Even within the restricted use of “corruption” in conversation, it is generally admitted that the cankerworm has become prevalent in politics, religion, economy, commerce and culture. For instance, in politics, a basic institution like elections is reputed to be riddled with rigging right from the registration of voters, actual voting, counting of votes and even at the announcement of the results of elections. How low can politicians get? In religion, bombastic claims of breakthrough, fake miracles, dubious anointing, mercenary strategies and tactics by religious enterprises. Bidding, awarding and execution of contracts and projects of governments and parastatals have become bywords for corrupt practices and excessive price inflation. The Due Process Unit of the Presidency has claimed that its reviews of contracts of certain federal ministries and agencies have yielded millions of dollars in savings for the government.
The Federal Government subscribes to the view that corruption is a menace to the country’s place, progress and development and has plans to eliminate or drastically reduce the cankerworm from the polity. It therefore established the ICPC and EFCC but the fruit of their commendable efforts are still to show. The state governments, on their part, would seem to be waiting for the anti-corruption efforts of the Federal Government to yield the desired results. It may also be observed that at the Local Government level, it seems corruption is regarded as a problem for the Federal Government to tackle. They could not be bothered to do the needful.
It is the duty of the Church to instruct her members that corruption and related sins are abominable and would attract the wrath of God. So, they must repent. In the New Testament era, the Church was unique and served as a beacon in the surrounding pagan world. However in the 4th century AD, it became a State Church and progressively acquired the habits and attitudes of the power culture of the State. Here in Nigeria one could observe comparable developments within the Christian Church and other monotheistic religions. We could not call the Nigerian environment a pagan society as most of the leaders in all walks of life and virtually all the practising politicians loudly proclaim their adherence to either Christianity or Islam. The situation of morality, level of compassion, standards, integrity and honesty reminds one of the quotation from Isaiah by our Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 7:6 “The people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”
Considering the complex nature of modern Nigeria, when the church looks around, she would find that in the proposed war against corruption, her members are among the enemy.
The Church, that is, both the clergy and the laity, must go back to basic. We have the Ten Commandments to guide us. Specifically, corruption in all its guises is a breach of the 8th Commandment, which forbids us not to steal, and the 9th Commandment, which warned us in severe terms not to be covetous.
It has been said that Christians live in the world but we are not of this world. The Christian is God-centered, God-inspired and heaven-seeking. He must regard him or herself as a pilgrim looking for a city with firm foundations whose architect and builder is God.
The Christian being in the world aspiring to influence the world with the spiritual dimension, which governs his/her life, is also vulnerable to the influence of the world, which is mostly materialistic.
If the Church has not peace within her fold and there is no observable distinguishing factor of heaven-seeking and God-aspiring commitment severally and collectively in its faith, rituals, belief and practices, it cannot move the world towards God.
For the Church and her members to live up their privilege and obligations of faithful followers of Christ is a formidable challenge. And it is only by the grace of God that we can be saved. Several passages in the Bible encourage us to persevere in the faith in spite of the well-known frailty of our human nature. Corruption is only one among the many sins which mankind have been committing throughout the ages through their materialistic predilections. God is always willing and ready to assist His Church to fulfill her mission in this world full of ambiguities, perplexities, suffering and pain.
If the Church is true to her faith and remains God-centered, God-inspired and heaven-seeking, peace will reign within the Church and she can then be a peacemaker in the wider God-resisting world. If the Church is faithful and true, she can forward the cause of truth in the world. We have been taught that God is Love and God is Truth. Accordingly, faithful Christians will always endeavour to fulfill the twin Commandments: “Love God and Love your neighbour as yourself.” So, Christians will be in a position to add to the love the world badly needs.
In conclusion, I would like to recall the saying that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. I believe that He will not permit that the Church which He had purchased with His blood to be sub – merged by the surrounding materialistic world. The Church should lead in the Crusade to say No to Corruption.
Chief Jimilehin is the Ex-Chancellor of The African Church.
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