In any serious country, the slightest hint of corruption at the level of government is immediately condemned, fiercely repudiated and firmly repelled.
The ancient adage that those in power “must be above suspicion” is the gold standard for public office in self-respecting nations. The mere appearance of impropriety is enough to disqualify someone from public service.
In nations that value integrity, any politician who comes up for question about personal benefit from public money knows that he must voluntarily step aside immediately, even without formal proof. This is done to preserve public trust, protect their political party’s viability, and allow official investigations to proceed without the appearance of interference.
Stepping aside balances individual rights with the necessity of maintaining the moral soundness of public office. Since government authority relies entirely on public legitimacy, a politician facing corruption allegations undermines the credibility of the entire administration.
Two weeks ago, Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform Party in the United Kingdom, resigned from parliament when an official parliamentary standards investigation into an undeclared £5 million gift from a wealthy donor and the hidden use of a luxury townhouse was launched.
Only last month, Manuel Adorni, the Argentine Cabinet chief, resigned amid an active investigation into allegations of illicit enrichment regarding luxury family vacations and private jet travel that did not match his declared income.
There was a time when Jamaica was a serious country. During that time, politicians were believed to be honourable. God Almighty was our Eternal Father, and we relied on Him to bless our land. We depended on Him for wisdom, guidance, provision and protection from evil power. But that Jamaica is no more.
We have become a nation steeped in corruption, ruled by self-interests, rampant in occult practices and soaking in the blood of the innocent.
The latest annual report from the Integrity Commission (IC) underscores the fact that very little propriety is left in the House of Parliament. A total of 23 Jamaican politicians (comprising 15 parliamentarians and 8 parish councillors) continued to handle public money while they were being investigated for potential illicit enrichment and/or knowingly submitting false information to the agency.
The report noted that a grand total of 70 government and public officials faced illicit enrichment investigations during an eight-year window. Essentially, the integrity of nearly a quarter of those who were seated in Gordon House between 2018 and 2026 was under question.
Corruption is so deeply entrenched, well-supported, tolerated and accepted that politicians who are so accused refuse to step aside voluntarily, to make way for unfettered investigations, that could clear their names beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Instead, they ridicule the investigators and push back against the legal checks, balances and recommendations. They behave as if the Integrity Commission should circumvent glaring facts in order to protect their sordid reputations from the consequences of their own actions.
The assault on the commission sends an unequivocal message to the population that the nation’s leadership is determined to overlook corruption, and investigations into allegations should not be taken seriously. The people are being taught that when allegations arise, the problem is not about the politician’s failure to give an account for his or her unexplained wealth; it is about the audacity of the Integrity Commission to raise the question.
The majority of the population appears to be ignorant of the grave impact of corruption on their everyday lives. They fail to understand that billions of tax dollars and international grant funding that are held in government accounts are intended to bolster the education of their children, provide acceptable levels of health care for the masses, fix pothole-infested roads and rehabilitate other public facilities.
When money allocated to support the public school system is stolen, thousands of children attend classes without basic resources. When the corrupt pockets money streamlined for the health care sector, public hospitals are starved of much-needed medicine, bed space, cleaning compounds and even basic diagnostic equipment.
So normalised is this wickedness that no effort is made to disguise the blatant theft and extortion that accompany road works, rehabilitation of major facilities and the systems of imported goods and services.
Many in the political class profile as if taxpayers’ money and the nation’s resources are their personal belongings, to do with as they please. The flood of fortune that appears to awash financially-challenged politicians the moment they set foot in Gordon House, it promotes a get-rich-quick mentality that promises wealth without work. It informs younger generations that the pursuit of money by illicit means is acceptable.
Calls by the righteous for Jamaica to repent and turn away from wickedness continue to fall on deaf ears. Those who are benefiting from the current sorry state of affairs are resistant to righteous intervention.
Contemporary Jamaica has no regard for the Eternal Father or righteousness. When the framers of the National Anthem asked God for protection from evil power, no one thought that they had the House of Parliament in mind.
Jamaica must determine if the constant flow of blood and corruption will heal or fatally hurt our country. Be sure that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. We are a nation under divine judgement, and the worst is yet to come.