The Church and the Anti-Corruption Crusade in the 21st Century Nigerian Society: A Philosophical Perspective (original) (raw)

Combating Corruption in Contemporary Churches in Nigeria

Spectrum Journal of Contemporary Christianity and Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016, A Journal of The Redeemed Christian Bible College, Special Issue on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, 2018, pp. 55-64. (Nigeria), 2018

Corruption is a global phenomenon. It seems to have eaten deep into the fabric of every sector in Nigeria, including the church. Some of the churches in Nigeria are bedevilled with corrupt practices like hypocrisy, greed, fraud, lies, pretensions, adultery, fornication and many other vices she has been preaching against. Pastors embezzle church funds; engage in financial fraud while ministers are known to engage in all forms of sexual immorality. The truth is that not all churches in the country have equal corruption strength. The "paper argues that the church is in the world and of the world contrary to what the Bible says that the church is in the world but not of the world. The church, which is supposed to be the custodian of moral values, is now the den of corruption in its various forms. The qualitative research method was adopted, while the collection of data was through secondary sources and internet materials, which enabled the researcher to adequately analyse the data.

RELIGION AND THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA: ANY IMPACT

Corruption is a canker worm that has infested Nigeria, threatening its very foundations. It is also no exaggeration to say the fact that corruption cuts across the social fabrics of Nigeria. The paper established that, the problem of corruption as a social vice has been acknowledged by both individuals and the government. This has led the government to establish several anti-corruption organs like the War against Indiscipline (WAI), Ethical Revolution, War against Indiscipline and Corruption, (WAI-C) the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to fight corruption and corrupt practices. However, the paper specifically examines the role Religion has played in the fight against corruption in Nigeria and also ascertained if it has produced the desired impact.

THE ROLE OF CHRISTIANS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA.

HAVE CHRISTIANS IMPACTED POSITIVELY ON THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY AS REGARDS THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION? 7.0 Trace the genesis and evolution of corruption in the Nigerian society. “Nigeria is a country orchestrated to administrate and not to produce.” Chris Oyakilome {PhD}. Pre-Independence and the First Republic Corruption, though prevalent, was kept at manageable levels during the First Republic. However, the cases of corruption during the period were sometimes clouded by political infighting.

Corruption In Nigerian Society The Insouciancing Of The Church In The Light Of Micah 3:9-12

European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 2016

This paper is a critical discourse on the seeming silence of the Church about the issue of Corruption in Nigerian Society, using Micah 3: 9-12 as a case study. It aimed at finding out the relevance of Prophet Micah's massage to the contemporary Nigerian church and society in the light of the claim that Religion is necessary for morality, vis-à-vis the seeming damaging conclusion that many religious activities these days no longer impede corruption. The analyses employed Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework. Data gathered both from the primary and secondary sources were analyzed through the hermeneutical, descriptive and analytical methods. The findings of the paper are that there is a high level of corruption in Nigerian Society and the Church is silent or saying little and that Corruption, in whatever name it is called, including its encouragement by insouciance, can affect the society in many ways. The paper is of the view that the church, like Micah in his time, cannot remain silent or seen to be promoting what it ought to condemn. The paper concludes that The Nigerian Political elites should be constantly reminded of such passages as Micah 6:8 where we are told that what the Lord truly requires of those who know him is "to love tenderly, to do justice, and to walk humbly before your God." And that Religious leaders and organizations should be reminded that they can help turn many Nigerians away from what appears to be an incredibly high sense of devotion to the cult of material prosperity and material success towards the spiritual values of truth, justice, holiness and purity.

Religion and the Extent of Corruption in Nigeria

Most religious tenets condemned corruption. It looks at it as a crime against humanity and divinity. The majority of Nigerians are religious adherent and their religions condemn corruption. Despite this fact, it is spreading geometrically in Nigerian society. This paper examines religion and the extent of corruption in Nigeria. It conceptualizes religion and corruption; examine the roots of corruption in Nigeria. The work used historical and descriptive methods in its analysis. The study discovered poor wages, high cost of living, greediness, bad leadership, and pressure from extended families, societal influence and attitude of recognizing only wealthy people, moral decadence, poverty and unemployment as roots of corruption in Nigeria. The paper is of the view that for corruption to decrease in Nigerian society, religious leaders and adherents should apply the religious tenets to their whole life. They should not limit it to religious pretense only.

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN TACKLING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS OF NIGERIA

Journal Publication, 2022

This paper holds that the church in Nigeria is a stakeholder in Nigeria and cannot afford to be apolitical or unconcerned with issues of national development. However, the church should be non-partisan in her posture. Suffice it that this work presents 9 roles of the Church in tackling the dilemma in two approaches. They are: The Roles of the Corporate Church through the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN (4 roles); and The Roles of the Individualistic / Congregational Church (5 roles). Five major problems that the nation, Nigeria should tackle as discussed in this paper are Leadership Failure; Unemployment; Poverty; Corruption; and Security of life and property. These problems are all almost related either in their forms or in their consequences. This paper highlights areas of the connectivity of these problems; whether political, social or economic, or whether in two or all of the three paradigms. The first approach which is the Corporate Church Approach through CAN with four roles are the - Look-out; Activist; Evaluative; and Assessment roles of the Church in all political, social and economic programmes, actions, inactions and policies of the government of Nigeria and comes out with a stand on them. The second – the Individualistic / Congregational Church approach with five roles and one relating to each of the five remote problems stated in this work. They are: Challenging of church members who are politicians at various capacities to be selfless and work for the general welfare on the Nation - Tackling the problem of Leadership Failure; Establishment of firms as well as encourages members to start small and medium scale enterprises - Tackling the problem of Unemployment; Supporting of government by organizing skills acquisition initiatives as well as paying workers commensurate salaries to their expertise - Tackling the problem of Poverty; Sanitizing herself of any known corrupt official in her helm of leadership and anyone among her members indicted on any accusation of corruption - Tackling the problem of Corruption; and Continuous preaching against and prayer for the arrest or repentance of the main actors of the breach of security in Nigeria - Tackling the problem of Security. Among the recommendations given to achieve the Corporate Roles of the Church through CAN is that the department of ‘National Issues and Social Welfare’ of CAN be equipped and reconstituted with Christian Professionals and Intellectuals / Academicians to respond and react on programmes, schemes and policies of the government of Nigeria from political, social and economic angles accordingly. These workers could also include pastors trained in these secular disciplines as well.

The Political Elite, Church and Corruption in Nigerian Environment

Journal of Reviews on Global Economics, 2019

Nigeria, the Giant of Africa is richly endowed with natural resources and high quality human capital but yet to find its rightful place in the comity of nations. One of the major factors responsible for her socioeconomic stagnation is the phenomenon of corruption. This paper examines the role that the state political actors and church leaders played in the entrenchment of corruption in the Nigerian state. Towing a historical trajectory, this paper submits that the structural defects and lacunae in the weak Nigerian state structure was unduly exploited by the political class giving them opportunities to exercise absolute power that enabled them to perpetrate all manners of corrupt practices with impunity. The political class looted the state treasury in turns at the expense of a nationwide socioeconomic development. As the state could not better the lots of the masses, the masses lost hope in the state and in their frustration found solace in the church, especially the Pentecostal tradition, which gave the people a promise of hope, miracles and better lives. The church made ordinary citizens to believe that demonic forces or spiritual attacks are behind poverty, illnesses and other misfortunes that besotted them. Thus, the people started looking towards the church for solutions to their physical problems. They flocked the churches in search of elusive miracles and breakthroughs. The exotic life style of the corrupt politicians appealed to the church leaders and they set out to become like the politicians. Sooner than later, some of the church itself became so infected by the value system of corrupt political class; they devised several means of exploiting their congregations. The study found that some church leaders also attracted corrupt politicians to the churches, celebrated them, accepted looted funds from them and preached that the masses should show unconditional obedience to the political leaders in power. Thus, primitive accumulation became a joint endeavour of the church leaders and political leaders. The poor masses became double victims of exploitation; by the state and the church. The study recommends the revival of ethical Christianity, where Gods-consciousness and search for absolute holiness influences directs human behaviour.

Corruption and Nigerian Society: Biblical Perspective

The United Nations Global Programme against Corruption (UNGPAC) defines corruption as "abuse of power for private gain", corruption is an act of economic, social, political and moral sabotage. it is a crime against humanity and divinity, it has permeated into every fabric of the Nigerian society, it is responsibility for the ardent failure and breakdown of critical infrastructure in all sector of the Nigerian economy, it is also responsible for the erosion of the nation value system. The paper examined corruption in the Nigerian society based on biblical perspectives. It further conceptualizes corruption in the eyes of the bible. Hence, methodology adopted in the study is mixed method, and the research design used is historical and explanatory design. And content analysis was also adopted to examine the various texts sourced from primary and secondary sources. Historical and cultural theory of corruption was also adopted as the theoretical framework. The findings of the study identifies corruption as the main source and cause of religious, social, economic, and political violence in the Nigerian society. It further fuels religious killings and killings in the north east of Nigeria, and deepens underdevelopment and poverty. Its therefore, recommends the restructuring of the Nigerian state in the light of its ineffective and efficient composition via corruption, As this will address unnecessary tensions and agitations coming from corrupt conducts which is at variance with God's laws and commandment. The paper concludes that, government should be unbiased and proactive by providing good governance in all sectors of the Nigerian society, and that Bible clearly states that "the days of ignorance, God will ignore, let all men depart from wickedness. Judgment day is coming when all men will give account of their stewardship.

corruption in nigeria Biblical Perspective (corrected version ).docx

The United Nations Global Programme Against Corruption (UNGPAC) defines corruption as "abuse of power for private gain", corruption is an act of economic, social, political and moral sabotage. it is a crime against humanity and divinity, it has permeated into every fabric of the Nigerian society, it is responsibility for the ardent failure and breakdown of critical infrastructure in s all sector of the Nigerian economy, it is also responsible for the erosion of the nation value system. The paper examined corruption in Nigeria on biblical perspectives. it also conceptualize corruption in the eyes of the bible, the methodology deployed in the paper was content and textual analysis, which was used to examine various texts gotten from data from secondary sources such as textbooks, internet materials, newspapers and magazines, journals, articles, etc. historical and cultural theory of corruption was also adopted as the theoretical framework. The paper further recommended the re-structuring of the Nigerian state as way forward for the nation, as this will address unnecessary tensions and agitations coming from corrupt conducts and activities which is at variance with God's laws and commandment and also will stem corruption in its entirety from the nation. The paper concludes by submitting, that, the Bible clearly states that "the days of ignorance, God will ignore, let all men depart from wickedness. Judgment day is coming when all men will give account of the stewardship on this earth; it is pertinent to be your brother's keeper by doing to others what you want others to do you. It further conclude that government should be proactive by provide good governance in all sectors of the society in line God's laws and commandment.