Rod Blagojevic, the Democrat Illinois State Governor (U.S), has been impeached by the State House of Representatives over corruption charges. It is interesting that the Governor was impeached by a legislature where the Democratic Party — the governor’s party, are in the majority. They voted 114 to 1, to commence the removal of the two-term governor.
A comparison between Blagojevic and Nigerian governors: while the two are corrupt — well, maybe not in equal measures, the political system in the state of Illinois is able to self-correct, promptly.
Democracy is a self correcting system, if practiced properly. The first block of that “correcting system” foundation is first laid when the electorate votes. If for some reasons, an election is flawed — by irregularities and fraud — then the whole system is already compromised. This is why elections are crucial in democracy.
This why Nigerian brand of politics takes the worse imaginable kind of dimensions during election time.
And this is one reason we hardly see the kind of legislative prowess demonstrated by the Illinois State House of Representatives visible in the Nigerian legislatures. In Nigeria, elections are anything but fraud-free.
How about Alamieyeseigha (Alams) — the ‘bail-jumping’ former governor of Bayelsa state who was impeached following his arrest and detention by London police on money laundering charges? The link takes you to the story of what happened in 2005, as was captured here on Grandiose Parlor.
This is a fair question. Note: Alams impeachment was “staged” from above. The state legislature was coaxed to act. The plan originated from the presidency and championed by Alams’ deputy — Jonathan Goodluck — who’s now the current Vice President. .
Back to Blagojevic … the Nigerian Guardian newspaper captures the Rod Blagojevic matter via a recent editorial. Here are some interesting excerpts:
In an environment where Nigeria’s political elite are quick to fly off to illustrate their privileges with examples from the U.S. model and legislative practice, we are secure, in this case, to allow a comparative review of the sense of duty shown by the American FBI. There are also enlightened insights about the upbraiding of a sitting governor by the public officers, the people and procedurally, in the Illinois House of Representatives. We can also allow a contrast with contemporary events that relate to Nigeria’s own governors.
First, Mr Blagojevic and his admirers did not plead an immunity sheen or immunity clause for a sitting governor to preclude him from the process of accounting to the law enforcement agencies and to the people of the commonwealth of Illinois of the United States of America. Secondly, Mr Blagojevic was not blindly supported by his own political party in the face of the grave charges being laid in the public domain. The party apparatchik did not hover over the security command to obtain a nolle prosequi. Third, the law enforcement agencies were not corralled out of intrepid investigation of the allegations about the governor’s misdeeds and suspicions of his actions.
In contrast, Nigeria is unfortunately in the abyss of institutional and leadership collapse. The typical Nigerian state governor today, more or less Mr Blagojevic’s counterpart, is virtually unavailable to account to any institution or person. The legislatures are almost completely populated by persons whose electoral claims are suspect, where not outrightly false. Sadly, this country is being asphyxiated by illegitimacy of both several members of the executive and legislative branches and then compounded with incompetence. The morality of governance has sunk very low.
[...] Parlor draws a parallel between the impeachment of the Illinois State Governor (U.S) Rod Blagojevic over corruption [...]
January 14, 2009 at 5:17 am
Very rightly said by the Guardian. So in effect Yaradua was right in wanting to eradicate Immunity for governors and other (higher personnel).
If Nigeria were to follow the Illinois model, how many people would remain on sit (from Governors up to the Presidency)?
January 14, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I have to disagree with you over the president’s call for immunity removal. Several governors have lost their immunity protection - Ibori and Odili are two outstanding examples that have made the immunity-removal argument irrelevant.
January 15, 2009 at 9:32 am
@Imnakoya, I do not believe that Odili and Ibori were arraingned while in power. Just like “un”Lucky Igbinideon. It was too late to cry while the head was off, for while in power if there was no immunity clause, they wouldnt have pillioned so far and so fast. Let us take Agagu in Ondo State. His intended corruption charges dates back to his Aviation days yet he remains untouchable for now. WHY? Becauuse of the immunity clause, which allows a looter, and an outsted governor of a state, who pending appeal is allowed to go on a spending spree to the tune of over 65 billion naira in less than 6 months. Aha, lets think about this and see if the immnunity clause would not have checked him in his very bold corruption strides.
January 15, 2009 at 7:08 pm
No doubt the immunity clause in the Nigerian constitution has done more harm than good and it should be removed. I have blogged on this topic in a couple here a few times. We all know the challenges of undertaking such an uphill legislative process in a place like Nigeria, or anywhere for that matter. This is not something Nigerians will see happen soon.
So the only option is being able to nab those suspected of executive fraud immediately after their terms in office expire i.e. when their immunity shrouds no longer exist. What goes up must surely come down, right. This is what the EFCC and ICPC haven’t been able to do very well - particularly with Ibori and Odili.
Note - arresting the suspects is just the first step. Building iron-clad cases against them is another task.
Thanks for the engaging conversation, ma’am!
January 16, 2009 at 12:17 am
Part of the problem in Nigerian ‘democracy’ is that we are practicing an American system with a British mindset. Royalist.
January 16, 2009 at 8:03 am
“Royalist” is fast dying in the British system Chxta. Nigeria is yet to even have a proper system in place and NO DEMOCRACY; for lip service and paper talks dont mean the real thing. Democracy is when a government for the people is FOR THE PEOPLE.
It will be Democracy when the right things are done. We know right from wrong. The Nigerian government know this. EFCC, Senate, President, Police, NAFDAC, Navy, Parliament and even the little school children all know this. But Nigeria is not doing RIGHT. Naija will cover up, pretend, steal and point fingers at others. Naija will cajole, see things go to rut, dont care for the people, dont even value human lives, and still come out and say we are in power. Naija selfishness is top notch. Naija wastage even in the face of poverty is unenviable. Naija will squander stolen money on “babes” and so called high life living, but will not even be charitable in little things. Naija thinks amassing ill gotten wealth just for the show of it is the in thing. There are too many things wrong.
If we are to do right, let us see JUSTICE done in all areas, trust me, other things will start falling into place.
January 16, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Actually, the British government is a lot less inclusive than so many people would like to admit, and a lot of rubbish goes down in there. Recommended subscription Private Eye. What the British have going for them is a very good press, that aside, they do not have a democracy. The man at the street level’s vote does not count.
As for Naija, well, defining Naija is a new blog post on its own…
January 17, 2009 at 5:00 am
@Chxta, even if I agree with you that the British government is not problem free and that a lot goes on behind the scenes, I may not be apt to agree that “the vote of the man at street level does not count”. Why? Because having been involved in many election polls and counts, I do not see rigging and doctoring like in Naija. I see intense campaigns that could even at the last minute sway voters etc. Do they have a Democracy? I believe YES. But are they clean and innocent especially behind the scenes? Maybe not, for i happen to know especially on Equalities and Diversity issues, that they do not practice what they preach.
Do you know that the current Political head of a borough called Barking and Dagenham in London is an Ibo man from Nigeria? Meanwhile this borough is very racist and houses many BNP (British National Party (very racially biased party)members. The Mayor of Wandsworth about 9-10 years ago was a Yoruba woman from Naija.
The day will come by the grace of God when a British Obama would emerge.
Cheers
January 17, 2009 at 4:47 pm