Thursday, 17 May 2012
Governor Blagojevich Goes To Jail By Okey Ndibe
Okey Ndibe
Columnist:
Okey Ndibe Last week a Nigerian attorney friend of mine who is based in the U.S. forwarded a report to me of the sentencing of former Governor Rod Blagojevich to fourteen years in prison. Mr. Blagojevich, a former governor of the state of Illinois – President Barack Obama’s home state – was arrested three years ago and charged with several felony counts, including solicitation of bribe. The major allegation stemmed from the mercurial, dashing former governor’s attempt to sell Mr. Obama’s erstwhile Senate seat.
Once Mr. Obama was elected president, it fell to the governor to appoint somebody to serve out the remainder of Obama’s term as a senator. Mr. Blagojevich saw an opportunity to cash in. He directed his aides to find him persons willing to make hefty financial donations to him in exchange for the privilege of assuming the senatorial seat vacated by President Obama.
Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) wire-tapped the governor in numerous telephone conversations where he outlined his determination to make the (material) most out of his gubernatorial prerogative to appoint Mr. Obama’s interim replacement. Then, having painstakingly built a case against the then governor, FBI agents swooped on his office on December 9, 2008. They handcuffed the governor and marched him off to court where he was formally arraigned.
For the record, Governor Blagojevich was considerably popular at the time. Despite anecdotal suspicion of his corruption, many residents of Illinois rather liked his gregarious style, youthful good looks and allure. If he was deficient in substance, he more than made up for it with an arresting, charismatic personality. But U.S. law enforcement authorities were far from impressed. They had proof that the then serving governor had broken the law, and they went after him.
Released on bail, the embattled Mr. Blagojevich tried to use his charm offensive to fend off federal authorities. In front of TV cameras that trailed his every movement, he proclaimed his innocence and boasted of his preparedness to beat the case against him. He deployed his swagger in an effort to keep his job through his trial. He insisted that he possessed the political capital and skills to run the state whilst awaiting trial.
Thanks, but no thanks, said outraged residents of Illinois. They demanded that the indicted governor step down and devote his attention fully to governing his impending case. The former governor was so thick-headed he didn’t even know the game was up after many of his own political associates mutinied, joining the chorus of calls for his resignation. He stubbornly stuck to his office until outraged representatives in the Illinois legislature impeached him by a vote of 114-1. Then the state senate found him guilty of the charges, and gave their imprimatur to his disgraceful exit.
Brash and unconventional as they come, Mr. Blagojevich then took to the airwaves and launched a blitz of television campaigns to proclaim his innocence. He even briefly starred in a reality TV show. His body language was of a man who made light of the serious allegations against him. Well, all that posturing ended once the trial commenced.
It’s instructive that the former governor never collected a dime in bribe money in exchange for President Obama’s seat. Still, federal prosecutors established at his trial that supporters of Jesse Jackson, Jr., a Congressman and one of the candidates coveting the vacant Senate seat, were willing to hand the former governor as much as $1.5 million in campaign contributions in order to snag the seat.
At first, the ex-governor seemed to treat his trial as another day in the soapbox. But the jury was neither amused nor impressed. They stunned him – and struck fear in him – by finding him guilty on 18 counts, including the crucial one of seeking to auction off Mr. Obama’s seat. The judge then came down hard. “The jury didn’t believe you and neither did I,” U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel told Mr. Blagojevich. It was only at that moment of truth that the former governor struck a contrite note. “I want to apologize to the people of Illinois, to the court, for the mistakes I have made,” said the former governor before his sentencing. Citing the fact that he had not actually profited from his schemes, his lawyers made a case for leniency. But the judge sided with prosecutors who remarked that the convicted former governor had “further eroded the public’s confidence in government and government officials.” They added: “He lied repeatedly, concretely, and on issues that went to the heart of the case and he lied on every episode that he was questioned.”
The Blagojevich case holds out several lessons for Nigerians. Misguided apologists for official corruption in Nigeria are quick to point out that the country doesn’t hold a monopoly on that crime. “There’s corruption in the U.S. and in Europe,” they state with gusto.
As arguments go, that line is at once true and facile. It may well be true that the tendency to corruption is part of the DNA of many humans. But those who argue that corruption exists elsewhere conveniently forget that the more important question is whether Nigeria responds to corruption the same way other serious-minded nations do. A serious nation sets out to combat acts of corruption, to stem them, and to punish corrupt officials who are caught in the act.
That’s where Nigeria lags. If Blagojevich were a Nigerian governor, the police would not have bothered or dared to tap his telephone conversations. Law enforcement agents in Nigeria hardly snoop around to catch governors at some illicit scheme. The only chance of that happening would be if a governor were somehow at odds with the president – who would then order the Inspector-General of Police to make life difficult for him.
No Nigerian governor would have been arrested and dragged off while still in office. That’s because Nigeria has an odious constitutional idea called executive immunity. This concept shields governors and the president from prosecution as long as they remain in office. The U.S. constitution also has the immunity clause, but its protection of governors and the president from court proceedings is limited only to the legitimate business of office. Once a U.S. governor or the president commits a felony, the immunity clause ceases to apply. That’s why former President Bill Clinton was tried for perjury and other felonies related to the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. And that’s why former Governor Blagojevich was arrested in his office.
Were a Nigerian governor to do as Blagojevich did, nobody would have accused him of any crime. Ah ah, the man didn’t even touch one dollar, his supporters would protest. Others would argue that it’s God who put him in his position, and that God wants to prosper him. His town’s people would take out newspaper adverts accusing faceless enemies of engaging in a demonic plot against “our esteemed son.” A delegation of traditional rulers from the reeling governor’s area would troop to Abuja to importune the president to order the police (or EFCC) to halt the harassment and embarrassment of one of their number.
And even if, by some freak accident, a Nigerian governor were charged with seeking to profit from the sale of a legislative seat, the accused would easily insist on occupying his gubernatorial seat through the trial. He would then mobilize his security vote and (if necessary) other sources of public funds to bribe the presiding judge to find that no crimes were ever committed. Shortly after a trial, an accused Nigerian governor’s name would top the list of recipients of national honors – an official form of apology to him for putting him through the inconvenience of a trial. And a way of the Nigerian state proclaiming, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”
Email: (okeyndibe@gmail.com)
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I weep for my country
Submitted by Soro Kay-Njemanze (not verified) on December 21, 2011 - 06:33.
We need a Jerry Rawlings in Nigeria to take care of all these past and present looters. He will surely come. I am cock sure he will.
Not in a million year
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 18, 2011 - 00:05.
Nigeria is no way near the type of rules and regulations in modern society. Nigeria is till being ruled by men and women who have no morals, no sense of reasoning, vis-a-vis responsibility, no sense of a nation, and definitely no conscience. nigeria lcks the popensity to make good laws non the less to carry out its full implementation. The concept of no one is above the law is foreign to Nigeria. How can we progress when we have scavengers as leaders, when we have authoritarian leaders in every seat of government, governors, legislators, and even cabinet ministers who are all pretected by immunity to steal at will
Please visit www.bribenigeria.com -- tell us your bribe story!!!
Submitted by bribenigeria.com (not verified) on December 17, 2011 - 01:52.
Please visit www.bribenigeria.com -- tell us your bribe story!!!
What they do in U.S. you just don't want to happen in Nigeria!
Submitted by Vincent London (not verified) on December 15, 2011 - 18:27.
As if we just heard about the case! Yes, U.S. Criminal Laws am thinking; Can Nigeria Judiciary do this without Big men poking their noses? U said handcuffed & sent to serve 14 years term! More curious is that his predecessor was also charged & convicted on the same reason! The important lesson, U in Nigeria want to do as they do in the U.S. going by that un-informed Federated State debate, yet the other good things they do in America U don’t want to U consider them abhorrent! Even here in Europe Jack Chirac of France has just been convicted for corruption end of his trial! In Nigeria U arrest culprits & allow them to wear their best Agbada/Jaqarde whatever U call them & your A. G. makes your law open-ended that they can plea-bargain for remission! In the fields nearby military is shutting armed robbers and the pen robbers U can’t even take adequate measures against them to serve as effective deterrents! It is all window dressing and therefore diabolical in Nigeria!
Thank you prof.
Submitted by Osita (not verified) on December 15, 2011 - 13:34.
such a thing will never happen in Nigeria where criminals and bandits in government are shielded by immunity laws. again, even if they get arrested, EFCC will be happy to do a plea bargain ie if they took one million , the EFCC will collect five thousand from therm and set them free. we are still donkey years behind.
And brethen,
Submitted by Koboko-Dem! (not verified) on December 14, 2011 - 15:58.
And brethen, not brethens. Sorry all!
@ Otile. Me and my typos.
Submitted by Koboko-Dem! (not verified) on December 14, 2011 - 14:21.
Me and me typos. That was meant to be comrades-in-arms in my previous post, sorry.
P.S: Now, and digressing a little bit, I just saw on the telly, yet again, an appeal-advert by a global Charity Organisation. As usual, all the images used were of emaciated African children. Otile, IBRAHIM SAAD(Mtumi na!), and my other forumites, I beg to ask: don't African heads of government see these ads? Na wa oooh!
nice one here!
Submitted by Fred (not verified) on December 14, 2011 - 14:12.
come to think of it , governor, president are normal human beings, so there is no need of given them immunity.
it's because of immunity that these governors have been looting their states dry.And their are no infrastructures despite the huge amount of monies they collect from Abuja every month end.during rabadu efcc almost all the gov had cases with effcc. imagine! How on planet earth can you commit serious crime and go unpunished simply because your a governor.
Nigeria Should copy the USA here.
if a governor knows that he will lose he seat and go to jail if he steals the money from the state accounts , he will not steal or conspire to steal . This is the bottom line, the so called corruption fight need to be taken to the next level. by removing the immunity clause.
@ Otile.
Submitted by Koboko-Dem! (not verified) on December 14, 2011 - 13:46.
Lollll!
Mischief-maker numero uno! You still dey look for Oduduwa children trouble, abi? As our beloved comrades-in-arms, our Efik brethens would say, " na ur herrr oo!" Na man, we got you.
Peace!
Crying (General) Diya said all Naijas are corrupt
Submitted by Gasky Truth (not verified) on December 14, 2011 - 06:03.
Nigerians are Godless people and fake religious worshippers both moslems & christians. Further Nigerian Leaders are corrupt because the get away from crime with impunity. Poverty is also a disease that the poor Naija masses are born corrupted. Nigerian society is a doomed one.
Sunday Njokede, For goodness
Submitted by Otile (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 17:40.
Sunday Njokede,
For goodness sake what do you think Larmode is hired to do, to rock the boat? Mullah Aondoakaa, Hajiya Farida and Alhaji Ibrahim Lamorde have been drinking from the same cup of brukutu, reading from the same satanic verses . Jonathan cannot replace them with a just Southern without causing revolt among the Islamists. Tactics, comrade, tactics.
Koboko-Dem! My brother, leave
Submitted by Otile (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 17:24.
Koboko-Dem!
My brother, leave them to their immorality; the devil must do his own work too. When Aremu Obasanjo slept with his son's wife the Yoruba tribe called it family affairs. When his aggrieved son Gbenga took the case to court the unjust judge told him to forget and pay child support. In Great Britain Aremu who is the real father of that child is the person liable to pay Moji child support. What kind of justice do you expect to see in Nigeria?
Remove Jonathan Instead Of Fuel Subsidy
Submitted by Sunday Njokede on December 13, 2011 - 13:53.
Mr Ndibe,
Please do me a favour and post a copy of this article to the new EFCC boss Lamorde. It seems he has started grandstanding empty talks as Farida.
rig2015electionyoudie@rocketmail.com
BLAGOJEVICH AND NIGERIAN REALITY
Submitted by JOSEPH EKENE NDIBUAGU (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 13:24.
Prof. as you pointed out, the Blagojevich scenario would play out differently in Nigeria. If it is ion Nigeria, he would not have been bothered at all. He would remain his excellency, a party chieftain and an esteemed stakeholder. What I think you missed is what would have been the reaction or attitude of our law enforcement agents if they should stumble on any evidence of crime against a serving governor. They(the law enforcement agents) would have demanded and gotten settlement. What I am trying to say is that the Nigerian law enforcement agents are worse. They rate more higher than the political class in the corruption index..
Money and Character
Submitted by Tunde, Switzerland (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 12:53.
Recently, here in Switzerland, a CEO of a popular company committed suicide because he was accused of stealing his company's money. He felt so embarrassed that he couldn't stand the shame that he hdecided to take his life. How many of our leaders would feel any shame if accused of corruption? We have a completely different culture where money and not character matters - and that's what we have in public office. This nation is doomed!!!
Judgement
Submitted by J. Ojo (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 12:41.
Justice is only for the rich and those in power in Nigeria. My friend, if you are blessed and opportuned to leave that country, if after some years you want to go back, may be to visit or to do business, please in your own interest, pray hard for God´s protection and take your time, because, if you expect that if anything should happen, that you are awaiting justice, you will be frustrated and disappointed.
That is why some people left europe and America for Nigeria, and later died shortly.
enuf said
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 11:33.
You are always on point....but plas get
Ur president to read this.he may not know
That as corruption is everywhere,so is justice
Executive Lawlessness is glamourized
Submitted by Nwa Imo (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 09:47.
Illinois is corrupt no doubt but they do a lot with caution to avoid what happened to Blagojevich. Corruption in the executive branch of variuos levels of Nigerian government is mostly caused by our grossly flawed constitution. There are no checks and balances from other branches of government or agencies. The opposition has no will to act as whistle blowers because of fear of being murdered in cold blood. The police and judges are there for their own pockets, taking kickbacks and looking away. The worst part is that executive lawlessness is highly glamourized with unecessary titles such as His excellency, receiving doctorate degrees, chieftancy titles. We must emulate the uprising of the Arabs against non performing governments if Nigeria would continue to exist as a nation.
P Emeagwali is a fraud, E
Submitted by AY Soc (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 09:41.
P Emeagwali is a fraud, E Ojukwu is a coward: Call Spade a Spade
a. This fraudster called Philip Emeagwali suppose to be arrested and prosecuted on 3 count charges: 1. He lied to Nigerian Gov't, 2. He appeared in Nigerian Postage Stamp, 3. He contributed in denting Nigerian image abroad.
b. Ojukwu is a coward. He should be arrested and prosecuted. Even if he is dead. His corpse should be allowed to face trial on 4 count charges: 1. He initiated civil war, 2. Many innocent Nigerians due to the war. 3. He ran away, and did not allow himself to be killed in the war, while others perished. 4. His stupidity and self-aggravated war constitute a moral panic, public disorder, and source of the prevailing unrest in the country, including the activities of Niger-Delta Militants and Boko Haram.
Obasanjo the biggest crook
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 09:15.
During OBJ time in office $ 18 Billion Dollars was embezzled in the Power project and nothing happened to the man EVEN OUT OF OFFICE and he is still the Head of PDP the rulling party. A Senator standing Trial for corruption (Saminu Tuaraki) confessed to have donated his State's fund, Billions of Naira to Mr Obasanjo and nothing happened. This is Nigeria for you. That Senator is still a free man though...
TOTAL RECOLLECTION.
Submitted by Koboko-Dem! (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 08:27.
John Profumo, a cabinet member - secretary of state for war - of Harold Macmillan's Tory government, resigned his post in June, 1963 after his affair with a prostitute, Christine Keeler, who happened to be seeing at a Soviet naval officer at the same time, was made public. Wilson, the Prime Minister himself, resigned in November of the same year. The Conservatives lost the 1964 elections. All that, on the back of "poom-poom" only. And how many decades ago was that?
This is the 21st century, and look at where we are in Nigeria... So, my people, you see, we have a loooong way to go in Nigeria.
nigerian officials
Submitted by lolu (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 07:27.
It will happen in nigeria when we stop deceiving ourselves. We have what we call religion in nigeria and funny enough, religion is the epitome of self-deception. Moreover, our judiciary has been seriously compromised.
Blago goes to jail
Submitted by chicagoan (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 07:12.
Let me make some comments here, blago is wrong for trying to sell obama seat to highest bidder. But, here is someone who finds himself in the mist of the Irish inner circle it is a planned work. 14 years? Ryan former governor was giving 6 1/2 for benefiting in truck driver scheme, Daley has been mayor of chicago for over 20 years and during these years accused of wrong doing, we are still waiting for him to be indicted. But, you know what, I doubt it because he is an Irish.
BEING IN HANDCUFFS IS NORMAL
Submitted by ORISIRISI (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 06:38.
IT IS NORMAL TO HANDCUFF A THIEF, BE IT A GOVERNOR, PRESIDENT OR GENERLA A THIEF IS A THIEF AND PUTTING HIM OR HER IN HANDCUFFS IS VERY NORMAL. WHEN EFCC HEADED BY RIBADU DRAGGED TAFA BALOGUN TO COURT IN HANDCUFFS SOME UNINFORMED NIGERIANS WERE TALKING AS IF THE HEAVENS WILL FALL.
ANY TRADITIONAL RULER OR RULERS THAT GOES TO "BEG " ON BEHALF OF A CONVICTED POLITICIAN SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN AN AUDIENCE BY THE PRESIDENT. THE SO CALLED SUPPORTERS THRONGING THE COURT PREMISES AS IN THE CASE OF BODE GEORGE SHOULD BE JAILED FOR 15 DAYS . ENOUGH OF THESE EYES SORES AND CELEBRATIONS OF CRIME .
BEING IN HANDCUFFS IS NORMAL
Submitted by ORISIRISI (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 06:38.
IT IS NORMAL TO HANDCUFF A THIEF, BE IT A GOVERNOR, PRESIDENT OR GENERLA A THIEF IS A THIEF AND PUTTING HIM OR HER IN HANDCUFFS IS VERY NORMAL. WHEN EFCC HEADED BY RIBADU DRAGGED TAFA BALOGUN TO COURT IN HANDCUFFS SOME UNINFORMED NIGERIANS WERE TALKING AS IF THE HEAVENS WILL FALL.
ANY TRADITIONAL RULER OR RULERS THAT GOES TO "BEG " ON BEHALF OF A CONVICTED POLITICIAN SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN AN AUDIENCE BY THE PRESIDENT. THE SO CALLED SUPPORTERS THRONGING THE COURT PREMISES AS IN THE CASE OF BODE GEORGE SHOULD BE JAILED FOR 15 DAYS . ENOUGH OF THESE EYES SORES AND CELEBRATIONS OF CRIME .
Followership and Ethnicity Problems
Submitted by Komolafe Akinwumi SundayAnonymous (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 04:03.
Followership and ethnicity problems have conspired to deny the nation the opportunity to rid Itself the political vampires who are making our politics and economy anaemic.If that kind of case was tried in Nigeria, the presiding judge would be frustrated by the sentimental public connected to the accussed.
Tafawa Balewite - ATBU, Don't
Submitted by Otile (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 03:13.
Tafawa Balewite - ATBU,
Don't say that religion and the "GOD" myth are killing us. Is France not a religious country? Is India not a religious country? When a deceiving imam swears on the Holy Koran do you have to believe him? When a mullah swears by his erect dick do you have to believe him?
NIGERIANS ARE WAITING
Submitted by AnonymousEMEKA (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 02:45.
Since the world is now a global village Nigerians are eager to see the prosecution and imprisonment of our currupt governors. This is the only way we can tackle curruption in Nigeria.
Very True
Submitted by Toochi (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 01:43.
Okey, you've said it all. I just wanna add that the so called governor, president or public officer even when sent to jail and later released, a church thanksgiving and elaborate parties will be organised to celebrate his/her comeback. And before one could say 'jack robinson' all the chiefs will confer on him/her one of the highest titles in their land. He will be a given name like "the Daniel of our(their) time and a police aide to accompany him/her anywhere he/she goes to.
