Seychellois

Reply to “Mrs. Writer”

The Seychelles Weekly is providing an opportunity for Mr. Christopher Gill to express his opinions on political and current events as well as promote new ideas for the conduct of our national affairs. Mr. Gill was unceremoniously thrown out from the pages of the Independent newspaper by its editor and publisher Mr. Percy Ah Mane. In the interest of freedom of speech, the diversity of views and opinions, we believe Mr. Gill has a right of reply to the unknown writer which the editor of the Independent callously decided to allow to disparage Mr. Gill in its pages of its 09th March issue. The anonymous writer, who called herself Mrs. Writer, nevertheless, also took the liberty of disparaging our editor (Ralph Volcere) as well as Mr. Chow, the leader of the Democratic Party in her article.

I read the letter by a reader, unsigned of course, who I will just call “Mrs. Writer”, commenting on Ramados Medical Clinic. She basically complained that the Opposition does not put its case forward adequately to convince her that it is a bad thing. From her writing, you can tell Mrs. Writer is a person of white, kit gloves, and does not like to dirty her hands, prefers others to do her laundry and blames them for dirting her clothes; although she sullied them herself. She expends much effort, passing the day, attempting to take the higher ground, all the while, basking in denial, enjoying all the possible creature comforts of life one would want and could have. She will deny this, and may profess to be a male homosexual, in order to continue enjoying her niceties she has acquired by no personal effort of her own.

Mrs. Writer writes as if the Opposition is in power, complaining about the Ramados Medical Center, being built by an opposition.

Personally, if Dr. Ramados wants to build a medical center in Seychelles, fine with me. Build. The bigger the better. If he can deliver excellent world standard quality medical service, then do it. We are too desperate for decent medical services in Seychelles today, to stop him. Let’s hope the good Doctor makes it bigger than the Darne Center in Mauritius, and call it the “Medical Center of The Indian Ocean and East Africa Region”. We can only benefit from the effort for a little time, much like prawns from Coetivy, orchids from Grand Anse Mahe, nice tomatoes from the hydro-phonics farm, bottled water, supplies of sugar, onions, timber, and even Pastella, to name a few promised products that joined the line of sporadic supplies over the years. Some of them even promised to become huge foreign exchange earners, like the prawns, which ended up in-debting the Government of Seychelles through SMB, in amounts approaching $100 million.

At one point, it was even said with the Seychelles label, we can export our bottled water, but the person saying this, did not bother to calculate the cost of the little plastic bubbles that makes the bottle, or the freight cost to Europe for bottled water. There was even talk at one point of exporting Pastella to Italy... to earn hard currency, never thinking that the product would be too hard on Italian teeth, since we remained silent on its quality in Seychelles.

Once Dr. Ramados has done this particular business venture in Seychelles, he will have forehand experience on running a business that is based on basic primary principles of Supply and Demand and not addiction or compulsion, in Seychelles, with real obstacles to overcome daily. He may get a hand or a rope from Government. That remains to be seen. My business instinct senses a rope is coming. The good Doctor should exercise caution and not blow it to the wind.

The Obvious Is Glaring Through: Consider when the Rupee paying patients and the hard currency paying patients start fighting over pills and use of the Cardio Machine, it will be his problem to contend with, not any one else....at least the Doctor will know first hand, how to have to pay the bills of the hospital to keep it running with Rupees and credit cards payments that come from overseas, banked with the Central Bank.

When Government conveniently starts sending Seychellois for treatment there for free, on the Ministry of Health Account, the 25,000 Seychellois abroad will likely come home to take advantage of the “excellent free care” of the Medical Center, in exercise of their Constitutional Right as Seychelles Citizens. Among them will also be the EDA Citizens, flying in for plastic surgery or hip replacements, after being kicked out of so many countries all over the world for their dubious deeds. Dr. Ramados will not be able to refuse treatment. When the Ministry tries to stagger treatment for lack of funds, we will see how much caring and sharing there really is behind those nice banners.

The Ministry of Health will likely run up a huge bill which will go unpaid for years at a time, much like the scenario building contractors are experiencing today. As the bills go unpaid, the Rupee devalues, in effect, reducing in real terms, the value of the medical bills. This happens everyday in the real world. It will likely be the end of SPPF as we know it today.

Example: a medical bill for Rupees 1,000.00 issued last October 2006 is really worth about Rupees 700.00 today; even though you may receive a Rupee 1,000.00 payment, its purchasing power today, is reduced to 700.00 as per SPPF Central Bank rate fixing which reflects a 36% decline in the Rupee against other currencies.

Mrs. Writer Says despite Our Ups and Downs Our Hospitals are fine

Mrs. Writer misrepresents the state of our public hospital facilities. These facilities are nothing short of a complete failure and do not merit any more comment except to say, may God give courage to the hard working men and women at the hospital that have the love and devotion to give patients, to day by day, put up with the mess and chaos created by the SPPF, over the last 30 years.

When we do go to the hospital, do not blame the people helping you, blame those people SPPF appointees that just sit around and do not even bother finding out what is happening in the building behind them.

If the SPPF want to start cleaning up the mess, it is not difficult. Start with a mop. Then move on to some paint and rust remover everywhere, and mildew remover. However, high officials must not take the paint home to redo their homes. They must not sneak off with the bleach and sheets either.

When Mrs. Writer goes to the Victoria Hospital, I ask her, “look up”, see thick mildew, then say to yourself, our hospitals are fine; watch the roof leak, make sure the asbestos-laced water does not get into your mouth and lungs, or it may trigger cancer of the lungs on your visit. Be careful; do not get shocked with exposed wiring in water.

When Mrs. Writer goes to our Victoria Hospital, I ask her, “look down”, see thick, green gutter waste accumulating for days, and used needles in the french gutter, careful, do not step in it, you may contract Typhoid, HIV or some other fatal disease; just because you looked down and did not evade the gutter you tell us it's clean and “not bad compared to other countries”. The gutter of course is not on the street, but an interior gully between buildings.

Mrs. Writer, Do Not Forget The Salary

Do not forget to give the hospital staff a decent salary increment for their efforts that is worthy of people from the medical profession; stop forcing them to be SPPF to keep a job and get a promotion. Remember, before anyone is SPPF, SNP, DP, they are Seychellois. Respect them for that. Finally, stop giving us nice speeches about how you are going to do this and that and that ....and do nothing in the end. A public hospital system cannot function adequately off donations from UNDP, and occasional social philanthropists; we need a serious plan with serious money, which you can get off Army Budget largess going to waste. Stop giving speeches of promises. Do renovations, make improvements, then go on SBC to say what you did, instead of going on SBC to promise to do something?

Do not promise to solve the drug problem, only to then leave on a nice trip. Solve it, and then tell us what you did. Then take your nice trip to Belgium or the UK.

The Rupee is devaluing. This means the cost of living will get even more expensive for all Seychellois. No exceptions here. Do not wear your compassion only on your blouse for SBC. Show it in practice. Give the Staff an upward adjustment of 35% to offset the devaluation of the Rupee on their Gratuities for term of service, so their 20,000 Rupees for Ten (10) years service is worth that, and not just 14,000 if you pay out by March 2007. If you feel you cannot do it, just compare their salaries to other “rich” countries” like Seychelles, which as you say, you like to visit so much. Then you will be able to do it. In any case, you have “savoir vivre”, and would not dare steal or short change a hospital staffs on their Gratuity after ten (10) years of devoted service, in spite of a facility not being maintained to standard.

Mrs. Writer Says I Insult M.L.

Mrs. Writer invokes “God Almighty to Bless the Good Doctor” and I believe she invokes the devil to speak about me. She invokes the old “savoir vivre” argument in defense of a Moniker. Spare me the Plantation Politics of Mental Suppression (PPMS - another SPPF leadership tactic of suppression of the free flow of positive thinking) which, today, we would just call... rubbish!

Mrs. Writer says in the same breath, I am the same as Mr. Ramkalawan. I refute that! Check the birth certificates at Civil Status, which you find time to do, so well. You will see that we are not the same. Check and see if M.L. exists. She does not exist. Mr. Ramkalawan does exist, if you do not recall. You should meet him and get to know him again, spend quality time together, reconcile. Pardon, asked to be Pardoned, listens. Be listened too. It is in pardoning that both of you can move forward. It’s much healthier than beating him over the head and saying it’s his fault. But you have “savoir vivre” of course, in your opinion, he beat himself over the head, you could not have had anything to do with that.

So long as SPPF send out people that do not exist, to fight for their failed system, we will reasonably assume, what we can, from what we read. Do not kid yourself, Mrs. Writer, or the public. M.L. does not exist. She is not a person. If she does exist, anyone who lies outright about a statistic (99,000 resident departure per year), to falsely assert a Government is a success, when in fact it is an utter failure, can be called anything. Please do not take it too bad.

Remember what they taught us in nursery school, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”.... if applied, it translates into tolerance. Tolerate, and you will be tolerated!

I say to Mrs. Writer, use your “savoir vivre “ to fix our economy which you have destroyed over the last 30 years when your SPPF had no “savoir faire”, with your communist 5 point plans issued every five years that “Kim Ill Sung” would never approve in his politburo, that has led Seychelles to our current status in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Section of Nations: “officially rich, but practically poor”! With your ‘savoir vivre” you attack these humble opponents who simply oppose you and your SPPF because you have failed. Actually, Mrs. Writer, I do not think you know how to do anything. That is why you live off the lard of the State and defend the SPPF without even having the dignity to use your name as your Great Leader has taught you to react in the public forum: “write, but do not use your name... sweetie”.

Yes, Mrs. Writer Madam, we are Creoles in your eyes. We are more than just Creoles. First and above all else, we are all Seychellois. Do not forget it! We will not allow you to forget it. Nor are we stupid! Today, we Seychellois are not marching to the beat of your hired drums on the beach, lighted by your fire of lies and fake statistics, which you send out to put us in a drunken stupor! Seychellois are speaking out! We are speaking clearly. Not even your fake Power Points on the Year 2017 will confuse us.

The message is coming home. I see it everyday. You will see it as well.

Mrs. Writer Speaks of My Return To Seychelles and DP and Mancham

My return to Seychelles is none of your business. I am a Seychellois and it is my right to be here. Can you say that with the same assertion? If so, fine. If not, do not worry, I would never think of deporting you. Seychelles can and should be shared, in spite of you.

My seat in Bel Ombre today is none of your business. As for your rubbish references to Treason vis-a-vis James R. Mancham, is also none of your business at this point. I ask you about what is the People’s Business - who committed Treason on June 5th 1977? Your SPPF do not even have the moral authority to even whisper the word Treason, even under a rock, on these shores. It is a fate you are condemned to, from your night of conception on the early mornings of June 5th, 1977. Shame on you! Where is your “savoir vivre” and “savoir faire”?

Today, Mr. James Mancham and I have reconciled on a personal level. I am comfortable with that. I wonder if you will be as comfortable? Anything else beyond that, Mrs. Writer, is none of your business.

With regard to my 8,000.00 Rupee salary in the National Assembly, I will tell you what I did with the money when you disclose to me and all the People of Seychelles, how you spend Rupees 80,000,000.00 (80 millions) per year for an Army that is loyal to the SPPF and has only 350 members. How many fridges and cookers do you buy with all that money for your Party? How many trips on Army business do you take for yourself?

With regard to my pen, which you dearly attack, I say to you Mrs. Writer, my Bic is cheap, it makes an occasional error, but never, never, is it a brat.....every word it puts out, it has earned the hard way, unlike you Mrs. Writer, who lives off Government lard and frolic about Europe often as you do, only to come back to Seychelles, to tell everyone, for the love of Seychelles, everybody now...say it at once.....”we are all rich!” “we are rich!!” Chorus now... we are all rich!

You are rich Mrs. Writer....but you have not earned it! The People of Seychelles now begin to see the poverty you have placed them under, while you bask in the self-righteous life of the rich and famous. Communist you are not .... opportunist you are! But you choose your company well. For the love of Seychelles, the next time if you write, show us some of that dignity the SPPF has given you over 30 years ...... use your name; it’s on your birth certificate just in case you missed it!

As for all that Grey matter you refer to.... It looks at you everyday... not me!

Long Live All Free Seychellios!

CHRISTOPHER GILL