One of the most generally accepted cankerworms that has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigeria as a nation remains corruption in various forms. It has become so endemic that citizens now hope that it can only be overcome by the divine intervention of the Almighty. But unfortunately, some of those that are supposed to be leading the spiritual squad in this direction are not spared in the web of the scourge.
A recent report that is still trending on social media allegedly shows one of them to have been having an amorous sexual escapade with some ladies among his congregation, including a Nollywood socialite he promised marriage but failed. Bad as this aspect of corruption is, many of the perpetrators seem to only direct the attention of the people towards the direction of men in leadership positions whose area of concentration in the foul game is funds mismanagement and embezzlement.
The frequent collapsing or shutdown of the power source as occurred during the recent yuletide of 2025, no doubts has once again exposed the spate of corruption in the nation’s power sector.
This, as usual has led to the collapse of many infrastructural provisions in the country, particularly the hospitality industry and other manufacturing concerns that rely heavily on the bumper sales of the season as consolations for bad economic performance in course of navigating the years. The ripple effect is that this occurrence will further inspire the total exit of many multinational companies in the nation’s industrial space, thereby worsening the unemployment menace in Nigeria.
This economic embarrassment becomes more worrisome when it becomes obvious that the menace is no longer a respecter of age group or class. While youths are constantly blamed for getting involved in get-rich-quick schemes, the elderly are also being found to be pilfering the kinds of money they do not need from government coffers.
Until otherwise is proved, the former Minister of Labour who also formerly served as governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige (a medical doctor by profession and an elder statesman) has a corruption charge running to the tune of N2.2 billion hanging on his neck as he narrowly escaped spending the yuletide in Kuje Prisons. The case is still on-going.
Due to corruption, ostentatious life styles have become the order of the day. Men and women with little incomes seldom live within their means. Activities like burials, marriages, naming and other celebrations like Christmas are carried out by many Nigerians with borrowed funds.
This irresponsible propensity for social extravagance has led many to avoidable financial liabilities resulting into deadly ailments such as high blood pressure and heart attacks in addition to self-inflicted poverty.
When Karl Mars described religion as the opium of the masses, he probably did not foresee a time when some people in Nigeria would corruptly use it in place of employment and hard work. Probably due to economic hardship, it is now common to find citizens who would rather close their shops for more than three days a week for religious purposes and still want God’s kind of prosperity.
The character of honesty, integrity, steadfastness and dedication to duty as exhibited by men like Chief Michael Imoudu, Chief M.C.K Ajuluchukwu, Mallam Aminu Kano and others now look foolish before many Nigerians. Get-rich-quick syndrome has attained a height that makes corruption a competitive business in the country, with people embezzling monies they may never need in their entire lives.
Ahmed Idris became the Accountant-general of the federation in June 2015. He served for seven years in the position (2015-2022) before he was caught in the web of corruption, having been alleged to have embezzled about N109b of tax payers’ money. He was relieved of his appointment.
Another chartered accountant, Mr. Anamekwe Nwabuoku took over the assignment in May, 2022. By July of the same year (after 3 months), he was equally alleged to have corruptly enriched himself to the tune of N1.6b. Haba!
The political activities are not faring better. For over 25 years of unbroken democracy, the actors therein have not been able to create distinct ideologies. Instead, focus has corruptly remained on what is available to be ‘shared’ by the ruling class and their cohorts. Defections from one party to the other are always based on selfish reasons that are not far from thoughts of how to financially exploit the people.
Having established through research that corruption has continued to combine with tribalism, nepotism and religion to wreak havoc in the nation’ economic pursuit, it is only imperative that a state of emergency be declared against it in the coming year.
