My Dear Minister Fowzie,

I thought I must write to you because you seem to be the centre of controversy these days, with everyone blaming you for the continuously high oil prices and saying that this ‘hedging’ business is all your fault.
I must admit, Fowzie, that when we heard the verdict from the halls of justice last week, we did think that it was all your fault for allowing a man who made a name for himself only as a cricketer to be in charge of one of the largest state institutions in the country and also decide on oil prices. The cricketer, of course, was forced to hang up his boots by those who administer justice but they also wanted you relieved of your responsibilities!

But then, we heard you say in Parliament shortly afterwards that it was not your fault and that you were only doing what the Guv’nor was asking you to do. After all, who are you, a mere politician past his prime, to doubt the priceless advice that the Guv’nor of the Big Bank was giving you?

Pardon me, Fowzie, but I think you missed a trick there. That is because you should have realised that the Guv’nor was sitting in the Guv’nor's chair not because he was a financial whiz kid but because he crossed over from the green camp to the blue camp at the right time after he failed to get elected to the House from the green camp. And remember, this is the man who has a lot of explanation to do about the Pyramid scam and then about the Sakvithi scam...

Then, Fowzie, you were also telling us that it was not only the Guv’nor who told you to get into the ‘hedging’ business, but that you had informed your cabinet colleagues as well. I suppose your argument was that if somebody was asking you to resign on that basis, then the entire cabinet should resign! I know that will not happen but if we can get at least some of the one hundred plus ministers to resign, it may not be such a bad idea after all...

Of course, Fowzie, we know that you are not someone new to controversy. You began your political journey not with the blues but with the greens and it was the greens themselves who deprived you of your civic rights at one time.

Then when the late Ashraff was trying to take over the mantle of leadership for your community you were fighting tooth and nail. Even as the Minister of Health, we can recall you having quite a few battles with doctors and nurses but in retrospect, you seem an angel compared to the current incumbent of that job!
We know that despite those setbacks, you bounced back and held your own in the blue camp. But even there you had your battles, even taking Satellite to courts, preventing her from sacking you from the blues. Since you have survived all this, I am sure you will survive this latest controversy too, Fowzie.

But that does leave us with one very important question. The Courts say you and the cricketer are responsible for the hedging mess, you say that the Guv’nor is responsible and that the Cabinet knew everything about it, but it is we who are footing the bill for all this. Now, who is finally accountable for the blunder and should we continue to pay for the sins of others? Surely, Fowzie, isn’t it time that somebody owned up and took the blame?

I would leave that to you to ponder on although it is something all of your colleagues in the cabinet should think about too.

Yours truly,
Punchi Putha.

PS-By the way, thank you for the twenty rupee reduction in petrol that was announced a few days ago but I was puzzled as to why the PM announced it, instead of you? Is it a sign of things to come? If so, and if you are on the lookout for a new job, how aout being another ‘Jathiya Godagenime amathi'? I know there are quite a few Ministers of Nation Building at present, but at the rate we are going, we will need all the help we can get...