel should invest in hundreds and hundreds of little and medium size fishing boats and a few seiners. Loan these boats out to local people, Seychellois, the kind that are now second class citizens. They, local fishermen, will go out regularly into our vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with the express desire to bring back a good catch of the abundance of resources (fish) we have out there in our waters. At the same time they will keep an eye open for oil floating on the surface of the sea. You never know, someone might make a discovery just like our friend did in Mexico. By the way, Mr. Adam, you forgot to inform us on the good fisherman’s cut for his commission - surely you must know a thing or two about commission. How much did our fisherman friend get for his troubles or did he do it all “for the love of Mexico”? Just the way you are doing it “4 D luv of C-sel!”