The edginess coming from the “higher quarters” these days does make one wonder, doesn’t it? First minister Michael Sik Yuen goes and threatens the good people of Curepipe, basically telling them that money and support from central government won’t be forthcoming if they vote for the enemy.

You’d think he’d get a telling off, wouldn’t you?

Instead Nita Deerpalsing makes a plea along the same lines the money to make things happen comes from central government, she says, so if you want your town to get that cash, a word of advice – don’t vote for the opposition.

The boss – thankfully – doesn’t echo his subordinates. But he doesn’t reprimand them either. What he does is even more puzzling he goes to the opening ceremony of the Festival Kreol and he makes shocking statements to the press.

“Bangaleea made seven requests for state lands had he been one of us, he’d have at least one of those requests approved,” he told the press. Then he went on to rebuke the journalists for not asking him a question about Nando Bodha. So he asks himself the question and gives the answer – “ask Bodha whether or not he spoke to the guy. Ask him, ask him, go ask him,” he tells the journalists, in a nervy tone.

I am not sure who is advising Ramgoolam these days but if I were Ramgoolam, I’d sack that person.

All the Prime minister managed on Saturday – and thanks to the MBC everybody saw and heard him – is to present an image of himself as a Prime minister who is on the edge. As someone who is on the verge of losing it. A man who relates publicly what a former President told him in confidence because he wants to get back at him.

And then a few hours later, the IBA issues directives to private radios to ban political commentary from phone-in programmes. For two weeks. A decision completely disproportionate to the stakes in 2010, the IBA only asked the radios to show discernment and fairness in the political comments they were broadcasting.

Now since the “I” in IBA stands for independent, we obviously can’t make the leap and jump to the conclusion that someone in higher quarters made the call to IBA and ordered them to issue that preposterous directive.

Yet that decision speaks of nervousness.

Ramgoolam’s speeches, his offensive manner, his abrasiveness, his contradictions suggest serenity is seriously lacking at the Treasury building. Sik Yuen and Deerpalsing’s pettiness speaks volumes about the fear of losing the municipal elections.

No wonder the outgoing municipal councils stand no chance of being granted an award for best town administration in Africa. Government is being plagued by scandals galore and one doesn’t need to be a genius to know that Bangaleea, the Timol brothers, the Gro Derek affair, the MITD scandal and everything else government has been accused of, is only just the tip of the iceberg.

No wonder nerves are all over the place!