Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich is facing mind-boggling charges of corruption to auction the Senate seat vacated by the Junior Senator from Illinois, President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama. While the alleged price-tag of a half million to a million dollars is impressive by any standard, the “pay-to-play” game is the last example that the United States wants for the world to follow, not especially with its bludgeoned global image that seeks redemption. The incoming administration of President-Elect Obama clearly has its work cut out for it. Thankfully, he has never shied away from the the war to regain American lost love with the rest of world.

My cry, even as U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald bemoaned Illinois politics at his Tuesday (12/9) news conference, was that many more “powerful” African leaders will elect to read only the wrong lessons from the allegations against Governor Blagojevich. For instance, when France amended her Constitution in the mid 1990’s to increase the Presidential term to seven years, President Biya of Cameroon thought it to be good for his country too. And so it became law, irrespective of the country’s circumstance and the longevity of Biya in power. France revisited the mandate in 2000 and made it a five year term, but that memo never got to the desk of President Biya. Therefore, we must not dismiss the huge appetite of these leaders to be copycats of the worst as a figment borne of the infertility of my wondrous mind:

·        It will not be uncharacteristic of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe to stick it to Americans someday soon that they are no moral Czars to be talking about corruption-free and transparent governance when American centers of power are suffering from same.

·        Expect that President Paul Biya of Cameroon has already enacted legislation protecting him against past and future charges of embezzlement and other corrupt practices during his interminable administration beginning 1982.

·        Trust that an overzealous judge and or legislator will initiate an action calling for the banning of wiretaps against the President, and that evidence collected as such will be inadmissible is any court of law in the land.

·        Be confident that if any such powerful official were to appear in a court of law, the judge would be furious against the party or parties that enabled the wiretap, not the corrupt official.

·        Be not surprised if American officials are searched thoroughly whenever they are in audience seeking to do business with an African country.

Unfortunately, this list of bad lessons is generally always a growing one in the circles of power centers, not exempting African leaders. Having mastered the art of eternalizing themselves in power through innovative election rigging, rubber-stamping legislators and a perfunctory judiciary; there is always a greater chance that our leaders in Africa elect to blind themselves to the more positive lessons of such scandals. Here is some of what will most likely not be learnt or applied for future gain:

·        The rule of law supersedes any office and individuals, including even the Governor / President.

·         The judiciary is not at the beck and call of the executive or the legislative arms of government.

·         The judiciary is not only an independent arm of government; it is an important and impartial watchdog that empowers the powerless and protects against the vagaries or excesses of the powerful.

·        Power corrupts. Absolute Power corrupts absolutely. Power got to head of Governor Rod Blagojevich like poisoned liquor, the stuff on which African leaders live.

·        What goes around comes around. God actually gives us all enough time to live the extra day to pay for our crimes against humanity, in case we disregard asking for His absolution.

A CNN reporter who was seeking to explain the ill-reputation of Illinois politics offered that it has to do with the immigrant population in Chicago! As I sipped in the cheap shot at immigrants and made little effort discounting it, I could not help but wonder whether ENRON was an immigrant managed corporation. Too much credit is given to immigrants when things are going wrong in America. 

“Pay-to-play” is a concept as old as anything. A legendary (now incarcerated) musician from

Cameroon, Lapiro de Mbanga sings in one his more popular songs that “Money for hand bag for down”. Certainly, those lyrics speak to the underworld of prostitution, even though there is no denying that Lapiro de Mbanga is most acknowledged for cross-breeding politics and societal foibles in rhyme. The exchange of money and/or favors for positions of power is common currency the globe over. It does not make it right.

America has an opportunity to reemerge from the new low it has reached through these ominous allegations so that Lincoln rolls back to his original resting position in the grave. To this end, the Legislature should strip Rod Blagojevich of his power to select a replacement candidate to the Senate seat vacated by President-Elect Obama. The people of Illinois should have their faith restored in the political process through a special election. Finally, let the disgraced Governor and his cohorts have their day in court. Rod Blagojevich, if found guilty, would be joining two other Democratic Governors of Illinois that have been convicted on corruption charges. Governor George Ryan, currently serving a six year term, is the first Republican Governor of Illinois in jail for corruption charges.