Corruption a Norm that should be killed by Religious and Traditional Institutions
A one-day Anti-Corruption Conference for Religious and Traditional institutions in the South-South region of Nigeria was held in Benin City with a call on Nigerians to strengthen the fight against corruption by changing societal norms and behaviours that fuels corruption in the country.
The Anti-Corruption Conference under the auspices of the New Apostolic Church Centre for Development (NCD) in partnership with the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) was attended by Christian clerics and traditional leaders from Edo, Delta and other states in the South-South zone of the country.
While welcoming participants, the board member of NCD, Mr. Victor Oriakhi called on church leaders, the traditional institution and other leaders of thought to help use their privileged positions to foster a rapid change in the declining values, morals and behaviours of many people in the society that is encouraging pervasive corruption in Nigeria.
Mr. Oriakhi urged participants to become anti-corruption champions and preachers, who would also be seen to be living above board at all times.
Speaking on behalf of the Christian participants, Apostle Goddey Odili of the New Apostolic Church said the church should be in the forefront in the fight against corruption by not only by preaching morality, but by the Christians themselves leading exemplary lives.
On his part Chief Raphael Oronsaye said the traditional institution represented by the Oba of Benin has done a lot to ensure sanity in the Community Development Associations and proscription of cultism and related societal vices within the Oba’s domain.
Speaking on the theme of the conference, the role of traditional institutions in addressing social norms and behaviours that promote corruption in Nigeria, Rev. Humphrey Areghan lamented the steep decline in the moral value of society and the inability of religious change agents such as the church to change the negative behaviour and character of people leading to high corruption and crime.
Deputy Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, (ANEEJ), Comrade Leo Atakpu said the conference is part of the overall campaign to seek the return of looted funds out of Nigeria back home to help in alleviating poverty in the country.
Comrade Atakpu re-emphasized that corruption is a serious problem which is affecting all Nigerians, and expressed confidence that if participants adopted the behavioural change strategy, it could help in tackling the scourge.
The New Apostolic Church Centre for Development (NCD) is a faith-based organisation and is partnering with the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, (ANEEJ), in her Monitoring of Recovered Assets through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) project with support from the Department of International Development (DFID) on its Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) programme.
