Nigerian Politics and Corruption: The Challenges Before the Nigerian Church as a Socio-Moral Actor

By Kyrian Chukwuemeka Echekwu

Corruption is alive and well in Nigeria—and it must be eliminated.

Moreover, the Nigerian church can no longer watch it go unchecked. Though conscious of his limitations as a priest and theologian, the author takes an in-depth look at how corruption has taken hold of Nigeria and its people in this scholarly work.

He challenges the church as a socio-moral actor and the civil authorities that govern Nigeria, arguing that the nation will collapse if corruption continues. He notes that even though the Nigerian people have lashed out against corruption, it has only gotten worse—either because morality has been relegated to the background or not enough has been done to inculcate morality into Nigeria’s politics.

The author employs a holistic approach in examining issues such as:

bishops and their vision of Nigeria vis-à-vis Nigerian politics;

democracy and the power equation among the various arms of government;

principal biases that characterize Nigerian politics; and

class affiliation and its impact in Nigerian politics.

Find out how corruption is ruining Nigeria, and discover how the church and government can work together to fix the problem in Nigerian Politics and Corruption.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532024214

Kyrian Chukwuemeka Echekwu

Rev. Fr. Kyrian Chukwuemeka Echekwu is originally a Nigerian national, born in Lagos Nigeria. His academic ambition took him across many institutions in Nigeria, Spain and United States of America. He holds to his credit bachelor degrees both in Philosophy and Theology, Licentiate in Moral Theology and a Ph.D. in Moral Theology. He equally holds a diploma in drug and addiction counseling. Ordained to the Catholic priesthood in his Native Diocese of Ahiara, Imo State of Nigeria, he has served the needs of the Church and humanity in various capacities both as Pastor and Teacher and Chaplain. Currently, he lives and works in the United States and has given several talks and seminars to different groups both in English and Spanish. With this initial publication, he has elected to foray into the authors' world, with a vision to leave an imprint in the minds of his readers. He is no doubt an ardent believer and crusader for justice and equality for all peoples.

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Copyright © 2017 Kyrian Chukwuemeka Echekwu.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-2420-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2419-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2421-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017908048

iUniverse rev. date: 06/01/2017

ABBREVIATIONS

This work is

dedicated to the loving memory of my beloved parents, Paul Echekwu and Agnes Echekwu (née Mbata).

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Abstract

General Introduction

Chapter 1

Nigerian Society vis-à-vis Politics and Corruption

1. Introduction

2. The Art of Politics as a Call to the Service of the Nation

3. The Human Person as the Subject of Politics

4. Authority as a Necessary Instrument for Achieving the Goals of Politics

5. The Function and Use of Authority in Politics

6. The Option of Democracy in Politics versus the Future of Nigerian Politics

7. Democracy and Equal Participation in Nigerian Politics

8. Sovereignty as the Property of the People in Democracy

9. Corruption and the Role of Public Officers in Nigeria

10. Corruption as a Product of the Social Order

11. The Implications of Corruption as a Multidimensional Problem

12. Conclusion

Chapter 2

The Nature and Structure of Nigerian Society

1. Introduction

2. Some General Features of Nigeria

2.1 Geographic features of Nigeria

2.2 Demographic features

2.3 A brief historical sketch of Nigeria

2.4 Colonialism and its legacies in Nigeria

2.5 The fundamental consequences of the scramble and partition of Africa after the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885

2.6 Nigeria as a product of amalgamation in 1914

2.7 The world wars and the rise of nationalism in Nigeria

2.8 Nigerian independence as a colonial fraud

2.9 Postcolonial Nigeria and her development

3. Some Sociological Factors Evident in Nigerian Society

3.1 Pluralism at the foundation of Nigerian society

3.2 Nigerian society as essentially a patriarchal society

3.3 The attitude of mutual distrust

3.4 The absence of national political culture

3.5 The multilinguistic nature of Nigeria as a barrier to national integration

4. Some Major Political Factors That Shaped Nigerian Society

4.1 Political structure of Nigeria before the advent of colonialism

4.2 Military intervention in Nigerian politics and its consequences

4.3 The Nigerian civil war (Nigerian-Biafran War) and its impact

5. Some Cultural Anthropological Values That Define Nigerian Society

5.1 Communitarianism as a culture in Nigeria

5.2 Power sharing in the Nigerian traditional institution

5.3 Authority in the light of Nigerian cultural heritage

5.4 Traditional institutions as sacred in Nigeria

5.5 The implications of cultural pluralism for Nigeria

6. Conclusion

Chapter 3

Analysis of the Theory and Practice of Politics in the Nigerian Context and Their Consequences

1. Introduction

2. Nigerian Bishops and Their Vision of Nigeria vis-à-vis Nigerian Politics

3. Nigerian Politics and the Visions and Policies

That Shape It

4. Nigerian Democracy and Power Equation among the Various Arms of Government

5. The Constraints and Challenges before Nigerian Politics

5.1 The absence of committed leadership as a fundamental problem in Nigerian politics

5.2 Nigerian politics and the management of the bond of trust

5.3 The principal biases that characterize

Nigerian politics

5.4 Gender bias and Nigerian politics

5.5 Class affiliation and its impact on Nigerian politics

5.6 Religious sentiments and bias in Nigerian politics

6. Some Basic Features That Distinguish Democracy

6.1 Election and its role in democracy

6.2 Political parties and their place in a functional democracy

6.3 Electoral system and the shaping of democracy

6.4 Invoking constitutional dynamism in Nigerian democracy

6.5 Political instability in Nigeria as a consequence of the absence of the rule of law

6.6 Constitutional inadequacy as a danger for effective democracy

6.6 The Nigerian constitution and the fundamental rights of the citizens

7. The political institutions and their roles in the development of Nigerian democracy

7.1 Free and fair elections as a panacea for a stable democracy in Nigeria

7.2 The Nigerian police and their duty for a sustainable democracy

7.3 The duty of the judiciary in the dispensation of justice

7.4 The political parties and their ideologies and attitudes toward election

8. Some Basic Factors That Undermine Nigerian Politics

8.1 Corrupting politics with money as the case of Nigeria

8.2 Deficient electoral and democratic process

8.3 Absence of true democratic freedom

8.4 Violence and thuggery as political instruments in Nigeria

9. Constant Military Interventions and Their Effects on the Development of Nigerian Politics

10. The Petrodollar and Its Impact on Nigerian Politics

11. Nigerian Politics and the Challenges of

Globalized Politics

12. Propagating the Principle of Neocolonization

13. Conclusion

Chapter 4

Corruption as the Bane of Nigerian Politics

1. Introduction

2. The Rising Trend of Corruption in Nigeria as a Danger for Her Survival

3. Some Principal Causes of Corruption in the Nigerian Context

3.1 Kinship affiliation and its implication for corruption in Nigeria

3.2 The absence of social security as a reason for corruption in Nigeria

3.3 Greed and avarice as the pillars of corruption

4. The Consequences of Corruption and Their Implications for the Survival of Nigerian Politics

4.1 Corruption as an institutionalized problem in Nigeria

4.2 Nigerian corruption as seen from the private-sector perspective

4.3 Nigerian government institutions as organs of corruption

5. Institutional and Political Factors That Impact Corruption in Nigeria

5.1 Nigerian corruption as a consequence of visionless and imprudent leadership

5.2 Lack of necessary political will to fight corruption among Nigerians

5.3 Dealing with pressure from political interest groups

5.4 Lack of transparency and accountability

in government

5.5 Political godfatherism as a danger to Nigerian politics

6. Traditional and Cultural Factors That Promote Corruption in Nigeria

6.1 Culture of gift giving and dash

6.2 The patronage system and its implications for corruption in Nigeria

6.3 Culture of materialism as a double jeopardy in Nigerian politics

6.4 Patrimonialism as a contributing factor in Nigerian corruption

7 Historico-sociological Factors behind Corruption

in Nigeria

7.1 Urban development and migration as

instruments of corruption

7.2 Colonial influence as a key player in Nigerian corruption

8. Some Essential Mechanisms Sustaining Corruption in Nigeria

8.1 Inflation of contract bills and culture of 10 percent

8.2 Privatization of public properties as an avenue of corruption

9. Some Basic Consequences of Corruption in Nigeria

9.1 The ambivalence of the culture of corruption as a Nigerian reality

9.2 High level of economic inflation and

spreading poverty

9.3 Growing rate of illiteracy and ignorance as a direct consequence of corruption

9.4 Brain drain and the sustenance of inequality in Nigeria

9.5 Social and infrastructural underdevelopment of the nation as a result of Nigerian corruption

10. Notable Political Consequences of Corruption in Nigeria

10.1 Corruption as a distortion of politics and institutions of politics in Nigeria

10.2 Corruption as a means of breeding instability and violence in the polity

11. Some Fundamental Moral Consequences of Corruption in Nigeria

11.1 Endangerment of the lives of the poorest citizens as a hazard of corruption

11.2 Sustaining and supporting a culture of crime as index of corruption

11.3 Corruption as an impediment and threat to Nigerian politics

12. Conclusion

Chapter 5

Politics and Corruption in Nigeria in the Light of the Social Doctrine of the Church

1. Introduction

2. The Fundamental Reason for the Church’s Involvement in Politics

3. Politics as a Means of Consecrating Human Society to God

4. Option for the Poor as a Sociomoral Criterion for the Church’s Participation in Politics

5. Christian Participation in Politics as a

Shared Responsibility

6. Defending the Rights and Dignity of Human Persons

7. The Obligation to Defend the Values and Principles of Good Governance

8. The Challenges of Politics as a Call to the Prophetic Role of the Church in Nigeria

9. Service to the World as a Duty for the Church

10. Emphasizing Values and Principles as the Foundation of Democracy

11. The Notion of Corruption as Moral Vice

12. Corruption as a Structure of Sin in Nigeria

13. The Possible Implications of the Church’s Social Doctrine for Corruption in Nigerian Politics

14. Conclusion

Chapter 6

Confronting the Challenges of Corruption and Bad Leadership in Nigerian Politics as a Task before the Nigerian Church

1. Introduction

2. Historical Foundation of the Nigerian Church

3. The Nature of the Church-and-State Relationship

in Nigeria

4. Reforming Nigeria as a Moral Imperative for the Nigerian Church

5. The Nigerian Church and Partisanship in Politics

6. On the Ethics of Prudent Management of National Resources

7. Policies versus ethical values in Nigerian public life

8. The Nigerian Church and the Evangelization of Politics

9. Corruption in Nigerian Politics as a Challenge to Apostolic Witnessing

10. The Nigerian Church as the Interpreter of the Signs of the Times in Nigerian Politics

11. Defending Morality in Politics as the Church’s Mission

12. Critique of the Nigerian Bishops

13. Nigerian Theology and the Option of Renewal in Nigerian Politics

13.1 Nigerian theologians and their attitude

before politics

13.2 The Nigerian church and its input in political development

13.3 Resisting the danger of compromise in Nigerian politics

13.4 The theological response to Nigerian sociopolitical reality

14. Conclusion

Chapter 7

Critical Evaluation and Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Reevaluating the Root Cause of Nigeria’s Sociopolitical Problems

3. The Paradox of Nigerian Politics vis-à-vis Reconstruction of the Social Order

4. Necessary Precautions for Checkmating Corruption in Nigerian Politics

4.1 Practicing politics in accordance with the rule of law in Nigeria

4.2 Ensuring the role of morality in politics

4.3 Civic and moral education of the citizens as a necessary exigency in restructuring Nigerian politics

4.4 The Nigerian social questions and their implication for the formation of future ministers of the church

5. Restructuring Nigerian Politics as a Call for Action

6. Toward a Moral Regeneration of Nigerian Society

7. Theology in the Face of Corruption

8. General Conclusion

Bibliography

FOREWORD

As I was reading through Fr. Kyrian’s work, his thoroughness and the clear and concise approach he adopted in redacting this masterpiece, as well as the scientific precision evident in the whole of the book, captivated me. To say the least, his research is incredible, and his work organization is beyond reproach. This work challenges in no little way the government and the bishops of Nigeria to step up effort in curbing the malaise of the evil of corruption in that great nation. The work portends a lot of hope because the author rightly offers many solutions to battling the cancer of corruption that is ravaging Nigerian society.

This work has opened my eyes to the realities of the political situation in Nigeria, which I doubt people outside Nigeria know about. The author clearly explains how Nigeria has degenerated into deep levels of corruption and discusses the changes that the bishops promise in their documents, which, for some reason, they have not put into practice.

At one point in Nigeria’s history, Nigeria was considered the most hopeful and golden country of Africa. It is sad to see how the nation has become one of the least hopeful. We all know what the horrible situations in Nigeria are, yet they are getting worse with each passing day. Fr. Echekwu also highlights the lack of application of the social teachings of the church to the Nigerian context so as to salvage the wobbling political situation in the country.

The goal of the author in this book is to present corruption and bad leadership as a new sociomoral reality in Nigeria and proffer solutions to change the way the government and the Nigerian church respond to those issues. Such change will require a new form of conscientization of the people. He delineates principles, causes, and consequences of corruption; the traditions and cultural factors that promote corruption; and the mechanisms that sustain corruption in Nigeria. This work is powerful in its research and writing; it is professional and, at the same time, clear and concise. It is written not in the language of the library but in language that is down to earth.

I strongly recommend this text as a must-read for teachers; students of politics and government; and all who wish to do research in the areas of politics, government, and the social teaching of the church, both in Nigeria and beyond. This book is a great treasure because it is courageously honest and insightfully challenging, yet it radiates hope for Nigeria.

Sr. Marie Vianney Bilgrien, SSND, STD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

At the end of every work of this magnitude, one fact remains obvious: the success of it can never be attributed to only one individual; rather, it is usually the fruit of a collective endeavor. Cognizant of that fact, I wish to seize this medium to express my sentiments of gratitude to some deserving institutions and persons without whom this dream would have remained a mirage.

First and foremost, my sincere gratitude goes to God Almighty, the author of life and the giver of good health of mind and body. In no small measure, I am highly indebted to all those who stood strongly behind me throughout the struggle to actualize this dream. Worthy of mention here are Mr. Chris Echekwu, Mrs. Rita Okamgba, Mrs. Favour Chinenye Echekwu, and my nephews and nieces. I will not forget the magnanimity shown by each and every one of you. Thank you all for not giving up on me while I was busy working on this project. Of course, to the GTF family, thank you all for the wonderful support and encouragement.

To you, Rev. Dr. A. O. Nwachukwu, I owe immense gratitude for a thorough and critical revision of this work. I also appreciate you, Dr. Vianney Belgrien, in no small measure for agreeing to write a foreword to this work. My special gratitude goes to Cardinal Rocco of Madrid, Spain, and Bishop Nicholas Dimarzio of Brooklyn Diocese, New York, who accommodated me in their respective dioceses. Moreover, to the two great men who earnestly longed to see this dream come true but unfortunately have gone before us marked with the seal of faith, Bishop Victor Chikwe and Mr. Paul E. Echekwu, rest assured that your hopes were not in vain. To you, my beloved mother, late Mrs. Agnes Echekwu, my sincere prayer is that you continue to rest quietly in the bosom of Abraham. I can never forget the generosity of the parishioners of Ascension Parish Elmhurst in New York. Finally, to all men and women of goodwill who stood strongly behind me while I was piecing this work together and throughout my life as a priest of God, your kind gestures will remain indelible in my heart. No doubt there are a litany of other names I should mention if not for the constraint of space and time, but surely you are all recognized, and I cherish you all dearly in the deepest depths of my heart.

ABSTRACT

In every human society, there exists what John Paul II, in his encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis referred to as social concern, which, according to him, is directed toward an authentic development of man and society which would respect and promote all the dimensions of the human person.¹. So many factors hinder authentic development of both man and society, and to better manage those factors, the first step is to identify them, then they can be frontally tackled. Therefore, in the case of Nigeria, it may be proper for us to know the things that constitute her social concern, which we have categorized mainly as corruption. To best handle this problem as it affects Nigeria, we shall preoccupy ourselves with the issues of bad leadership, and the absence of justice, to mention but a few.

Apparently, the presence of these social concerns in the Nigerian polity has created a situation of political hopelessness that has left the Nigerian nation in a state of distress. As the Nigerian bishops lament,

Over the past several years through our communiqués, we have called attention to the acute distress in our land manifested in the moral, economic, political and social lives of our people. Notwithstanding the attempts that have been made in official circles to remedy the situation, the distress that has continued to worsen because those efforts, [sic] have, by and large, turned to be sporadic, half-hearted, and short-lived. The social ills of armed robbery, violent crimes, unemployment, official corruption, deteriorating infrastructure, incessant fuel scarcity, falling standard of education and health care, have continued unabated to such an extent that quality of life of most Nigerians has degenerated to a level that is below human dignity.²

Without any form of exaggeration, the sociopolitical situation in Nigeria eloquently points to the fact that the country is experiencing a moral crisis. Truly, Nigeria’s sociopolitical problems are, to say the least, myriad. Nigeria is a country enormously endowed with resources, both material and human, as well as great potential, yet due to corruption and bad leadership, it is lagging behind while struggling with development. Simply put, the worst evils bedeviling the postcolonial Nigerian are those of corruption and mismanagement.

My inspiration to step into the murky waters of politics and corruption in Nigeria is basically informed by two things: my lived experiences as a Nigerian citizen born and bred in Nigeria and my point of view from my position as a moral theologian, with special interest in the area of social morals. As a Nigerian, I have watched with keen interest the unfolding of political events in my beloved country, but never for one day have I gotten any moral satisfaction from the way politics and political activities are managed in Nigeria.

Furthermore, as a moral theologian, I am particularly driven by the curiosity to know why, despite the assertion by Nigerians that Nigeria is a country endowed with abundant resources, the country remains underdeveloped and poor. Moreover, I have it as a duty in conscience and truth to defend human life and dignity against any obstacles militating against them. A deep reflection on Nigerian society and politics will leave no one in doubt that corruption has done damage to Nigeria’s image as a nation and is now a serious obstacle to human development of the country.

Another important factor motivating me to undertake the onerous task of critically evaluating politics and corruption in Nigeria was the following notion, as observed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales: Many persons are alarmed at the reversal of traditional moral standards or at least bewildered by the changing moral climate of the day.³ In every nook and cranny of Nigerian society, one will hear the constant agitation of people concerning the dwindling moral standards. Today in Nigeria, as in many other countries of the world, the prevailing norm has become that of relativism being orchestrated by the rapidly changing moral climate.

Not long ago, President Obasanjo was quoted as saying that while he was handing over to his successor in 1979, Nigeria occupied the fortieth position in the grading of world economies, but when he came back to office twenty years after, in 1999, Nigeria occupied the 176th position. Worse still, in 2004, Nigeria was rated the second-poorest nation in the world by the World Bank, despite her huge earnings as the world’s sixth-largest producer of crude oil. The question now is this: How long must we continue to keep quiet while watching Nigeria drift into the abyss of destruction?

In the book of Wisdom, we read the following: There is time for keeping silent and there is time for speaking (3:7). Following this assertion, I believe the era of keeping silent in the face of the occurrences in Nigeria, especially regarding political corruption, is gone. The truth of the matter is that based on the degree to which corruption exists in Nigeria today, it would be foolhardy for any Nigerian to feign ignorance or remain indifferent to the situation. It is not an exaggeration to say that the bane of any political society is corruption, whether in the narrow or wide sense of the word. Corruption, no matter what amount of logic is applied to justify it, remains a condemnable act perpetuated by some people against the entire society.

During his ultimate visit to Nigeria in 1998, John Paul II advised Nigerians with the following words: This moment in the Nigerian history is a moment that requires concerted and honest efforts to foster harmony and national unity, to guarantee respect for human rights, to combat unemployment, to give hope to the poor and suffering, to resolve conflicts through dialogue and to establish true and lasting solidarity between all sectors of the society.⁴ The pope’s message here underscores the fact that Nigerian society is sick and needs not just a physical cure but also, above all, a moral cure.

Stating the Problem

After a careful observation of the sociopolitical environment in Nigeria, as well as a thorough analysis of issues resulting from that environment the Nigerian bishops remarked,

We note with anxiety and concern that the nation seems to be presently adrift in a sea of confusion. As a result of this, urgent national problems affecting the daily lives of citizens have been left unattended to. There is a general disintegration of the nation’s education system, from primary level to university. Law, order and security of life and property are under constant threat and attack by anti-social forces operating unchecked in the nation.⁵

This, without any form of equivocation, is the image of Nigerian society that has captured my attention in this work: it is a country where nothing is working and where values have been bastardized and ethics have been rubbished almost perpetually. Therefore, the political situation in Nigeria provokes challenges, which in turn are in dire need of moral solutions. First and foremost, the sociopolitical contours of Nigeria have been badly ravaged and bruised by corruption. From east to west and from north to south, the entire political and territorial landscape of the country has been badly infested with the disease of ethnicism, and inept and bad leadership has broken the fabric of the nation. This is a land endowed with abundant human and material resources, yet the majority of her citizens are wallowing in abject poverty and deplorable living conditions.

Thus, the question now is this: What can we do to change this situation? What solutions can a moral theologian proffer for the hydra-headed problems suffocating Nigerian society? The misuse of Nigerian resources is evident in the overbearing presence of injustice and the unabated culture of bribery and corruption in every segment of Nigerian society. The glaring consequences are hunger, sickness, ignorance, and defenselessness. Moreover, the bishops, realizing the consequences of the sin of corruption in Nigeria, recognized their duty as mediators between God and men and asked for mercy and pardon on behalf of all Nigerians.

After a careful study and analysis of the sociopolitical situation in Nigeria, the Nigerian bishops, in a joint pastoral of 1985, maintained, At every turn, we have inveighed against the social evils in our society—bribery and corruption in all their forms and ugliness; neglect and oppression of the poor and weak; discrimination on grounds of tribe or religion.⁶ However, many years have elapsed since the bishops made this submission, yet the situation has gotten even worse, especially regarding bribery and corruption, which have become a culture in Nigeria today.

The question, therefore, is this: What can the Nigerian church do in the face of this daunting challenge? How can she respond to this situation, especially in her status as a sociomoral actor? The question of the church’s involvement in politics has been an issue shrouded in complications. Of course, some of these complications arise from the inability of most writers to define the church in exact language or delineate the limits of both elements that constitute the church—namely, the clergy and the lay faithful. This complication is equally made manifest when we critically examine the words of Pius XII: Christ did not bequeath to the Church a mission in the political, economic, or social order: the purpose he assigned to it was a religious one.⁷ But the complications that one might find in the above citation have been ordinarily eased off by this further comment of the Council Fathers:

But this religious mission can be the source of commitment, direction, and vigor to establish and consolidate the community of men according to the law of God. In fact, the Church is able, indeed it is obliged, if times and circumstances require it, to initiate action for the benefit of all men, especially of those in need, like works of mercy and similar undertakings. (GS, 42)

A critical analysis of this citation shows that the circumstances of those in need has made it an obligation on the part of the church to get involved in the temporal affairs of the world.

Initiating action for the benefit of all men is something that goes beyond the religious sphere alone. As a result, the church’s action should be a holistic one in order to address the totality of man in the totality of his circumstances. The Second Vatican Council ushered in a new era in the social life of the church following the initial move made by Leo XIII and his successors. Instead of the usual practice of the church speaking to the people from the pulpit alone, the church has to come down to the people, feel the way they feel, listen to their worries, and propose some solutions to their problems.

The council echoes that it is the duty of the people of God to scrutinize the signs of the times in the light of the Gospel. It is the Church’s duty to work for the enhancement of human dignity and the common good.⁸ Principally, the church has a duty to inform the ignorant population of the true situation in the social and political lives of the society while vigorously defending the moral values that govern the society. In this way, the church reads as well as interprets the signs of the time in every given human society.

The social and political situation in Nigeria makes it imperative for the church in Nigeria to bear in mind that the Gospel message is a message of hope, renewal and liberation from all forms of enslavement.⁹ Thus, per this mission of the Gospel message and in reaction to the challenge of corruption in Nigerian politics, the Nigerian bishops, in 1998, framed the prayer against bribery and corruption in Nigeria, pleading with God on behalf of the Nigerians:

We are deeply sorry for the wrong use of these your gifts and blessings through acts of injustice, bribery and corruption, as a result of which many of our people are hungry, sick, ignorant and defenceless. Father, you alone can heal us and our nation of this sickness. We beg you to touch our lives and the lives of our leaders and people so that we may all realise the evil of bribery and corruption and work hard to eliminate it.¹⁰

As the bishops rightly acknowledged, despite the abundant blessings of God, something is fundamentally wrong in the Nigerian sociopolitical system, and they identified some of the major culprits: injustice, bribery, and corruption. Equally, they pinpointed some of the consequences of this dysfunctional system, while pleading for divine intervention in Nigeria, especially on the part of the leaders. Therefore, the question now is this: How can the church in Nigeria participate and play an active role in the social and political life of the country while being cognizant of the fact that Nigeria is a multireligion society with nearly half of the population professing the Muslim faith? Does the church in Nigeria possess the wherewithal to be actively involved in the politics of the country?

While we try to answer these questions, we shall also analyze the efforts of the Nigerian church so far in building a better Nigerian society, including the successes and failures. Equally, we shall briefly consider the development of the Nigerian church and some basic obstacles that stand in the church’s way regarding development. On another note, we shall look at the contributions of Nigerian theology and theologians, especially from the perspective of contextual theology. People have asked if the church can be a political actor, and if so, how? I shall attempt to answer these questions and a host of others in this work.

The Nigerian church should be aware that any evangelization that does not permeate both the social and spiritual spheres of human life is a lopsided evangelization, because evangelization is meant to liberate the total man, both body and soul. Although as members of the political society we share equal rights and concerns for the welfare and common good of all, pastoral obligation places more demand on the part of the church and her hierarchy to take a bolder step in this direction.

The Nigerian church should not allow herself to be intimidated by the gimmicks of the politicians, albeit this intervention would not imply the imposition of the church’s moral teaching on the entire society. There is no question so exclusive to politics that the moral side of it would be completely neglected. The church enjoys the right to speak out on the moral issues involved in politics, though partisan politics lies within the purview of Christ’s lay faithful.

Nevertheless, it is the duty of the hierarchy to educate the lay faithful on the fundamental values and principles promoted by the church’s teaching. Basically, if moral issues, such as the sacredness of life, human rights, issues that affect the family, oppression, and marginalization of the poor, are to be discussed in politics, then there is no way the church cannot get involved. Both the church and civil society know that without a stable sociopolitical environment, there can be no meaningful development in any society.

As a result, the Nigerian sociopolitical environment, marred by corruption and all sorts of political anomalies, challenges the Nigerian church more than any other institution within the Nigerian polity. This sociopolitical environment makes it imperative for the Nigerian church to assume her proper role as the conscience of the nation and the mouthpiece of God in order to announce the proper order and the truth.

The problem of corruption, which has been elevated to the status of a culture, no doubt challenges the Nigerian church ethically. Corruption can be compared to a virus that eats off the sense of political decency and moral rectitude of the political society. According to Uwalaka, corruption sustains the twin scourges of humanity: poverty and ignorance, and which also are the greatest impediments to a better … political future and survival.¹¹ Poverty and ignorance are evident in Nigerian society today as the undeniable consequences of corruption, which has dealt a death blow to the corporate image of Nigeria as a nation.

Corruption as a moral vice knows no bounds in the execution of its duties and in the making of its victims. It can be found in the high as well as the low places, among the profane as well as the religious, and among men as well as women. In other words, it is a global issue. Every nation that cherishes her future and progress has a duty to eliminate corruption among her rank and file, or her efforts will be futile. A couple of important questions we may ask here are these: What do Nigerian society and her politics hold for future generations in the face of corruption, which has become almost endemic in the country? What kind of legacy do our present-day politicians wish to bequeath to posterity? These are some of the questions agitating my mind and inspiring me to undertake this research work at this point in time.

Nigeria has groped in the darkness of severe economic, moral, and sociopolitical decay. Despite Nigeria’s natural endowments, due to corruption, many Nigerians seem resigned to their fate. It is time for people to take her destiny into their hands to make Nigeria a better society. According to Ojo, "Many Nigerians have seen the way the leadership has mishandled the Nigerian economy and abuse [sic] the rights of people while exploiting and politicizing the ethnic diversity to satisfy their individual agenda."¹²

Without intending to cast aspersions on the polity, I assert that corruption has spread without reservation to all facets of human life in Nigeria, as well as to all fabrics of the society. Despite the wide spread nature of corruption in the Nigerian polity, little or no effort has been made to confront the problem headlong. Therefore, challenged by corruption’s hazardous effect on society if left unchecked, I intend to use this medium to add my voice to the few already shouting in the wilderness against corruption. As an issue in Nigeria, it has gone beyond the margin of identification; it is yawning for a moral solution. The need for a moral solution is implied in Lakoff’s assertion that the failure to see that politics is fundamentally about morality demeans … politics.¹³

Corruption erodes and weakens the moral foundation of a nation and sweeps away every atom of progress, thereby creating confusion, mismanagement, and poverty, as well as an unimaginable situation of injustice. It is an evil that extinguishes the light of development and jeopardizes the prospects and future, leaving detrimental curses and consequences as its hallmarks on a nation. Nigerian politics needs sacrifices in order to deal with the vice of corruption within Nigeria’s rank and file. It is certain that any further delay in fighting corruption in Nigerian society might be more dangerous and devastating than the scourge of the AIDS virus in Africa. It is a serious aberration that portends serious danger when a society cannot keep politics and political actors under moral checks and balances. Politics without morality is a lethal play that might result in an eventual strangulation of the entire society.

Methodology

As for the methodology, I shall be adopting an analytical method, but it will not exclude critiques when and where necessary. Moreover, the reader must bear in mind that there are two parts to this topic: political corruption and moral evaluation, which must be a critical evaluation. I will basically rely on four sources: the scripture, the tradition of the church, the social teachings of the church, and the works of other authors.

I wish to not only expose Nigerian corruption, since that issue is already known to the majority, but also go further by proffering some solutions to the problem, since it is a moral problem as well as a social and political problem. My goal is to present corruption and bad leadership as a new sociomoral reality that challenges the Nigerian church and, as such, to make a case for a new way of reacting to the situation. Nigerians need to rethink their political lifestyle and retrace their steps. They must be committed to building a new Nigeria where moral decency reigns and where justice and fairness are partners with solidarity as their foundation.

Development of the Work

Regarding the development of this work, I have carefully broken the book down into seven chapters for easier treatment of the titles and subtitles. Chapter 1 will attempt to invoke what the ideals in politics should be, and I will subsequently use that as a standard for measuring Nigerian politics and the consequences of corruption in the country.

Chapter 2 will take readers into the consideration of the nature and structure of Nigerian political society. I shall attempt to reveal what the nature of political practice has been in Nigeria. Moreover, I shall underscore the fact that Nigeria, from its origins, is a pluralistic society, although pluralism has not been positively harnessed in the Nigerian context for the edification of a formidable political society.

Chapter 3 will grapple with the methodology and analysis of the theory and practice of politics in the Nigerian context, thereby highlighting and addressing the pitfalls that color Nigerian politics in general. My major preoccupation in chapter 4 will be geared toward the exposition of the many consequences of corruption, as well as the imprints and scars those consequences have left on Nigerian society and Nigeria’s politics. I refer to this study as data analysis, presentation, and interpretation of work.

Chapter 5 will subject Nigerian politics and corruption to the optics of the social teachings of the church. By so doing, I intend to supplant the vices wherever they exist with virtues. This is pertinent because from the look of things, we know these virtues are lacking in Nigerian politics, and for that reason, the society has remained gravely corrupt and depraved. In chapter 6, which focuses on the work yet to be done, I intend to see how the Nigerian church as a sociomoral actor can effectively confront the issues of corruption and bad leadership in Nigerian politics, using the instrumentality of her theology and social teachings.

Finally, in chapter 7, I shall attempt a critical evaluation. After identifying the factors responsible for corruption in Nigeria and the way forward, I will make some necessary suggestions in the form of a personal view to shed some light on possible solutions to the problems of politics and corruption in Nigeria. One doesn’t need a fortune-teller to know that corruption has done a lot of harm to the image of Nigerian society.

The last section will be a general conclusion of the work, in which I shall try to bring out in a clearer form the purpose of this study I have undertaken. My primary aim in this work is the conscious awakening of Nigerian society so that the citizens will be alert to the ethical demands of politics.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

I have observed with keen interest the happenings in and around Nigerian society, especially regarding the practice of politics. Without any equivocation, the soaring heights of corruption evident in Nigerian politics and the polity have reached a level where we can’t continue to pretend to maintain a nonchalant attitude to such issues. Oftentimes, when I compare Nigeria to many other progressive countries of the world, I am left with a deep hollow in my heart, because we are not getting it right here in Nigeria.

Thus, the question that will form the centerpiece of this work is What can we do to make Nigeria a better place for all her citizenry? How can we effectively fight corruption so as to save the future for the generations yet unborn in Nigeria? In an attempt to answer these questions, in the following pages, I shall embark on a critical analysis of politics and the issues that make or mar politics in the Nigerian context. I shall study in a detailed manner corruption and the structures that have made it so endemic in Nigeria, such that it has become the reigning social order in the country today. Also, we need to find out what precedents and antecedents—or lack thereof—in Nigerian politics have submerged the entire polity into the deep and dangerous pit of systemic corruption.

A critical review of most of the works by Nigerian theologians has shown that the area of politics has never enjoyed much attention from theologians, and the few who did venture into it were superficial in their approach, neglecting to address the heart and soul of the topic of politics in Nigeria: corruption. There is no gainsaying the fact that the topic of enculturation, on which a great majority of Nigerian theologians are dissipating their energy and knowledge, is no longer as serious as the topic of politics and corruption in this current situation. Of course, my urge to make an input into this area, as dicey as it might be, is being fanned by both my vocation as a Catholic