Why Nigerians Must Abstain From Corruption – Group

The Muslim community at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka has urged on Nigerians from all walks of life to abstain from corruption and to stop anyone who is attempting to maintain it in the country.

According to the group, the plague was engulfing the country, and either the public took action to halt it or risked being consumed by it.

This was said by Dr. Haroun Ajah, vice president-general of the Ebonyi State/South-East Zone of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affiars, during the group’s one-day community parley on “Promoting Accountability and Anti-Corruption Through Behavioural Change Approaches” on Sunday in Abakaliki monitored by BRANDNEWSDAY.

The Islamic professor stated that Nigeria was on the point of extinction if nothing was done by the citizens to save it from the grasp of corruption during the program, which was attended by Muslims leaders and students as well as Christians, women, youths, and traditional rulers.

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He pointed out that corruption had deeply permeated the fabric of the country and said that everyone had a duty to stop it from spreading.

According to him, “What is staring us in the face and that we are fighting is the issue of corruption. Oftentimes, we think that corruption is 100 miles away from us, that we do not know what it’s, not knowing that it’s right with us. Corruption is in our midst and it’s circulating within and around us. And this is why those of us here today, should endeavour to take this message to others, who are not here.

“Something should prick us as we continue in this discussion today. The organisers of this programme said Nigeria is known as a country of many prayers, but our prayers are not answered. But I must say if our prayers were not answered by God, we would have sunk down, because it’s the mercies and grace of God that have held this country. This is because we have backgrounds of communities which have enmeshed themselves in this evil we are talking about and God never allowed them to exist till this time. All we need to do is to pray and work hard so that we will continue to overcome this evil in our land.

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“Corruption is deviation from the right thing or otherwise injustice-doing things outside the normalcy. Corruption is dishonesty and betrayal of trust. If a child is under you and you starve him and beat him up, that’s corruption. It’s not just when someone steals money, once you become dishonest and betray trust then you are corrupt.

“Corruption stems from us. It emanates from us and this is why we are hammering on collective action and individual responsibility. And the Quran puts correctly, “Corruption has spread on the sea, on the land and it’s what we have caused with our hands and Almighty God still forgives most of us. That’s why we say our prayers still work, because God’s mercy is still with us.

“We have been warned by God not to be corrupt. The question is: are we taking the heed? Let’s take heed to God’s instructions. Let’s be careful not to disobey the commandments of God, so that trials, temptation, punishments, even civil war can’t happen because of what we have caused by ourselves.

“We should be afraid of trials, temptation, rebellion and oppression that will not cause harm and calamity to us alone, but are capable of making it spread. English men will tell you when a finger touches an oil, it spreads to the other fingers. We have allowed many people a few people engage in corruption and the whole thing is spreading among, within and beyond our communities. We should try and stop this spread by preaching the negative side of corruption.

“There is a World Bank revelation on Nigeria and it’s says the country faces existential threat, because of the way its resources are handled. Let’s be warned and do away with this evil in our midst.”

The group’s director, Dr. M.A. Saddiq, stated earlier in his speech that the program was in collaboration with the Centre for Democratic Studies (Manbaya House), Bayero University, Kano, and that it was intended to raise awareness of the community’s anti-corruption fight.

Saddiq stated, “We are here to sensitize the people on the anti-corruption drive of the Community and to urge on them to join the war against corruption in our society,” while being represented by a member of the Community, Alh. Abdullahi Chuks-Anyachonkenya. This is done in collaboration with Bayero University Kano’s Manbaya House Center for Democratic Studies.

“It’s our belief that if we let people know about the effects of corruption in our midst as citizens, they will in turn take up the challenge and responsibility of spread the news of the scourge in our society. This is why we are here today. Everyone should own a responsibility in this fight and call a spade, a spade; call evil, evil.

“This is why it’s an inter-faith programme or movement irrespective of faith, tribe or gender. Everybody is welcome on board to spread this message of anti-corruption, so as to make our society a better for us and our unborn children.

“The Muslims are here. The Christians are here and even the traditional institution is represented here. Corruption does not know religion, it does not know tribe and it does not know age. This is why all and sundry must rise up and stop it.”

Adeyemo Nurudeen, a participant in the program, said: “The corruption issue has been with us without our knowledge of when it got to be with us. This is why the program is crucial to us because it aims to open our eyes to ways of minimizing or even completely eliminating corruption in our society.