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Nworah's Journal
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Will they ever do a Blunkett?
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by
Uche Nworah
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Spin, scam, scandals,  propaganda bla bla bla. Stocks in trade of politicians,
both in Nigeria and abroad. Hate them or love them, you can't help but look forward to the entertainment value
that politicians bring to our lives by their actions and inactions which sometimes may seem frivolous and mundane.
For this reason Hollywood have always fed on the soap opera lives of American politicians, movies and television
series such as All the President's Men, Primary Colours, The West Wing, Air force One etc are all best sellers.
America is the land of the free and beautiful, and also the home of the brave and sometimes weird, their politicians
are prime actors as well, providing real scripts to the studios and media. Richard Nixon provided the political
entertainment of the 70s to the Americans and the rest of the world when he authorised the break-in into the party
offices of the Democratic Party in the now famous Watergate scandal, He took the honourable way out and resigned.
In the 80s, it was the turn of Oliver North, the highly decorated marine and White House aide in the Reagan administration.
His involvements and subsequent trial in the Irangate (Iran-Contra affair) scandal became a must-see and must-read
in all the news channels, the scandal did cost many politicians their careers.
The scandals took a dramatic and more entertaining turn in
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the 90s, reaching new levels with the election of William Jefferson Clinton (Bill Clinton) as the 42nd President
of America, it is late now to ask what the Americans where thinking when they elected him at the polls, Bill was
a JFK 'wanna be' and Americans love people like that, chubby faced, young, dynamic and handsome, he was also a
charming lady killer, the kind of man that could charm the birds off the trees and shoot them. Americans knew what
they were getting into when they elected him; at least the ladies did, as Bill's reputation preceded him. Coming
after the first Iraq war which George Bush Snr had dragged them into, Americans needed some breadth of fresh air
and Bill Clinton was their man, and did he deliver in the entertainment area? Yes and how! His administration was
characterised by scandal after scandal, usually bothering on women (poor Hillary), these culminated in the Monica
Lewinsky scandal (the biggest of them all and the mother of all American Presidential scandals) and subsequent
congressional hearing. Not since the O.J Simpson trial have the American media witnessed such frenzy, of course
the shareholders in some of the media houses smiled to the banks while the audiences debated, argued, smiled, cajoled
and talked about the one thing on every grown man's mind at the time- did he or did he not?
Of course Bill Clinton survived the scandal and served out his second term, not disappointingly though as he crowned
the end of his tenure with another scandal, that of cash for presidential pardons, this opened the way for the
Republicans to come back to power in the 2000 too close to call Presidential elections.
The Brits and their politicians have their scandals too, but in
their usual boring and conservative way, even with the British press (Fleet street) being one of the most vibrant
in the world, they still struggle in their efforts to sensitise the citizenry with stories about political scandals.
However, they still try in their relentless efforts to uncover that which those in elected positions will rather
leave the way they are-covered. They have broken different news stories recently concerning the Tony Blair government
and Labour party, as a result the government is constantly shuffling and reshuffling the cabinet as a result of
resignations and sacks arising from media expose, usually those considered too big a baggage to carry into the
next election coming up in May 2005 are quickly sacrificed. They are usually advised to resign in order to cushion
the effects of the shame both on the party and politician concerned.
David Blunkett, the Home Secretary until the evening of Wednesday the 15th of December belongs to this category
of fallen angels. The events leading up to his resignation has not yet been fully determined as it is still being
investigated by a government appointed independent inquiry panel. He knew that he had become a big political risk
having let himself, the government and the people down by his alleged actions, and so he took the easy way out
and resigned.
What is Mr Blunkett's crime? He is being accused on two counts of using his position of power and authority as
the Home (Internal Affairs) Secretary to fast track the visa applications of his lover's Nanny (Leoncia Casalme)
from the Philippines, and also doing the same through diplomatic old boy circles to secure a visiting visa to Austria
from the UK for the same Nanny. Prior to the breaking of the news of the two visa fast track allegations, Mr Blunkett,
who is visually impaired and uses a guide dog has been having running battles widely reported in the media with
his lover (Yes, lover) Kimberly Quinn over the paternity of Mrs Quinn's 2 year old and unborn son. Mr Blunkett
says he fathered the two children while Mrs Quinn (another man's wife) says he did not. Mrs Quinn's husband, Stephen
Quinn, the multi-millionaire owner and publisher of The Spectator where his wife works says the children are his
instead, another ex- husband of Mrs Quinn, US banker Michael Fortier accuses her of being in the habit of 'collecting
powerful men'. The media on the other hand in the light of all these accusations and counter accusations alleged
that Mrs Quinn's attraction and fascination with Mr Blunkett was to fulfil her fantasy as she had ''always wondered
what it was like to sleep with a blind man'. The story is full of twists and turns, it doesn't get any juicier
than this and typifies once again politicians, their ways and their lives of sleaze.
I bet Nigerian politicians wouldn't bat an eyelid over this
story; this is because they live this kind of lives everyday, they swim in the ocean of corruption and drink from
the cups of fornication and adultery, lies are their best friends but resign they wouldn't, avoiding it with a
long pole like a leper sufferer. The moral lesson here is for them to not only talk the talk; they should be willing
to walk the walk as well.
All this week, it has been accusations flying from Audu Ogbeh and Obasanjo back and forth about Anambra state,
Ngige, rigging and the hijacking of the people's mandate, OBJ has said what he knows based on what Ngige told him
about what transpired in the elections, Ogbeh appears to be in the process of exorcising his demons, he has just
woken up to the reality of the mess his party (PDP) has gotten all Nigerians into and is now speaking out, so based
on this, and all the numerous scandals that have surrounded both Obasanjo, his ministers and other officials, the
legislators, state governors, commissioners, local government chairmen and all the others who have embezzled and
corrupted one way or the other, when will they do a Blunkett or Nixon by resigning in order for Nigeria to move
forward?
Will they ever do a Blunkett
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