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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Nigeria is going through hard and perilous times. Nigeria is not alone in these

challenges but it is a sad and pity to observe.According to Folaranmi (2012):

Mention anything negative; corruption, violation of human rights, fallen

standard of education, electoral malpractices, epileptic power outage,
incessant strikes, lack of security of lives and properties, unemployment,
fraud, greed and the rest, Nigeria is in the forefront. (p.vii).

The above situations have been blamed on our leaders, law enforcement agents

and the populace. They portray our image, attitude and moral disposition in a bad light.

Our political leaders cannot be exonerated from Nigeria‟s woes.It is no longer news that

Nigeria was ranked among the most corrupt nations of the world. Nigeria seems to be

going back ward every day in all aspects of life. Hence Lawal (2012) says that:

While corruption is on the increase our life expectancy seems to be

decreasing, poverty and powerlessness are the order of the day. People‟s
lives are being disposed of cheaply through different means such as armed
robbers, hired assassins, kidnappers and pot holes on most of our high
ways. (p.ix).

The implication of the above statement is that corruption breeds poverty and

insecurity in Nigeria. They are the roots of sin which should not be compromised but

needed a frontal' attack in pulling down this stronghold.

Nigeria is more complex economically, socially, politically, ethnically and

religiously, scholars have that to address. Their views extend towards the Judeo-Christian

world in particular and humanity in general. In Nigeria, there are also the three categories

of people namely,the crowd, the revenue collectors and the politicians, were the principal
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actors whose activities were characterized by corruption, exploitation, degradation,

avarice, selfishness, and other forms of bad image which had the moral situation to

dangerously deteriorate.

The above moral dilemma is no exception in Nigeria with over 200,000,000

people, more than 800 languages and dialects. Nigeria‟s pluralism is compounded by long

military rule or effective occupation which explained avarice, corruption, armed robbery,

kidnapping, bad leadership, drug-pushing, fake drugs and other vices which had cast

aspersion on Nigerians as indecent, notorious and disgraceful.

There is a saying that for evil to triumph, every God fearing person has maintained

mute, indifference and cold complexity. An exposition of the moral situation and the need

for repentance is imperative not only to launder the damaged image of Nigerians, but to

re-interpret the quest for ethical orientation from Nigerian perspective. It is significantly

observed that the anti-snake poisons we need, therefore, is regeneration, a spiritual rebirth

and a national repentance which Uche (2006) says is lacking. The same God who called

John the Baptist audience to repentance through his message is calling on Nigerians to get

back on the right track. This response would advance moral and spiritual development and

character moulding of Nigerians by subscribing to a system of prohibitions to limit the

range of the neonle.

Poverty is one of the most serious problems confronting both the government and

people of Anambra state in particular and Nigeria in general. Anambra state is among the

South Eastern states of Nigeria with the widest gap between the rich and the poor. Despite

her abundant human and material resources, Anambra state still lives in abject poverty.

In the words of Ejekwu (2003), “to be poor is a painful and regrettable state. It is

more excruciating when one is poor and wretched in the midst of plenty” (p.l). Aliyu

(2001) posits that, “the commonly accepted socio-economic profile of Nigerians is that
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nearly 70 percent are below the poverty line” (p.20). This situation calls for concerted

effort at checking the scourge of poverty in AnambraState in particular and Nigeria in

general.

However, in the face of this poverty threat, rays of hope have started emerging that

poverty will not be allowed to continue unabated. There seems to be renewed efforts by

world leaders at reducing or eradicating poverty in Nigeria. The third millennium is said

to be a millennium of prosperity for African continent. In the view of Nwuba (2007) “this

means that in the new dispensation, the people of Africa will be emancipated from the

shackles of poverty” (p.31).In pursuance to this objective, Nwosu (2007) reports that:

189 world leaders, including Nigeria‟s immediate past president,

OlusegunObasanjo, met in September 2000 at the United Nations for the
Millennium summit. The outcome of the gathering was the adoption of the
Millennium Declaration, a commitment by the leaders to relatively reduce
extreme poverty by half by 2015 among other issues (p.21).

Poverty reduction and alleviation is therefore paramount to the average

Anambrarian in particular and Nigerian in general. The millennium goal is that by the year

2015, extreme poverty and hunger must be eradicated. Since the declaration, there have

been increased sustainable efforts aimed at poverty alleviation or eradication by the

Nigeria Government. The government has not relented in mobilizing her citizenry in the

fight against poverty in the land. The federal government of Nigeria had equally carried

the poverty alleviation efforts at the state level with AnambraState inclusive.

In the midst of this poverty alleviationand the need for poverty alleviation or

eradication the tempo of poverty alleviation in Anambra State has been heighten through

mobilization of her members in this direction.

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Earlier in March 2000 about 157 delegates participated in the conference on

Alleviating poverty in Africa, sponsored by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa

(CAPA), and the World Bank, in partnership with the Network of Anglicans in the

mission. The conference which was held at Kenya College of Communication

Technology, Nairobi from March 6-10, 2000, traced its origins to a letter from the then

Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev. Dr. George Carey to the president of world Bank

James Woltensohn in May, 1999 inviting the Bank‟s participation in a Council of

Anglican Provinces of African (CAPA) training course for new Bishops in Ibadan,

Nigeria. The conference which was opened by the vice-president of Kenya, Rt. Hon.

Professor George Saitoti, attracted participants from 20 African nations, and 17 Christian

denominations, with representatives of the Archbishop of Canterbury and of the president

of the pontifical council for Justice and Peace based in the Vatican. They were joined by

partners in development from Australia, Germany, Netherland, Sweden, the United

Kingdom, and the United States. The vice president for Africa, Mr. CallistoMadaro, led

the World Bank team of twenty seniour staff.

In its communique issued in March 2000, the conference seems to point out the

background or base for church‟s active role in poverty alleviation and reduction when it

quoted Jesus‟ statement about his mission on earth as stated in the gospelaccording to

Saint Luke thus:

The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor, has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord
(4:18-19).

From the above Biblical quotation, we see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is

directed at the poor, the broken-hearted, the oppressed and the captives.And the church
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being the Assembly of God‟s people determined to tread the footsteps of Jesus Christ, the

founder, must gear its mission towards the poor, and the likes as mentioned above.That is

why the church uses its position as the moral conscience of the state and its closeness to

the poor, to influence its members and governments. The conference claims in its

communique thus:

The churches in Africa have been shaped by biblical story and held it up as
the source of liberation, transformation for abundant life, and human
dignity of all people. The churches take spiritual issues seriously and see
development as more than secular process. Therefore the church seeks to
hold forth the humane and spiritual values to underpin social, political and
economic development. These values have kept the churches close to the
poor in ways in which international development institutions and many
government agencies are not. The church represents the poor and the
marginalized and can speak for them truthfully and forcefully. (p.2).

From the United Nations Millennium declaration and agreement reached at the

Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa‟s sponsored Conference on alleviating poverty in

Africa, it is expected that each of the participating member country will go back home to

start the implementation of the various decisions reached.

Nigeria, being the most populous nation in the African continent and a major

player in the two conferences, is our focus for discussion. However the work focuses

moreon Anambra which is one of the 36 states in Nigeria. How has the government

sustained poverty reduction, alleviation and eradication efforts in Anambra state in

particular and Nigeria in general?

1.2 Statement of the Problem

From the background to the study, Nigeria has large reserve of solid minerals, with

proven reserve of crude petroleum and natural gas. These indicate great solid base for

development and great potential for greatness. Given the vastly untapped wealth, raw
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materials, together with her entrepreneurial and energetic people alongside great

agricultural resources, the Nigerian Economic Summit (1996) Nigeria has great potential

for greatness. The reverse seems the case as Nigeria has continued to fall behind so many

other countries in an increasing global economic system.Obadan (1998) says that in spite

of Nigeria‟s great potential to achieve greatness and guaranteed improved welfare and

high standard of living for the masses, Nigeria has continued to witness low growth, high

poverty rates, squalor and misery in the midst of plenty

Poverty has become endemic and is fast becoming a ravaging global scourge. The

high rate of poverty, especially in the third world countries and South East Asia is giving

the international community much concern and they have devoted the new millennium as

a period of poverty reduction and eradication. Nigeria being a member of the international

community and one of the third world countries that is badly affected by poverty scourge

has been waging sustainable war against poverty increase among her citizenry. But despite

the government‟s sustained efforts such as setting up cottage industries, giving soft loans,

training through National Directorate of Employment and empowering members through

workshops, seminars aimed at poverty alleviation in Anambra State and Nigeria at large,

poverty keeps escalating.

However, it seems that the church is shying away from this responsibility because

of misunderstanding of her mission and criticism in some quarters that the Anglican and

Roman Catholic churches‟ involvement in poverty reduction and eradication amounted to

secularism and interference in the duty of government.And all efforts of the government at

poverty alleviationin the country seem not to have been yielding improved dividend.This

research, however, is a response to the quest for re-orientation in poverty alleviation.

The study is disturbed with the turgent, retrogressive and multiplying socio-

political cultural, economic and moral crisis in Nigeria. Nigeria has been bedeviled by
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series of multi-faceted crises. These crises have continued to impede the growth and

development of the country. Inspite of the fact that there are three major religions namely

Christianity, Islam and African traditional religion there appear to be no concerted

approach towards harnessing their potential in bringing about functional solution to the

above multi-dimensional problems.

Besides the failures of several approaches by the government such as series of

constitutional reforms, changes of government from military to democratic rules, War

Against Indiscipline, (WAI), Mass Mobilization for Self-Reliance,Social Justice and

Economic Recovery (MAMSER), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Unity Secondary

Schools, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Federal Character Commission,amongst

others according to Anunnadi (2007) to birth a Nigeria where peace, unity, love, equity

and justice would reigns (p.4). Nigeria in this decade has been plunged into the darkest

hour” in history.

The questions then arise, what next? Can religion especially the Christian religion

provide the answers to the theory and lingering need for ethical re-orientation? The

answers to thus question is why this study is being carried out. In other words, there is a

need for a fresh enquiry on the quests for ethical re-orientation in bringing about poverty

alleviation amidst the recurring moral problems in Nigeria.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

Not much attention has been given to this aspect of research in ethical re-orientation

and quest for povertyalleviation in Nigeria.The purpose of this study therefore is to:

1. Examine those crises that have been rocking poverty alleviation in the society.

2. To examine the failure of non-religious indices in bringing about positive changes in

ethical re-orientation.

3. To show that religion has all the potentialities of moving the nation forward if
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properly articulated.

In summary, therefore, the aim of the study is thus:

1. To X-ray the concept of poverty and analyze the current poverty situation in Anambra

State in particular and Nigeria in general.

2. To evaluate government's efforts at checking the ravaging scourge of poverty in

Anambra State in particular and Nigerian in general

3. To identify reasons behind the continued escalation of poverty rate in Anambra State

in particular and Nigeria in general.

4. Explore how ethical re-orientation eliminates poverty in the society.

5. To chart a course for an enhanced and fruitful role of the church,non-governmental

organization and the public in general in mutual collaboration with the secular

government towards poverty alleviation in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in

general.

1.4Scope of the Study

The scope of this study will cover a brief historical background of the nation

(Nigeria), the catalogue of national problems hindering poverty alleviation and how

ethical re-orientation could be harnessed to bring about sustainable development.

This study has been intentionally limited to Anambra state in particular and

Nigeria in general and the Christian church. The scope of the research is therefore ethical

re-orientation and quest for alleviationpoverty as show cased in Anambra State and

Nigeria andthe emerging role of Christian Church,will be delved into, and the unrelenting

efforts of the government towards poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Thenthe role the

stakeholders could play in that direction comes under the scope of this research. The

choice of Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general as a case study is informed

by being prevalence of povertyrelated and moral situation.The privilege of living and

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observing these challenges in Anambra State and in Nigeria is informed by their activities

towards poverty alleviation which have reliable data on their activities and also the

researcher‟s involvement as a minister of the gospel in one of the denominations. For

coherency and easy understanding, this study is divided into six chapters with various sub-

headings.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The work will provide the necessary framework for explaining and understanding the

issue of ethical re-orientation and quest for poverty alleviation in Nigeria. To that extent,

the research will stimulate further research in the areas of providing resource materials for

those interested in carrying out further study related to ethical re-orientation and poverty

alleviation in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general. The research is

empirically significant as the conclusions and recommendations will assist national

decision makers who are responsible for providing a framework for national development.

The mere mentioning of the word “poverty” instills fear and provokes one to

anger. Poverty inflicts untold hardship and misery on people‟s lives. It is demeaning,

dehumanizing and an affront to human existence. Man is therefore naturally embattled

whenever poverty exists as it is today. The rate of poverty in Nigeria today has reached

such an alarming proportion that it seems to have virtually defiled attempts at combating

it. This study will draw meaningful attention to other aspects or efforts which will be

considered very effective and reliable in tackling the ravaging scourge of poverty in

Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general. The work also seeks to address the

problem of the prevailing corruption, greed, dishonesty, laziness, selfishness, wickedness

by exposing the significant quest for ethical re-orientation in poverty alleviation in

tackling the menace of man‟s in humanity to man.

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The significance of the study to the society therefore lies in its relevant

contribution to solving the problem of poverty scourge. If the government could partner

with the churches and rise to her responsibility, there must be drastic alleviation if not

total elimination of poverty in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general.

It is also significant as a reference document that may be used to articulate

functional policies on the emerging role of the church in sustainable poverty alleviation

inAnambra State and Nigeria in general

1.6 Research Methodology

The approach that will be used in this work is analytical methods. A review of the

available literature is done to examine the extent of efforts in poverty reduction and

eradication in Anambra State and Nigeria and the emerging role of the Christian churches.

The gathering of primary and secondary materials will also be used in this study. The

information classified under the primary source comes mainly from personal interview

and observation. The secondary materials come from documentary sources of both

published and unpublished works: They are mainly used to buttress the points and also to

give the work a sense of comparison with other researchers.

Participant observation will play very important role in this study. It is pertinent to

mention that the researcher is a clergy man who is workingwith non- government agency

and is currently serving as a bishop in Anambra State. Hence he is in advantage position

of being an insider and will also look at the issue from an objective point of view devoid

of bias.

1.7 Definition of Operational Terms

For proper understanding of the topic, it will be pertinent to define some of the

operational terms in the light of this research. Such terms include: poverty, quest,
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reorientation, ethical- reorientation, alleviation, poverty alleviation.

Poverty

Hornby (2000) also defines poverty as the state of being poor which in turn is having very

little money; not having enough money for basic needs; deserving pity and sympathy

(p.910). Poverty, in effect, is the miserable condition of lack especially of the basic

necessities.

But in view of the meaning ascribed the word in its general usage in the socio-

political matrix of the present day world, poverty has assumed other dimensions like

social, psychological other than economic.For the purpose of this study, poverty is

perceived and used in much wider sense as a condition of helplessness, not just of material

lack. Its usage thus connotes all forms of hardship, difficulties and sufferings from

injustice, oppression, wickedness and so on.

Quest

Quest refers to the desire to attain a given height in life. It means the zeal to achieve an

enviable position or success in a chosen sphere of life.

Re-orientation

Re-orientation refers to the act of making one familiar with a given situation. It explains

ones standing in relation to one‟s surroundings and situations.

Ethical Re-orientation

Ethical Re-orientation in this study means complete re-direction as regard to conduct or

moral lives of the people in question.

Alleviation

Alleviation explains making something less severe; reduce the effect of say suffering in

man and in society.

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Poverty Alleviation

Poverty alleviation means or involves improving the living conditions of people who are

already poor. It could mean ways of improving or rendering aid in medical and scientific

areas. It is essential in providing better lives.

1.8 Historical Perspective of Anambra State

Nigerian political history is important in giving insight into the people, institutional

and relationship of Anambra State in Particular and Nigeria in general as a society. In the

words of Chukwu (2002), Nigeria as an emergent nation state is multi-national, multi-

lingual and multi-ethnic polity (p.2). Nigeria has been expressed as a mere geographical

expression. This premise has been subjected to heated arguments. Uzoechi (2004)

maintains that Nigeria comes from a word meaning “Niger area” which dates a far back as

1861, following the taking over of Lagos Island by the British colonial power. Eoha

(2000) is of the view that Nigeria has an estimated land area of 923,773 kilometer with

adverse forms of agricultural purposes. The large reserve of solid minerals, with proven

reserve of crude petroleum and natural gas of well over 27 billion barrels and 120trillions

standard cubic feet respectively. Olatunji (1991) opines that though the first political

associates in Nigeria were the peoples union born in 1908. However, several factors such

as ethnicity, sectionalism and religious prejudice explained its demise, similarly, the

knocking together of the southern and northern protectorates in what is described as the

amalgamation circumstances was identified by Nwankwo (1996), andNwobashi (1997) as

being responsible for Nigeria being born externally by forces that lacked both the desired

consent and interest of the constituent units.

Okoye (2000) is not, left out in feeling that “Nigeria is the only accident of British

Suzerainty which made Nigeria one” (p.18). In Okoye (1991) the consequences of
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Nigeria‟s faculty beginning,ever since the amalgamation, Nigeria, the Nation has existed

as one only on paper.

Nigeria is thickly populated and according to Akpoigbe (1977) has over one

hundred million citizens. Recent population statistics shows that Nigeria has about one

hundred and eighty million citizens. Akpoigbe figure given forty years ago has been

overtaken by recent demography of Nigeria.

The scope of this study is ethical re-orientation and the quest for poverty

alleviation in Anambra State. The historical perspective of Anambra State is necessary in

understandingethical re-orientation and the quest for poverty alleviation in AnambraState,

Nigeria. The discussion will come under geographical location, historical origin of

Anambra State, political institution, economic structures, social system, and religious

setting.

1.8.1 Geographical Location

The geography ofAnambra State is essential in articulating the setting kidnapping takes

place. Anambra state is situated on a general low elevation on the eastern side of the river

Nigeria. It stretches about 60 kilometers between surroundings of Onitsha to uli towns and

has a cluster of numerous thickly populated villages. The small towns give the area an

estimated density of 1500- 2000 persons living within every square kilometer of the area.

Anambra State is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo/Abia States to the South,

Kogi to the North and Enugu to the East. Anambra State has, according to “History of

Anambra State” a total land area of 4, 416 sq. km. the population density of 840/km or

2,22sgi mi is estimated.

It is worthy of note that Anambra State covers an area most of the populations

being over whiningly rural. However, over the last two decades the rural urban exodus has
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strained the meager urban services to breaking point. The pattern of human migration has

posed serious problems to undue pressure on Anambra resources.

Anambra state euioys two seasons namely: rainy and dry seasons. Rainy starts in

march/April and ends in October. Dry season and the other hand starts in late October and

ends in March. Environmental challenges include erosion, over flooding, poor

environmental sanitation, fragile infrastructure, bush burning and.

1.8.2 Historical Origin of Anambra State

Anambra State is one of the states in South-central Nigeria. The name is derived

from the Omambala River which is the most southerly left bank tributary of the River

Niger, Anambra State was created in 1976 from part of East central state and had its

capital in Enugu. A further re-organization in 1991 saw the state divided into Anambra

and Enugu States with the capital of Anambra State at Awka.

The creation of Anambra state was primarily aimed at breaching the Anambra

north and Anambra South dichotomy which fualed the perceived or alleged

marginalization, wawa and iyekebe mentality and serious socio-political crises, acrimony

of various dimensions and insecurity.

The creation of Anambra State in 1991 resulted majorly from the desire to spread

the gains of economic development and arrest the negative North/South dichotomy that

was fast eroding progress in the old Anambra State, ladigines of the present Anambrs

State often argued that not minding their crucial manpower and preeminence in the public

service of the old Anambra State. It was also argued that infrastructural development

which was concentred in Enugu was responsible for the agitation and creation of a new

Anambra state. The question that is yet to be answered is has the impoverished south been
 15

redeemed by the creation of new Anambra. Has the structural imbalance been corrected?

Is it true that indigenes of Anambra been residing and building houses in Enugu not

excluding giant industries. What could be responsible for this?

The 2006 national census data shows that Anmabra state has more than four

million inhabitants. This is a population bigger than the population of some modern nation

states.

1.8.3 Development of Anambra State

There is need to examine the progress recorded in Anmabra since its in reption and

beyond. Anambra State, according to Nnonyelu and Biereenu- Nnabugwu (2009) were of

the view that Anambra State was a macrocosm of the Nigeria state. It is a fusion of the

good, the bad and the urgly.

In spite of critical areas of challenges in Anambra State, there is a boast of an

abundance of material and human resources. The development of Anmabra State will be

discussed under the following sub-headings political institutions, economic structures,

social system and religious setting.

1.8.4 Political Institution

Anambra State has a well-developed political institution which focuses on

traditional political structures based on compound, kinship (Umunna), village council,

autonomous communities, federated unions, association groups, age grade etc. according

to often berg (1971), the emergence of the privilege and powerful few called titled group

dictate the pace on politicsFoues(1950) was of the view that compound was made up of

families within the compound. The principle remains that leadership is still open to all

adult make within the ages of 55 years except the resident alien or strangers (Obianua). It
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could be observed that ostracism has remained an ultimate sanction of the elders.

Ostracism as a sanction is evoked without considering gender.

Afigbo (1973) says women are not member but have separate associations which

assist their needy members, fund civic projects, general cleanliness and ensured marital

obligations of members. Title societies in Anambra State abound. They include the

NzenaOzo, Ofo and Ekpe. Others are the newly introduced youth council, president

generals of town unions and vigilante.

1.8.5 Economic Structure

By way of emphasis, it has been said that the creation of a new Anambra State

August 27, 1991 was born out of the desire to spread the gains of economic development

which had been negatively affected by the North/ South dichotomy.

Anambra State is richly endowed with fertile table farmland. This no doubt made

farming one of the primary occupation. This explains why palm produce, cassava, yam,

cocoyam, maize and rice are produced in large quantities.

The major rivers have added to agricultural activities in AnambraState. The rivers have

enhanced fishing, irrigation of farmlands especially during dry season, excavation and

transportation system within and across the State.

These are sources of employment which have positively affected life of people,

institutions and relationships in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general.

Carving, weaving and iron smelting have added colour to economic or industrial

programme which create jobs and help alleviate poverty and increase the standard of

living in AnambraState. The people are actively involved in the distribution of goods and

serviced within and outside Anmbra State. The central locations of Anambra State on the
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heart of Igboland and the waterway to south East and the fairly good road network have

been of a great advantage.

Anambra state records giant transport companies. They include EkekeDiliChukwu, The

young, shall Grow, G.U.O Okeke God is Good, C.N. Okoli among others. The State is still

bathing with having Airport F local and international standard.

1.8.6 Social System

Anambra State is rich also in social themes such as and religious festivals. They

help to promote improved and mutual understanding of the social structure of Anambra

State. The family is the primary social, religious, economic and political unit of the

society. Extended family is recognized and parent exert great influence on the growth and

development of children. They are the link between the family, and their children on one,

hand, and between their ancestors and the family. They are taught to avoid evil vices such

as lying, murder, incest, robbery, stealing, and abortion among others.

1.8.7State Security in Historical Perspective

There is no state that wishes to survive that can afford to take security issuesfor

granted. The truth in the above statement is clear because every system of the economy

rests on the viability of the security sector which serves as the protective sector of all other

sectors; in that man must be secure before he thinks about food, clothing and shelter.

As a country, Nigeria has had its ups and downs but it is generally

understood that the country is deficient in the provision of basic security for herteeming

masses 2 . Many scholars are quick to point out that this problem partly arises due to

the strategic ignorance of conceiving security only in terms of military threats. Take

for example, this definition of national security:

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The concept would seem to relate to measures enacted with a view to safeguarding

territorial integrity and national independence from any external threat. It covers any

activity prejudicial to the very existence of the State. This also includes using counter-

intelligence services or secret services to protect the nation from internal

threatssponsored from the outside.

This state-centric understanding of national security has ironically engendered a lot of

insecurity; whether at the sub-national, national or international domains. Andre du Pisani

notes that this has been so because of the predominance of the realist theorists in field

of Strategic Studies and Security Studies 4. This realist approach tosecurity is perhaps

better buttressed by Ann J. Tickner when she observed that "toa realist, security is

conceptually synonymous to the security of the state against external dangers which is

to be achieved by increasing military capabilities.

Ann J. Tickner has succinctly argued that one of the greatest causes

ofinsecurity in the world inheres from our lack of agreement as to what security itself

entails. This becomes even truer when we notice that security has been

underscored from a plethora of angles and perspectives yet no single definition has laid

claim to general acceptability and perfection. The only uniformity is the

tacitunderstanding that security must entail "the protection from threats" . This may be

why YomiAkinyeye elects to see national security as "the protection of

theinterests and values of a state or a nation against threats". One is left to ponder the kind

of threat meant by Akinyeye.

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Again, Handreder and Buel believe that security must aim "to protect a nation against

all types of external aggression, annoyance, espionage, hostile reconnaissance,

sabotage, subversion and all forms of inimical influences". For L. Damus, security must

involve "the prevention of property damage, injury, loss of lives caused by military means

as well as limitation of damage, casualty and death in the event of war”. In his conception

of security, Galtung affirms that "security is invulnerability plus defensive

capabilities minus outside offensive capabilities". The centrality of his thesis

according to ChukaEnuka appears to be that security is "the probability that a system can

be sustained; a human system, a social system, a world system". However, the use of

such onomatopoeic and military jargon such as 'invulnerability', 'offensive and

defensive capabilities' smacks of a realist background and ipso facto, a pointer to the

militaristic preoccupation of the definer.

Aja- AkpuruAja attempts to correct these impressions when he argued that

"this is a common mistake people make to think that security is equated to

thebarrel of the gun. There is security in bread. There is security in social

harmony,there is, yet security in good health and even understanding political order" .

With regard to the on-going observations on national security, OkwudibaNnoli notes

that "as a concept, national security seems to have acquired a mystique. In the

minds of most people, it has become mystical, mythical even mysterious".However,

Robert Mcnamara appears to be nearer to what national security should be when he

opines that the "security of a nation or entity lies not solely or even primarily on its
 20

military preparedness but also in developing relatively stable patterns of economic

development and political growth at home and abroad". Hence, ChukaEnuka asserts

that "the objective of security is protection. But certainly, the term is more than

being protected from military attacks. It encompasses the whole domain and

gamut of human life and, therefore, should be defined in broad and general terms".

It is now generally understood that for security to be meaningful, it must be

anthromorphocentri, that is, concerned with humans. Thus, amongst the different

categorizations of security, human security is considered very crucial. We need not,

therefore, belabour the fact that insecurity which is the direct opposite of security

impinges on the development of societies, especially, the third world of which Nigeria

unfortunately is a member.

Returning to the question of how Nigeria has coped with the provision of

national security since independence, one can submit without equivocation that the

Nigerian state has fared very poorly in the provision of security. This can be

attested to by numerous crises that have bedeviled the country since independence. Within

a short period of fifty-three years, the Nigerian state has recorded more political

crises and instability than any other country in Africa. The carnage recorded in the

Nigerian civil war will suffice to explain this point. What is more, the Nigerian state has

witnessed destabilizing social upheavals, ethnic wars and unprecedented rivalries,

threats of secession, attempted secessions, numerous abortive military coups and

successful ones. Noting these vestiges of insecurity in 2004, Bright C. Obidike writes that:

Within this period (1960-2004), the Nigerian state has had four republics, eight

military governments, and one Interim National Government. In addition, the Nigerian

state has survived more than 18. Religious conflicts, 30 months agonizing Nigerian-
 21

Biafran civil war between 1967-1970, June 12 crises and many endless transition

programmes. To worsen the situation, the Nigerian state has witnessed nine ratified

constitutions, five by the British colonial masters, two by indigenous civilian regimes

and two imposed on the country by themilitary.

One wonders what B.C. Obidike would write if he were to revise his essay in

2013. The summary of the fore-going is that the Nigerian state appears to have a

built-in mechanism that engenders insecurity. EkeneEnefe. Locates the seeds of

contemporary insecurity in Nigeria to the colonial era. According to him, Nigeria's

security and other problems are the logical consequences of the divide and rule

policy of the British which has ravaged the nation's social fabric like the dread

Human Immune Virus, eroding the country of the much needed unity and progress "and

opened the floodgate of ethnicity, tribalism, domination, exploitation, communal

strife... all of which made Nigeria's development a development by contradiction,

Many other observers continue to underscore the question of insecurity in

Nigeria, under the rubric of colonialism and British imperialism. These include:

I.M. Okonjo, Richard Joseph, Claude Ake, RotimiSuberu, Jibrim Ibrahim and

OkwudibaNnoliamong others, indeed, there appears to an undeniable evidence to

believe that the roots of insecurity in Nigeria must be sought within the purview of

British imperialism and since these imperialism succeeded in creating an artificial

entity called Nigeria, without any basis of unity and tranquility among the people, the

onerous task is on Nigeria to ensure it does not become a failed state. Writing about

Nigeria, Olatunji Dare, avers that the Nigerian story is:

 22

A story rich with intimations of a Sisyphean tale, in which battles fought and won

decades ago have to be fought all over again. It is the story of a deluded quest to

build democracy without democrats, of corruption in places high and low. It is a

story of waste and drift, of misdirected energies, lost opportunities, under-

performance and under-achievement, despite a prodigal endowment of human and

material resources. It is the story a retreat from electric power to the hurricane

lantern and the oil lamp as the primary source of illumination. It is-a story of a

land where public service is the surest route to wealth and privilege, where

policy-making at the highest level is seen as a hardship that must be compensated

lavishly". Since independence, Nigeria has been trapped in a series of reoccurring

crises, which has weighed on her developmental aspirations. National security in

Nigeria has often been sacrificed on the altars of, ethnicity, regime security,

corruption, religious sentimentality and favouritism. In the first republic, it was

ethnicity and nepotic national leadership that marred the Nigerian state. Recall that

the federal arrangement upon which the country got her independence rested

uncomfortably on the whims and caprices of three ethnic groups- which tried to

outmaneuver oneanother in the politics of the country. Thus, the three political

parties that operated had nothing to wager except ethnic loyalties. In fact, none of

the political parties had any hold outside its ethnic base. Before the long, the logical

contradictions inherent in such an arrangement got the fragile security of the

first republic smashed to pieces and thus unprecedented anarchy set-in. This began

first with the Western regional elections of 1963, as if that was not enough, the census
 23

crises and federal election of 1964 created such enormous security challenges that

finally set the stage for the military coup of 1966. From that time till now, ethnicity

continues to assail Nigeria's national security. On this note, OkwudibaNnoli ponders:

Why has ethnicity continued to pose serious problems for Nigerian politics and society

in spite of various efforts to eradicate it, or at least attenuate it? Unitarism,

regionalism, the creation and ^proliferation of states, ethnic "arithmetic", ethnic

balancing, federal character, National Youth Service Corps, federal unity colleges,

various formulas for revenue allocation, secession, the imposition of a two-party

system, the proliferation of local government areas, government by grand coalition

(power sharing), the policy of WAZOBIA, multi-party democracy, various forms of

military rule, relocation of the federal capital, numerous constitutional

conferences, and official and non-official exhortations for national unity and

interethnic tolerance have all failed to improve the situation.

Nnoli furthermore submits that this problem has persisted because "obviously, the

ethnic phenomenon has not been properly understood. Consequently, it cannot be

adequately tackled. Therefore, a different perspective on ethnicity needs to be

formulated as a basis for further action in this issue area.

Apart from ethnicity, the next causal for the failure of national security in Nigeria is

corruption. Corruption plays a negative role in the maintenance of national security,

especially political corruption. Political corruption involving government officials is

one of the most serious problems confronting Nigeria today. Despite the pretensions of

the EFCC and ICPC in Nigeria's fourth republic, corruption as in the times past
 24

continues to feed large on the social, economic and political fabric of the nation. The

major effects of corruption include the privatization of politics, inexplicable income

differentials, discontentment in the polity and inevitably, the erosion of national security.

What is more, corruption ensures that daily life and transactions become more

cumbersome, frustrating economic activities and rewarding ingenuity with pittances,

whereas, those who do .not do anything enjoy the better things" . It leads to the abuse of

power, deteriorating fiscal and economic management, arbitrary policy change, and a

chronic, unrecorded leakage of public funds. In this connection, Philip Ujomu contends

that:

Corruption leads to a blurring of the line between private and state property, erodes

public trust, invites incompetence and violates the very laws and rules that African

states promulgate. In other words, it ensures that a government cannot effectively

enforce its civic charter and promote public good. Corruption sustains or continues

inequities and reproduces existing patterns of privilege.

Worse than the above scenario, corruption in Nigeria makes sure that contracts and

appointments are not got on the basis of merit, thus -discouraging honest efforts.

Finally, on this issue, Ujomo summarizes the observations thus:

This trend has prevailed in Nigeria since independence. Government officials ranging

from the state leader to the petty bureaucrat have had the power to shape the process

of accumulation... indeed, most of Nigeria's corrupt civilian and military regimes

have pushed predatory accumulation to an unsustainable level, leading to

endemic crisis of social disorder and insecurity in the country.

 25

Again, the failure of the Nigerian state in the provision of security has also been

traced to the nature of its military formations. OkwudibaNnoli reinforces this view when he

noted that "African military, acting on behalf of the state, seeks to protect national

security by killing Africans and imposing extreme suffering on them...they hide

under an antiquated concept of national security". Furthermore, he observes that

"Africans (nay Nigerians) have often seen the 'force' and hardly the 'security' in

security forces.

Since "Nigeria obtained her independence, political exclusion, economic

marginalization and social discrimination have threatened the security of citizens to the

extent that they regard the state as the primary threat to their survival. When people believe

that the government cannot protect their interests any longer they resort to taking the laws

into their hands. The on-going is not a justification of criminal behavior in Nigeria;

however, for a resolution of the security challenges in the country, there is a great need for a

repositioning of the state.

 26

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Literature review of other people‟s works is imperative here in order to provide the

necessary insight and theoretical framework upon which the study rests.

This chapter examines some of theearlier views, opinions, postulations and suggestions of

scholars on the related topic of this research. This is with a view to properly group their

opinions under conceptual, theoretical frameworks and empirical study.Then sharpen the

review.

2.1 Conceptual Framework

This is organized according to the following concepts. Poverty, Origin of poverty,

Poverty alleviation, ethics, re-orientation and ethical re-orientation

2.1.1 Poverty

Poverty according to Robinson (2002) “is the condition of being poor, want,and

poor quality, inadequacy and deficiency” (p. 1087). This may be seen as a literary

meaning which does not offer much insight into a socio-economic understanding of

poverty. Uche (2006) sees poverty as a lack or inability and a condition explaining the

disparities in the production, distribution of goods and services and other enjoyments of a

common standard of living (p.229). It explains the stark contrast between the economies

of the affluent, developed and the industrialized countries and those of impoverished and

developing societies as Anambra state and Nigeria which explains their social inequalities

and has led many scholars to conclude that there is urgent need to combat poverty.

Hornby (2000) defines poverty as „a state of being poor,‟ and „poor‟ as (1) having

little money; not having and not able to get the necessaries of life. (2) Deserving or

needing help (p.901).

 27

Okwueze (2003) upholds the above definition and sees poverty generally as „a

condition of lack of basic life needs especially material needs‟ (p.42). But he also notes

that the words „poor‟ and „poverty‟ are sometimes elusive terms requiring painstaking

explanation as to who is a poor man or who is suffering from poverty. This seems to

create room for different types of poverty apart from the basic material poverty. He is

therefore able to dissect from the New Testament those who are poor, deprived and

oppressed and those who are poor in the sense of being humble (in spirit).

Stott (1984) digests the fruits of studies on cluster of Hebrew words translated

poverty, agrees that poverty does not only mean economically deprived indigents, but also

includes the socially or politically oppressed (powerlessness) as well as those spiritually

meek and depend on God (humble) who, “oppressed by men and helpless to liberate

themselves they put their trust in God” (p.216). Hence, by the biblical evidence according

to Stott, poverty can be said to mean „penury or oppression or helplessness‟ (p.220)

In the light of the above, Lasebikan (1999) states that poverty, today, has many

dimensions which include materials and spiritual conditions. Thus, “concretely, to be poor

means to die of hunger, to be illiterate, to be exploited by others, to become a non-person”

(p.81).

Describing the poverty situation in India, Jayakuma (2005) views poverty as being

more complex than simply income deprivation. According to him, „poverty involves lack

of income and assets‟ (p.74). Poverty is not just condition of lack of income or basic needs

but also a sense of powerlessness and deprivation of entitlement. It is associated with such

factors as prevalence of disease, low life expectancy, inferior housing and poor education

and diet.

Similarly, while describing African poverty, Ndungane (2003) maintains that the

deprivations around poverty are not just about economy but also “include loss of human
 28

dignity” which is about human suffering. According to him, “there is also poverty in terms

of denial of access to opportunities for advancement which is mainly brought about by

inequalities and uneven distribution of wealth” (p.20).

The issue of inequality raises another dimension of the meaning of poverty. Aliyu,

(2001) points that „poverty can either be defined in absolute or relative terms‟ with

relative poverty meaning poverty in comparison with others (p. 14) Atkinson (1995) says:

some people may not be so poor that they go hungry or thirsty, and yet they are relatively

poor when compared with others. Some suffer relative deprivation, their quality of life

being lower than that of others. “Discussion of poverty therefore must include questions

of inequality and fairness, and have a global reference” (p.677).However, it must be noted

that the level of absolute poverty varies with time and place. Writing on rational of

poverty Albert (1978) states:

However rational it might be coming to terms with poverty did not seem to be

acceptable human behavior and combating the willingness to come to terms with it,

something which Galbraith said could be managed by educating and traumating people

(p.2).

Going beyond that, it had to be admitted that, in history, poverty was long

considered to be part of the natural order of things. But people adopt different approach to

it. Teroedjre further explained four approaches to poverty: resignation, charity, precarious

rescue and theft-depending on which side of the fence the approaches stood. But in urban

system, the emergence of mercantilism heralded the demise of a comfortable conviction

and poverty ceased to be ineluctable.

Cliff in his „The African poor‟ wrestled hard to carve out a useful definition of

poverty and summarized thus:

 29

Two levels of want have existed in Africa for several centuries. On one
level, have been the very large numbers, perhaps, most Africans at most
times obliged to struggle continuously to preserve themselves and their
dependents from physical want. These will be called poor. On the other
level, have been smaller numbers who have permanently or temporally
failed in that struggle and have fallen into physical want. These will be
called the very poor or destitute (p.4).

Booth in his study of London in the 1880s defines the poor as; “Those living under

a struggle to obtain the necessaries of life and makes both ends meet and the very poor as

those who live in a state or chronic want”.In early modern France both pauvre and

indigent know hunger, but the indigent were never free from it.Davies sums it up better

and more aptly when he submits that;

Poverty connotes a constant pre-occupation, with what to eat, what to wear,

how to keep warm and dry and stay alive and not a concern with political
questions and without the adjective political the word society has no noun
to modify (p.3).

This definition maybe more appropriate to temperate environment and not in

Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general Miller (1976), writing on poverty

states:

That poverty refers to situation and process of serious deprivation or lack

of resources and materials necessary for living within a minimum standard
conducive to human disquiet and well-being. This kind of deprivation may
apply to the whole societies, even though pocket of extreme affluence may
exist in such societies. (p.20).

This meaning is relevant in view of the relative depreciative theory proposed in the

study. Another writer Cogon (1959) defines absolute poverty as living beneath a certain

minimum standard this meaning is more of a type of poverty than a definition. Therefore,

poverty has to do with living below the economic national defined standard level.
 30

2.1.2. Origins of Poverty

Origins of poverty are not left out of literary exposition. Poverty has its origin in

our levels of development. African poverty has its origin in slavery and colonialism.Lake

(2000) has this to say:

The African droughts and famine are not sudden natural disasters nor are
they simply caused by a lack of rainfall. They are the end result of a long
deterioration in ability of Africans to feed themselves a decline caused
largely by mistakes and mismanagement both inside and outside the
continent (p.8).

Poverty arises from inadequate mobilization and harnessing of the productive

forces of a country. It is worsened by such social events as war on other political conflicts,

natural disaster such as drought which leads to crop failure.

Okeke (1976) writing on poverty states that “poverty arises from the absence of a

just and equitable means of the resources in many societies to the effect that while the

minority is very rich the majority are worrisomely poor” (p.4).In fact, poverty begins as

soon as there is lack of basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing to sustenance of

people‟s life. However, in Anambra State and even most parts of Nigeria, majority of

people live in poverty. They lack income and productive resources sufficient to ensure

sustainable livelihoods.

Poverty is known to have started in some parts of Anambrain particular and

Nigeria in general through mistakes made by the leaders and the followers of those areas.

On the part of the leaders, they lack initiative in piloting the affairs of the state and the

country and ability to assess what are good ideas that will help the country to sustain their

life. While on the part of the led, there is lack of good judgment in supporting the

government, also the led usually appear incapacitated and unable to decide between

choice and options. Okeke (1976) further states that:

 31

Often times the led find it difficult to summon courage to appear before the
government, to stand against lapses and point out areas the government is
wrong in their administration. Rather the led usually relax and criticize the
leaders and their policies and programmes. From America, the concept of
poverty has spread to various parts of the world as a concrete expression of
the awareness that the poor people‟s condition is worsening every year due
to the fact that there is lack of resources to improve their standard of living.
(p. 10).

This entails that whenever there is not enough agricultural resources such as

implements, the productivity level will reduce and lower level group will always find it

difficult to see means of sustenance in their life. Not only that of agricultural implements,

there is also evidence of mediocre, lacking in the world, more especially where the health

condition had been in good order but due to one reason or the other it failed.

Here, we cite Mozambique as an example of a country which health for well over

a decade and until October 1992 was embroiled in a devastating civil war. Millions of

people fled their homes; many were forced to live in camps or health conditions

plummeted. Whereas health system in Mozambique was internationally praised at the start

of the 1980s, the country‟s health status dropped to one of the worst in the world. During

the war, hundreds of rural health units were looted, destroyed or forced to close. Urban

health facilities become overloaded as a result of the migration of rural inhabitants to the

towns. Thus this problem leads the country into a state of poverty. The same condition is

here in Nigeria and could be responsible for poverty.

Looking at the origin of poverty generally, Cogon (1974) opines that: “the concept

of global poverty was in fact tied to the gradual and now generalized economization of life

and the critical integration of the traditional societies of the third world into the world

economy” (p.20). He further emphasizes on relative government, to stand against lapses

and point out areas the government is wrong in their administration. Rather the led usually
 32

relax and criticize the leaders and their policies and programmes. From America, the

concept of poverty has spread to various parts of the world as a concrete expression of the

awareness that the poor people‟s condition is worsening every year due to the fact that

there is lack of resources to improve their standard of living (p. 10).

Before the National Assembly even passed the 2000 budget, the government got

an approval to commit N10 billion to poverty alleviation programme. In 2001 budget, the

government has increased the allocation to poverty alleviation programme by 150%. This

idea of poverty alleviation was received with high hopes especially given the speed with

which the Obasanjo administration tackled the fuel problem as soon as it came to power.

Reducing poverty through alleviation was seen as a means through which the government

could revamp the battered economy and rebuild its self-esteem among majority of people

of Anambra state who had been dehumanized through past military regimes.

Wendi (2005) opines that when you have a decent place to live, a nice job, food to

eat and clean water to drink every day, poverty may not be something you talk about. But

for billions of people across the globe, poverty is a constant companion. According to the

World Bank Report (2000) 2.8 billion people about half the world‟s population struggle to

survive on less than US $2 a day. And 1.1 billion live in extreme poverty, which is

defined as living on less than US $1 a day. Some 840 million go to bed hungry each night.

In 2000, world leaders said „that‟s enough‟, and began an initiative to cut the

world‟s extreme poverty in half by 2015. The millennium declaration was born, building

on a decade of major united nation conferences and summits. According to Anne

Woodworth (2005), representative to the united nation for the Adventist Development and

Relief Agency (ADRA), there are eight goals that the international community aims to

achieve by 2015. Woodworth said, “They are the most broadly supported, comprehensive

and specific poverty reduction targets the world has ever known.” (p.2). these goals are
 33

simple, yet very fundamental.

They include: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal

primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child

mortality; improving material health, combating Human Immune Virus/ Acquired

Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental

sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development.

Nwachukwu in Adiele (ed) (2001) sees poverty as one of the challenges facing the

church which the church should rise up to (p.87), but he does not make it a core challenge.

In fact, it is only the fourth of the dozen challenges that he presented as presently facing

the church in the modern society...

Nabic (2005) writing on a similar topic firmly opposes to the apparent stance of

Nwachukwu that poverty can just be one of the challenges facing the church. He strongly

maintains that “for the church fighting poverty is not just a question of choosing an

activity” (p. l16).

Some other writers especially Jayakumar (2005) expresses consensus with Nabic

position when he stated; “Christian mission and social transformation of poor and

oppressed were always inseparable... the gospel of Christ was not only the power of God

for salvation, but also the power of God for socio-economic and political liberation”

(p.75).

Stott (1984) contends that the church has the key role to play on the poor whether

the poverty is spiritual or material. According to him: “the church is the place for the poor

in spirit, who acknowledge their bankruptcy before God.They have no righteousness to

offer, no merit to plead, and no power to save themselves” (p.220). The church is also a

place and refuge for those that are materially poor. The church must proclaim good news

of the kingdom to the materially poor, welcome them into the fellowship and share in their
 34

struggles. The „poor‟ are those to whom the kingdom comes as great news, partly because

it promises a new society characterized by freedom and justice. It is the strong contention

of Stott that „the church should exemplify both these truths‟. He went on later to expatiate:

The church, then, as the community which is called to exemplify the ideas of the

kingdom of God, should bear witness to the Biblical paradox of poverty by opposing one

kind (materials) and encouraging the other (spiritual). We should set ourselves both to

eradicate the evil of material poverty and to cultivate the good of spiritual poverty...

(p.223).

Ugwuenye (2004) posits that as Jacob (Israel) wrestled with a mysterious being, so

do the church which indicates the church‟s nature and mission as „the Israel of God‟ and

children of promise. He maintains that it is wrong to assume that development would

trickle down to the poor and the under-privileged from economic growth at the national

level. It has to be specifically wrestled out, and that, by the church, because, not only that

the church is the Israel of God, it is only he who is transformed by the mysterious man

that can transform his society and his fellow men and women.

However, Nwagwu (2000) states that “as the government valiantly endeavor to

reduce the crippling effects of poverty and its similar scourges by undertaking

programmes to alleviate the situation, the Christian churches have not been inactive”

(p.vix).Poverty according to her is now a permanent feature in Africa and the culture of

poverty has engulf most African nations in a firm grip... (Which) has forced many

Africans to search other shores for resolution of their economic frustration?‟ From its

inception she observes, the church has been closely associated with poverty alleviation

and has provided help to the suffering as evidenced among early Christians in Jerusalem.

Besides, it was the poor who constituted the central focus on the messianic mission of

Jesus of Nazareth. The poor, the writer underlines, hold such a privilege position that they
 35

become the determinant measure of blessedness or damnation on the Day of Judgment.

She therefore called on the church to emulate Jesus and take preferential option for

poor. The church could do this by translating the gospel- message into action; thus,

bringing relief and hope to the displaced; identifying, analyzing, and addressing the

fundamental causes... this could as well be achieved by eliminating poverty through the

provision of basic necessities of life and by healing the broken spirit of the displaced poor

with the word of God.

Kudajie in Nwagwu (2000) notes that:Throughout the ages the church has tried to

bring relief to the poor and oppressed. But much of this has taken in the form of

„ambulance service‟- playing the Good Samaritan and trying to bring relief when the harm

has already been done (p.3).

Helpful as this is, it would be better to ensure that the Jerusalem-Jericho road is

free of robbers than leave the road safe for robbers to attack and wound innocent helpless

travelers before bringing them relief. In other words, it is necessary to deal with root

causes of the poverty and problem. But the question is, according to him, whether the

church is in a position to do this, can the church as part of its mission of proclamation and

as part of its prophetic role and the role of awareness building and education, advocacy

and transformation, deal with the root causes of poverty and displacement? What

contributions can the church which is one of the most powerful and most ubiquitous

institutions in the land make towards uprooting the root causes? Can the church which is

in vital contact with all segments of the body politic-the governors and the governed, the

politicians, the technocrats and policy advisers, the business people, the workers and all its

human resources and above all, spiritual resources not do more than it may claim to be

doing at present?
 36

This work intends to attempt providing answers to the above questions in

subsequent chapters especially in chapter five.

2.1.3 Causes of Poverty

Having reviewed the poverty situation in Nigeria our mind begin to ponder on why

poverty or what causes poverty in Nigeria? As earlier stated, poverty as lack and

inadequacy in resources is relative. A man with a million naira may be seen to be rich by

those who cannot afford ten thousand naira. But the said man may see himself poor

because his financial needs and problems exceed one million naira. In the same view, a

man whose landed property rates him as a millionaire may not have certain amount of

cash available at point in time, so cannot meet an urgent need. He is right at that material

point in time to confess „poverty‟.

In as much as shades of lack depending on the cash flow at a required time, there

are many people who are poor in asset and cash flow almost all the times. Why are they so

poor to the extent of being unable to feed well, clothe neatly (not gorgeously) live in

decent houses, send their children to schools void of academic disruption, take care of

their wives and extended families? Why must they borrow to take care of their basic needs

of life? Why do we have so much poverty in Nigeria despite her abundance human and

natural resources?

Aliyu (2001) discusses five major factors that contribute to increased poverty level

among the people of Nigeria.These are:

i. Poor macro-economic and monetary policies resulting in low economic growth rate

and continuous slide in the value of the naira which depreciated from N1.0 to N140.0 to

$1.0 between June, 1986 to March, 2001 in the parallel market. Currently the exchange

rate of naira to a dollar is N 180.00 in this respect, for any poverty eradication/reduction to
 37

succeed, Government must ensure low inflation rate, low interest rate, stable national

currency and high Grand Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate compiled with balanced

income distribution;

ii. Dwindling performance of the manufacturing sector which has the capacity to

employ about 20 million people but currently employs only about 1.5 million by all the

2,750 registered members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). In this

respect Government should embark on policies that ensure the availability and access to

cheap capital, land, labour, raw materials, information, infrastructures and technology;

iii. Increased foreign debt overhang of almost $30.0 billion, requiring 83.5 billion

annually for resettlement from an economy earring just about $10.0 to $15.00 billion per

annum. In this respect Government should ensure that foreign debts are forgiven or the

repayments are re-negotiated so as to reduce the pressure on the economy. We are happy

that serious efforts have been made towards clearing the countries back log of foreign

debts.

iv. Poor management of the nation‟s resources coupled with large scale fraud and

corruption, most of which has been siphoned out of the country in hard currency. This is a

country endowed with abundant resources in which between 1970‟s to date, the nation has

earned over $300 billion from oil revenue alone. By 1970‟s Nigeria was among the fifty

richest nations in the world but by the year 2000 Nigeria was rated among the twenty-five

poorest ' nations of the world. In this respects, Government should ensure that most of the

stolen money presently in foreign countries are recovered and utilized effectively and high

level of corruption is reduced to the barest minimum, v. Poor execution of Government

programmes and projects especially projects aimed at the provision of social welfare

services such as education and health and those aimed at the provision of economic

infrastructures.
 38

However, there are other factors that contribute to poverty in Nigeria they include:

Illiteracy: A lot of Nigerians are still suffering from illiteracy. Poverty in Nigeria affects

education and vice-versa. Undoubtedly relevant education has been established as a most

important pointer for development and an essential requirement for capacity building and

improvement in the quality of life. In spite of increased opportunities for entry to

education, a lot of children of the poor parents and the physically challenged in the rural

areas have continued to deprive of it. When basic education is available, the poorest are

unable to take advantage of it because the direct and opportunity costs attached to it are

too high. Thus as Subrarhanian (2001) puts it, „poverty is both a cause and an effect of

insufficient access to or completion of relevant education‟. Lack of qualitative education

retards the development of individual skills and makes it impossible for the illiterates to

make use of technological inventions to improve their living condition.

Poverty mentality: poor people have conditioned their minds, senses and behavior

patterns to be inclined to poverty. So their attitudes and action towards money connotes

that of helplessness, lack and a destiny sentenced to perpetual penury. This is not the

opposite of talking big without a corresponding plan and action. It is rather the docile

attitude and mind disposition that refuses to achieve a breakthrough. If you think you

cannot, the brain and your mental ability is given the message not to make any effort

whatsoever. So, you keep on failing, and perpetually living in abject poverty. „For as a

man think in his mind (heart)‟ says King Solomon, „so is he‟ (Proverb.23:7). A rich man

who is always thinking that his wealth will soon finished and as a result of this fearful

mind deposition becomes stingy to the extent of denying himself, his family, extended

families and God their shares of his wealth, has the same poverty mentality. His mind-set

is poverty stricken. A day comes what he is afraid of and always picturing will come true.

This fear of disaster was one of the forces against Job of the bible. He confessed; “for the
 39

thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not

at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes” (Job.3:25-26).

Stinginess: stinginess ranks second in making people poor. The first question a

poor man will ask is this „what do I give when I do not have?‟ That exposes his ignorance

in wealth acquisition. Every human being has a brain which is the source of all riches.

People‟s hard earned money can be invested in well thought out plans and ventures. This,

the poor man fails to realize. According to Orluogwo (2005):

The poor man should know that he can radiate love by his smiles, helping
hands, selfless and voluntary service. They cost no money. Give them
freely to those who need them, and they will not forget you. Some will ask
God to bless you, or tell the story of your niceness to other fellows who can
help you in your time of need (p.6).

There is the group that has some money, (big amount of money or small) but do

not want to share with others. People should know that whatever amount of money they

have, if not shared, it‟s worth will be short lived. If some is shared with the very needy, he

will not forget the giver. So will God not forget? Some others are too stingy even towards

themselves. They cannot eat well, live in good houses, own cars and send their children to

good schools even when they have the money. They prefer giving people a wrong

impression while suffering in the midst of plenty. Because they do not sow seeds of

kindness and charity in the lives of the needy, the divine law that states that what you sow

is what you reap, applies negatively in their lives. They sow nothing, so they reap

nothing.Tam David West will call this „poverty of wealth. According to West (2006):

„Poverty‟ as used here, is not synonymous with mendicancy or pauperism,

in ordinary language. It is a metaphorical state of deficiency, inadequacy or
bareness; even in the midst of otherwise conventional sufficiency. It could
also be a state of moral, psychological, or even psychiatric individualism.
 40

(p.31).

Worse still, some Christians withhold their tithes even from God who is the giver,

the owner and the sustainer of life. Mairr (1998) defines tithe as “a tenth part of

someone‟s annual income produce” (p. 147). All blessing from God are tied to one‟s tithes

and support for his ministries and his work (Malachai.3:3-11), but people give excuses

most of the time because of their stringiness, they have willed poverty on their families.

Finally the other reason why many people are poor is the unwillingness to do a purposeful

job. There is dignity in labour, some say. Most people who want the benefits of money do

not really want to work. Many want a particular pay pocket without which they refuse to

work. Some others are not serious about the job they are presently engaged in and yet they

expect to feed, clothe well and live comfortably.

How long is the lazy man going to lie in bed? When is he ever going to get up? I

will just take small sleep‟, he says, I will fold my hands and rest a while‟ but while he

sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber” (provb.6:9- 11). And St Paul would

say: „whoever refuses to work is not allowed to eat‟ (2Thessalonica.3:10).

Laziness is attitude of slothfulness, sluggishness, indolence and unwillingness to

work at one‟s best. „I don‟t care‟ and anything goes attitude. Too much rest, boating

around, slumber, weakness of the mind that says the energy of body, God has always

caution against laziness. And therefore we should shun all forms of laziness in our life.

2.1.4Effectof Poverty

Poverty causes numerous problems in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in

general. Among the common problems associated with poverty are lack of income, lack of

productive resources, hunger, and malnutrition, ill health, deplorable healthcare condition,

limited or total lack of access to education, homelessness, inadequate housing, unsafe

 41

drinkable water, higher rate of mortality from illness, social-cultural discrimination,

unsafe environment or environmental degradation or hazards, unemployment, sadness and

strife etc.

Osagie (2007) a social critic, in a very ironic description of the socio-political

situation in Nigeria and assessment of the new president, depicts poverty as “manifesting

when people are sad and things are not easy for them, when there are no employment and

necessities of life like housing and feeding” (p.56). In other words, poverty affects the

mood of the people. The constant strife in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria where most

youths have taken to arms struggle with government and oil explorers in their area is a

case in point.

Environmental Hazard: poverty causes a lot of hazards in the environment.

Writing on poverty, Cogan (1974) states that:

Poverty pollutes the environment, creating environmental stress in a

different way. Those who are poor and hungry will often destroy their
immediate environment in other to survive. They will cut down forests;
their livestock will overgraze grassland; they will overuse marginal land;
and in growing numbers they will crowd into congested cities. The
cumulative effect of these changes is so far reaching as to make poverty
itself a major global scourge.(p. 30).

Poverty affects individuals and families in every part of the world especially those

living in rural areas. Greater numbers of people living in the rural area live in abject

poverty. Rural poor are mostly landless or have farms too small to yield adequate income,

those who have land have no access to fertilizer to improve their impoverished land. Thus,

mere survival among them is a struggle. Life is shorter due to inadequate health care, food

access to clean drinkable water and sanitation. As such in some areas of Africa, people in
 42

rural areas merely survive beyond the age of 60. Life is also harder.

In the developing world, according to Human Right Report 1994, „a fifth of the

world population goes hungry every night, a quarter lack access to safe drinkable water

and third live in a state of abject poverty‟. In addition:

i. The problem of illiteracy is pressing hard in the whole world because of. poverty. In

the rural areas, thousands of children have nowhere to go to school, even if there is a place

to go, no one has money to sponsor them and a million functionally illiterate adults.

ii. Unemployment problem exists all over the world, especially in Nigeria. In the same

Human Development report, it was discovered that: “out of 2.8 billion, 120million people

are looking for work, but without result, while the vast majority of the absolute poor

700miHion-are classified as underemployed, often working long hours at back breaking

job that don‟t even cover their most basic needs”(p.3).

iii. Speaking in the same vein Soludo (2007), rightly averred that poverty is compounded

in Nigeria by the high unemployment rate. He put urban unemployment at twenty five

percent (p.5). Onwubiko (2007) argues that Soludo‟s figure was even below the actual

percentage. Onwubiko further stated that “fifty percent of Abuja and Lagos residents are

chronically unemployment and even those employed are under-employed and lack job

satisfaction” (p.9). He warned against an impending or ongoing revolution to be organized

or being organized by large army of children of poor in Nigerian if nothing is done to

eradicate or reduce the extreme poverty affecting majority of ordinary Nigerians.

iv. Disaster is another serious but dangerous problem usually caused by poverty in most

nations of the world. The poor nations are also particularly vulnerable to natural disasters

such as drought, flood and storms, with little margin for survival when shelter,

possessions and means of production are destroyed.

Progress of Nations Report (1995) (UNICEF): states that: “Increasingly desperate

 43

poverty has set destructive synergies of rapid population, increasing environment

pressures, rising social tensions, and political instabilities of a kind on a scale which will

eventually leave no community untouched” (p.3).

Thus, engaged in an old struggle, but with a new sense of urgency, the youths are

those at greatest risk. The young are the most vulnerable victims of poverty.For example:

(UNICEF Poster Caption); each year 8 million children under five years worldwide die

from easily preventable diseases and malnutrition; some 200million children under five

(30 percent of this age group‟s total) are severely malnourished. Even in the world‟s most

affluent country, the United States, a child dies from poverty-related causes every

35minutes while nearly one in every four children under the age of six is currently brought

up in poverty.

Economic hardship and exploitation force up to 160million youth into child labour

and prostitution. The youths embark on these professions only to supplement their limited

families‟ income. Mark (1998) emphasizes: „child prostitution thrives in environment of

poverty and misery‟. He further stated that child exploitation and prostitution in his

country are clearly linked to the disintegration of the family and are fruits of hunger

caused by poverty. „According to him: sometimes teenagers are sent to other countries to

work as prostitutes; The money sent by emigrant prostitutes to their families often

amounts to considerable sums given to the poor of some Asian and African countries‟.

In Nigeria and other African countries some parents who send their female children to

other countries for prostitution claim that poverty led them to sell their children into the

act.

Apart from the above, poverty also causes increase in other crime rate in Nigeria.

Onovo (2007) was quoted in the Daily Sun, as saying that “the source of the high crime

rate is the struggle for the scarce resources, unemployment and poverty situation in the
 44

country today, adding that there is a social dislocation” (p. 13). In his words:

Institutions have been destroyed. The youth roam about aimlessly. The
proliferation of arms, weapons, the adult delinquency etc. these are the
factors that make crime rate high. When we address these factors, crime
rate will go down. It‟s not about providing arms. Let the young people
work. Let them do something. Let them be patriotic also. The youths are
angry. It‟s a reaction to their anger. Armed robbers used to go about in
twos and threes before. Now they come out 15, 20 and 30. They‟re giving
us sign that things are not the same any more. So these are the things that
must be addressed. (p. 13).

Considering the poverty problems in healthcare among Nigeria citizens, the

situation has been reported to be worst because there were no sufficient supplies of drugs

to hospitals more especially to those, living in the rural areas.

In 1988, it was estimated that the percentage of the rural population suffering for

lack of health care was 61 per cent in Anambra state and Enugu state, 30 percent in Imo

state, 32 percent in Ebonyi state and 26 percent in Delta state. As a result of this, many old

and young people from rural areas of these states usually die without proper medical

attention. Olukoshi (1989) states:

There has been a rapid increase in the incidence of rural households and
even urban households headed by women; which now number 28 million.
This was as a result of their husband‟s inability to meet up their position as
head of the family because of poverty. (p.35).

Food insecurity is also paradoxically a rural problem in Anambra state and Nigeria

as a whole. Today we are talking of global food crisis as a result of environmental hazards

like drought, weather condition, earthquake, erosion, storm and war. Of the 800million

people worldwide suffering from malnutrition, the vast majority live in rural areas of

developing countries; which Nigeria rural area is one (Human Development report 1994)
 45

Concerning the urbanization of poverty, although about one billion of world‟s poor

according to UNESCO report, live in rural areas, today the situation is swiftly changing.

In the last 40 years the urban population of the industrialized countries doubled, while

increasing fivefold in the developing countries.

Not only is the world becoming increasingly urbanized, there is also an

urbanization of poverty. According to United Nations Secretariat, the urban population

has grown from less than'30 percent of humanity in 1950 to about 45 percent in 1995. It

projected then that by the year 2005, every second human being will live in a city or town.

Some 300million urban dwellers in poor countries live in poverty without sufficient

income to fulfill even basic nutritional and shelter requirements. Nevertheless the rapidly

increasing population in urban areas is causing considerable strain, not only on the urban

infrastructure and on housing, but also on the urban environment. Matthew (1990) opines:

“that millions of people in the urban areas of developing countries live in precarious

health and under life- threatening conditions. In some cities, more than half of the

population lives in slum and squatter settlements” (p. 42).

He further emphasized that most people living under such conditions also face

another problem: continued unemployment and underemployment. Most cities and towns

are unable to keep pace with .the staggering urban population growth and cannot provide

sufficient job opportunities or adequate shelter. That is why most urban areas in Anambra

state have expanded to nearby rural areas. For example Onitsha urban has extended to

Nkpor, Oba, NkwelleEzunaka, Odekpe etc.

2.1.5 The Concept-Ethics

Ethics is a discipline deeply interested in the inquiry into how rational man ought

to act in general.As Eneh (2001) puts it:

Ethics, a code of values guiding man‟s choice and actions is a normative,

 46

science, it is fundamentally concerned with the investigation of the basic

principles, laws and concepts that are or ought to be found in human
thought and rational choice and action in the face of alternative ones.
(p.30).

In a clear point of view, ethics is the study of human conduct which rationally

investigates into what is performed or what or ought not to be performed in general.

Ethics deals with the question of right and wrong, good and bad in human conduct.

Eneh (2001) clarifies these human conduct as “Ethics concepts and they are as

follows:Goodness, right, wrong, obligation, duty,Justice etc” (p.31).Oxford Advanced

Learner's Dictionary ofcurrent English (1974) describes ethics as:“A system of moral

principles or rules of behaviour or moral principles that governs or influences a person‟s

behaviour”. (p.296).

llori in Madu (1997) defines ethics as “The knowledge of what ought to be or the

application of rules that ought to determine the choice of voluntary agents.It is the science

that deals with conduct in so far as it is considered right or wrong” (p.101).Interestingly,

Ethics has different definitions but all agree that Ethics guides human conducts both in

private and public life. This is echoed by Gbenga (1997) as he remarks:

Ethics deals mainly with principle of human conduct and morality. It

assesses the quality of human behaviour to ascertain whether the behaviour
is good or bad, right or wrong, and so on for the well-being of man and
harmony with the supernatural. (p.50)

Again, Madu (1997) gave an insight and possible origin of ethics when he says:

As a division of philosophy, it is sometimes called the philosophy of

conduct or moral philosophy. Its drives from Greek “Ethos” which means
custom, usage, habit, and in the plural, “disposition”, temper or character.It
is therefore the philosophical science of human acts from the point of view
of the order they should have regarding one another and man‟s ultimate
 47

destiny, which they ought to help him, achieve. (p.101).

In addition to the above clarification,Nallace (`1977) says that ethics is “The

philosophical study of voluntary human action with the purpose to determining what type

of activities are good, right and to be done and not to be done so that man may live well”

(p.6).More-over, Mcallister in Madu (1997) has this to say:

Ethics is the study of such human activities that bear the stamp of
deliberate choice, freedom and knowledge in order to establish the
principles of order which those activities ought to have relative, both: to
one another and to man‟s ultimate destiny.(p.101).

The above definitions thinned down to deal with the rightness and wrongness of

man‟s conduct, and the idea towards which man is working and the basis of moral

obligations.

Ethics transcends the laws of the larger society in which each segment operates. For

instance, an action of a dictator can be legal but un-ethical in the Commonwealth of

Nations.

Having given a good number of insightsinto ethics, it is important to know what

ethics tries to achieve based on scholarly view points. Gbenga (1997) says:
that the aim of ethics and morality in human society is for law and order,
rationality, objectivity, peace, harmony, to punish wrong doing, the
common good, of members, to provide society or group with acceptable
and unacceptable standards of behaviour, to enable man to live well, to be
happy with himself and God. (p.50).

If Ethics aims to achieve that above mentioned objectives, one may be tempted to

ask, in what ways will these be realized?Madu (1997) shades some light to these when he

stated:

On the practical side of ethics hinges the practical questions of ethics.

Since ethics is the science of conduct all questions of conducts fall within
 48

the jurisdiction of ethics for insurers. And such questions could be grouped
into the following heads. (p.102).

(a) What ought we to do?

This will entail a list of the duties of man to follow man, to the society in which he finds

himself.

(b) What ought we to have?

This will entail rights of man, which for practical purposes are embodied in the bill of

right.This practical aspect of ethics poses some problems since it has to deal with human

conduct, human conduct can be influenced by the force of charge. Apart from

indoctrination as a good instrument for moral inculcation, or the rule of law, which will

help to enforce sanity in the individual, can we have any other ways that

appeal to any ethics act?

Madu (1997) clarifies the essential features that any ethical act must

consider when-he says that:

(a) “It must proceed from reason

(b) It must be voluntarily done and not under compulsion

(c) It must be deliberately willed.

(d) A value or the good must be sought after”.

Eneh (2001:33) in his contribution added that an ethical act must have

reference to good or desirable objective or behaviour.

The Value of Ethics

The value of ethics is not left out of scholarly viewpoints relevant to the study.It

happens that ethics and morality are inseparable. This is because they are

not only pre-occupied with human transformation but also create civil
 49

society. Thus, the values of Ethics are immense and cannot be over

emphasized. Madu (1997) enumerates to a great extent what can be of

benefit from ethics such among others include:

(a) Ethics furnishes us with the principle of the good life. This is

because ethics prevents the tragedy of a poorly planned life for poor

planning occurs when human existences meanders without principle or

follow wrong ones.

(b) It makes for solid relation with God and fellow men. Then to the

degree of a relationship adversely or conversely contribute generously to

misery or happiness, as the case may be etc.Ethics puts a kind of

transformation or renewal in individual and single him out from

unpolished multitudes. An individual acts rationally, willingly and freely

pursed hence he is not basically influenced by the external authorities ,

causes or determinants.

Based on the above, this review will like to have an over-view on

Christian and Igbo traditional Ethi cs . According to Gbenda (1997), “The

centrality of Christian ethics is love of the creator with somebody‟s whole

personality heart, soul, mind, strength, and love of one‟sneighbor”

(p.58).Gbengamaintains also that, neighbour as ealier explained connotes

caring or aiding any person in need of help. This needcuts across racial or

tribal sentiment and is devoid of discrimination, love of God and other

human beings is the epitome of the Ten Commandments. This two great

commandment are all embracing and accommodate other ten

commandments.Gbenda (1997) says “Christian ethics today touches on human

life justice, peace and unity, forgiveness, law and order in society, fidelity in
 50

marriage, Christian marriage and conduct,Christian conduct and Obligation”

(p.58).

Again, Madu (1997) says that:

Christian ethics is to be based on ones recognition of the good, not

from reason or conscience but from what Gods word tells us. We
believe that not by single adaptation and compromise but by
preserving the distinctively Christian character of our faith.(p.108).

Christian ethics as we have seen touches human life inall its ramification

which is based on ones recognition of goodness in itself, love of God and the

fellow human being.

Igbo Traditional Ethics is rich in ethical orientation that could promote poverty

alleviation in Anambra State in particular and Nigeria at large. Igbo people are the third

largest tribe in Nigeria, their political setting is struc-turfrl in equality and

egalitarianism, and social stratification gives paramount recognition to the

council of elder, the highest institution. Their pattern of life is anchored on their

custom and traditions from where their code of conduct is drawn.Madu (1997)

says that:

In Igbo thought pattern, the ethical code is summed up in the

“Omenala” (customs of the land). One interesting thing about
Omenala is that it encompasses both the religious and the secular,
the spiritual and the material aspect of life. (p.108).

It happens that Igbo traditional ethics like Christians ethics is holistic and

so much incorporated in Igbo life pattern. A person whose character is praise

worthy (in Igbo cosmology) is the person with the following qualities according

to Gbenda (1977) among others are:

He respects elders and his seniors. He respects his parents. He obeys

the advice of parents. He refrains from stealing, committing
 51

adultery,fornication, killing or harming people.He greets people and

exhibits the virtues of kindness, humility and generosity.He quickly
goes on errands with joy.He invites people or visitors to partake the food
that he is eating. He gives his seat to his senior on arrival etc. (p.57).

In his review, one will be overwhelmed with the benefits of ethical acts of both

Christian and Igbo tradition. And these call for the need of ethical re-orientation in out

tertiary institution in order to correct unethical conducts of some of the students.

2.1.6Re-orientation

Re-orientation is one of the key concept in this study.A proper view into its

meaning will be of interest to first get the meaning of “orientaion”. Orientation focuses on

the question of exposing and awakening one to the ideals, objectives and values of a group

of system. Fresh students of tertiary institutions are given this type of exposition every

year. They will be well informed about their new environment and what will help them to

adapt and adjust properly. Orientation forum serves as a rite of passage into a new ground

of human character formation which is guarded with codes of conducts.

Regrettably, Okirika (2001) observes in contrary what orientation in some of the

tertiary institutions turn out to be when he says:

Nowadays, most educational institutions find it difficult to give proper

orientation to their fresh students, what goes on these days, as orientation
of fresh students in some tertiary institutions is probably a one or two day
talk to new students by renowned scholars on a few academic areas. After
which the students are pushed to the classrooms, where later they pick all
sorts of bad manners from their peers some owing to ignorance. (p.332).

Re-orientation therefore implies further addition to what has been done earlier to

effect improvement to the basic values which the students have lost.Thus,

Onyechere(1996) says:
 52

There must be a return to basic ethical values. A situation where whoever

makes money, irrespective of how, becomes a hero and gets rewarded with
Chieftaincy titles, and chairmanships sends the wrong signal to the youth
and students. Unless the drive for ethical cleansing is sustained and
pursued to logical conclusions in all ramifications of our national life, this
society will come to grief. The current situation of insecurity to life and
property will turn out to be a child‟s play unless we move strongly to
replace examination malpractices with examination ethics, to reestablish
educational institution as places for transmission of ethical values system.
(p.80).

In a like manner, Okirika (2002) contributes a similar way-out when he says:

In order to avert the students being lured into cults, the institutions should
not end at orientations only, but they should after such orientation
organized regular seminars and workshops on good human relationship and
dangers of cultism. Equally, moral instruction should be seen and taught as
a serious subject in the curriculum. (p.333).

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English (1974) describes re-

orientation as makingoneself familiar with a situation; determine a new how one stands in

relation to ones surroundings etc.

Re-orientation can be summarized as follows:-

a. Re-orientation is a calling back to normalcy for somebody who has strayed from

desired expectation.

b. Re-orientation implies re-awakening, enlightenment, transformation or conversion of

someone to imbibe and to go back to the desirable established standards that regulate

behaviours in private and public places

c. . Re-orientation is a change of an individual abnormal way of conduct, which is done

through lectures, seminars, adverts and workshops.

 53

2.1.7Ethical Re-orientation

In the days gone, institutions of higher learning were regarded as place for

character moulding, training for leadership and learning par-excellent was

encouraged.Students were proud to be identified with the ideals of their Alma mater and

aspirations of their founding fathers and thereby projecting and promoting the image of

the school to outside world. The school herself then will at the end of the student‟s

educational career, say to the student that “he is found worthy in both Character and

learning”

These days, there is a kind of missing link, learning par excellence is thrown

overboard. Good learning environment has been routed by the hoodlums that are operating

in these schools.Taking note of the trend of events in our tertiary institutions, there arises

the need for a - turning round i.e ethical re-orientation.

Ethical re-orientation, according to Malowo in Awolalu (1986), implies, “A

complete re-orientation of manner of life especially through altering and finding

substitutes for the prevailing moral values meaning and goal of life” (p.19). Ethical re-

orientation, in other words will help to collect some of the unscrupulous and misguided

youths in our campuses. A nation that wants to be great will not toil and be ignorant of

giving sound and good moral up-bringing to her youths. In Deuteronomy 6:7 God

commands parents to educate their children in the love and admonition of the Lord.Since

the tertiary institutions are store houses of the leaders of tomorrow, then a high degree of

moral probity must be inculcated.

Anunobi (2000) observes that this is not so. Thus, he remarks, “Our tertiary

institutions are full of secret cults Activities which go hand in hand with sexual

Immorality” (p.17). He agreed that it is time to give our youths ethical re-orientation. This

ethical re-orientation is in line with National Rebirth campaign which was launched by the
 54

president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ChiefOlusegunObasanjo at Eagle Square,

Abuja on I0lh September, 1999. Equally Ejiofor (2001) reports that:“On July 20th 1999,

the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor TunderAdeniran, called together all the

Heads of tertiary institutions in Nigeria to Abuja and instructed them to eradicate cultist”

(p.115).

2.2 Theoretical Framework

A number of theories are imperative in this literature review. In this theoretical

framework, the liberal Reformist theory, Relative Deprivation and Equity theory are

adopted.

2.2.1 Functionalism

Functionalism was a dominant social theory in American sociology. It was

developed by Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and according to Haralambos and Holborn

(2008) refined by Talcott Parsons. Functionalism views society as a system, that is, as a

set of interconnected parts which together form a whole. The basic unit of analysis is

society, and its various parts are understood primarily in terms of their relationship to

the whole. The early functionalistsoften drew an analogy between society and an

organism such as the human body. They argued that an understanding of any organ in the

body, such as the heart or lungs involves an understanding of its relationship to other

organs and, in particular, its contribution towards the maintenance of the organism.

In the same way, an understanding of any part of society requires an analysis of its

relationship to other parts and, most importantly, its contribution to the

maintenance of society Continuing this analogy, Haralambos and Hoiborn

(2008), held that "functionalist argued that, just as an organism has certain basic needs

that must be satisfied if it is to survive so society has basic needs that must be met if
 55

it is to continue to exist" (p. 856), From the above views of Haralambos and

Holborn, social institutions such as the family and religion are analyzed as a part

of the social system rather than as isolated units. In particular, they are understood with

reference to the contributions they make to the system as a whole.

For Emile Durkheim, society has a reality of its own over and above

theindividuals who comprise it. According to Durkheim, (cited by HaralambosHolborn,

2008):

Members of society are constrained by social facts, by ways of

acting, thinking and feeling, external to the individual, and endowed
with a power of coercion, by reason of which they control him.
Beliefs and moral codes are passed on from one generation to the
next and shared by the individuals who make up a society. (p. 858).

From this point of view, it is not the consciousness of the individual that

directs behaviour, but common beliefs and sentiments that transcend

theindividual and shape his or her consciousness. The functionalists have

someassumptions which they termed the postulate of functional unity of society.

This assumption states that "any part of the social system is functional for the

entire system" (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008, p.861). This impliesthat all parts of

the society are seen to work together for the maintenance and integration of society as a

whole. Merton however has a different view. He argued that, particularly in complex,

highly differentiated societies, thisfunctional unity is doubtful. He provided the example

of religious pluralismto illustrate this point. In a society with a variety of faiths, religion

may tendto divide rather than unite. He suggested that functionalist analysis should

proceed from the assumptions that any part of society may be

functional,dysfunctional or non-functional. In addition, the units for which a

particularpart is functional, dysfunctional or non-functional must be clearly specified.

 56

These units may be individuals, groups or society as whole. Thus, poverty may

be seen as dysfunctional for the poor, but functional for the non-poor and for society as a

whole.Functionalism begins with the observation that behavior in society is structured.

This means that relationships between members of society areorganized in terms of

rules which stipulate how people are expected to behave. Rules can be formal (for

example, laws) or informal. Informal rules are known as norms. Norms are specific

guides to action, which tell you, for example how you are expected to dress and behave at

a funeral or at a party. Social relationships are patterned and recurrent because of the

existence of rules. Values provide general guidelines for behavior. They provide the

overall beliefs about what is good or bad, desirable or undesirable in a society.

For example, in Western societies values such as honesty, privacy,ambition and

individual achievement are important. Values are translatedinto more specific

directive in terms of norms. The values of privacy produces a range of norms,

such as those that stipulates that you should knock before entering a room and that

you should ask people permission before photographing them. Norms are associated

with particular roles in society. Roles are formal or informal social positions which

carry expectations of certain types of behavior. Examples of roles include lecturers,

student, friend, brother, if doctor, cleaner and so on. Thus lecturers and student are

expected to behave in different ways because there are norms governing the behavior

within these different roles. The structure of society can be seen as the sum total

ofnormative behaviour, the sum total of social relationships, which are

governed by norms. The -main parts of society, its institutions-such as the family,

the economy, and the educational and political systems-are major aspects of the

social structure. Thus an institution can be seen as a structure made up of

interconnected roles or interrelated norms. For example, thefamily is made up of

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interconnected roles of husband, father, wife, mother,son, and daughter. Social

relationships within the family are structured in terms of a set of related norms.

Having established the existence of a social structure, functionalist analysis

turns to a consideration of how the relationship between the different parts of the

structure and their relationship to society as a whole. This examination reveals the

functions of institutions. At its simplest, function, means effects. Thus the

function of the family is the effect it has on other; parts of the social structure and

on society as a whole. In practice, the term: function is usually used to indicate the

contribution an institution makes to ' the maintenance and survival of the social

system. For example, function of the family is the socialization of new members

of the society.Thisrepresents an important contribution to the maintenance of

society, sinceorder stability and cooperation largely depend on learned shared norms and

values.

In determining the functions of various parts of the social structure,

functionalist are guided by the following ideas. Societies have certain basic needs or

requirements which are sometimes known as functional prerequisites. For

example, the means of producing food and shelter may be seen as a functional

prerequisite, since without food and shelter members of society could not survive. A

system for socializing new members of society may also be regarded as functional

prerequisite, since assumed a number of basic requirements for the survival of society,

the next step is to look at the parts of the social structure to see how they meet such

functional prerequisite. Thus a major function of the economic system is the production of

food and shelter.

From a functional prerequisite, society such as Nigeria is regarded as a system. A

system is seenasan entity made up of interconnected and interrelated parts. From this
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viewpoint, it follows that each part will in some way affect every other part, and the system

as a whole. It also follows that, if the system is to survive, its various parts must have

some degree of fit or compatibility.

Thusfunctional prerequisite of society involves at least a minimal

degree of integration between the parts. Many functionalists argue that this

integrationis based largely on values by members of society. Thus if the major values of

society are expressed in the various parts of the social structure, those parts will be

integrated. For example, it can be argued that the value of materialism integrates many

parts of the social structure in Western industrial society. The economic system

produces a large range of goods, and ever increasing productivity is regarded as an

important goal. The educational system is partly concerned with producing the

skills and expertise to expand production and increase its efficiency. The family is an

important unit of consumption with its steadily rising demand for players and

microwaves. The political system is partly concerned with improvingmaterial living

standards and raising productivity. To the extent that these parts of the social structure

are based on the same values, they may be said to be integrated.

Functionalists try to explain how social life is possible. The theory assumes:

that a certain degree of order and stability is essential for the survival of social

systems. Functionalism is therefore concerned with explaining -the origin and

maintenance of order and stability in society. Many functionalists see shared values as

the key to this explanation: value consensus integrates the various parts of society. It

forms the basis of social unity or social solidarity, since individuals will tend to

identify and feel kinship with those who share the same values as themselves. Value

consensus provides the foundations for cooperation, since common values produce
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common goals. Members of society will tend to cooperate in pursuit of goals that they

share.

Functionalism views society as a system: that is as a set of interconnected parts

which together form a whole. The basic unit of analysis is society, and its various

parts are understood primarily in terms of their relationship to the whole. The early

functionalist often drew an analogy between society and an organism such as the

human body. They argued that an understanding of any organ in the body, such as the

heart or lungs involves an understanding of its relationship to other organs and, in

particular, its contribution towards the maintenance of the organism. In the same way,

an understanding of any part of society requires an analysis of its relationship to other

parts and, most importantly, its contribution to the maintenance of society. Continuing

this analogy, functionalist argued that, just as an organism has certain basic needs that

must be satisfied if it is to survive, so society has basic needs that must be met if it is

to continue to exist. Thus social institutions such as the family and religion are

analyzed as a part of the social system rather than as isolated units. In particular, they

are understood with reference to the contributions they make to the system as a whole.

2.2.1.1 Types of Functionalism

The fundamental question is; how does functionalism „function‟ in the

philosopher‟s and psychologist‟s respective logical space? The genealogy from Ryle

and behaviorism is relatively easy to trace: Behaviorism-while avoiding the

metaphysical entanglements of previous psychologies (be they Descartes‟, Hume‟s or

Freud‟s) and giving a third-person account of actions-also seemed to allow no room

for any type of intentional motivation on the part of our hero, who sometimes seems

to us to be both narrator and protagonist of its own drama, the rational human social

agent. Functionalism sought to fill that gap without dragging in the

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phenomenal/subjective, which sometimes seems to the objectively-minded (other

people besides you, for instance) to be what Fodor, in a slightly different context,

calls Christmas in Dickens, ontologically speaking. Functionalism stated that mental

states cause action. The mental state that positions its respective owner with the

information that it is raining will cause the behaviour of reaching for his raincoat.

Linking the causal role of mental states in the individual‟s mental economy with his

behavior allows a foothold into solving Bermudez‟s interface problem; Common

sense psychological explanations are a species of causal explanation. The distinction

between personal and sub personal, beloved of the autonomy theorist, is collapsed. At

least for the philosophical functionalism. For the philosophically-minded theorist, the

causal link of mental states with behavior is explanatory.

For the psychological functionalist, things do not go so easy. One „realizer‟

may not be enough. It seems too simple. Bermudez quotes William Lycan who

contrasts our scientific way of understanding nature to that of philosophy, which tends

to stick to the very abstract. A philosopher may be happy with monism (or may not),

but even the apriori gift of monism, should it be under our Christmas trees this year,

does not give us a scientific understanding of nature; we still need recourse to

multiple levels of explanation (physical, chemical, biological, etc) long before we get

up the chain to the animal that psychology studies. Explanations may need to nest

within nests at many levels within the nervous system (from the molecular to the

atomic or perhaps even subatomic, for example). He or she may point, in fact, to the

dearth of laws within the discipline of psychology itself. Further, a cognitive scientist

may not be even interested at the level of human behavior, so to speak. He or she is

likely to be more interested in how just the brain qua brain behaves, in the basic

structure of cognition proper. (in articulating this distinction, Bermudez may be

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unaware of the ideological implications; to play devil‟s advocate, so to speak, the

disembodied immortal soul of Karl Popper might use this somewhat Kantian

distinction against inventors to argue that all the empirical work at the „psychological‟

level can never equate with metaphysically identifying neural states with mental

states: that metaphysical work is the job of the philosopher-ontologist upon which the

psychologist has no methodological right to trespass.)

So the psychological functionalist with tend to be more skeptical about the

nature of the laws of common-sense psychology and how they „translate‟ or „realize‟

in the human nervous system. Perhaps to counter this sort of criticism, Cummins goes

after the deductive homological model of subsumption under natural law posited by

the logical positivists in the 20 th Century. Cummins argues that laws in psychology

tend to be more like explanandum that explains that there are things that need to be

explained, rather than things that do work of explanation. In psychology, such laws as

there are almost always conceived of, and even called, effects. Scientific or cognitive

psychology or neuroscience tends to produce laws, per se, but effects and to study

psychological „capacities‟ such as imagination or reason built or structured in the

brain? Cummins sees these faculties as kinds of complex dispositional properties that

can be further broken down or taken apart at the psychological level into their

constituent parts-which may not be wholly linear or compatible. Here Cummins gives

the example of solving a multiplication problem in two very different ways;

Bermudez gives the example of a gyroscope in an aircraft that can be constructed a

very different manner yet produces the same effect. It is interesting, to me at least,

that Cummins‟ example deals with abstract concepts that take place in the mind

(addition, multiplication) while Bermudez cites a physical object that can literally be
 62

taken apart in physical space; the concepts of number and multiplication admit of no

physical decomposition.

2.2.1.2 Strengths of Functionalism

One of the strengths of Functionalism is that is asserts that there are purpose for

social conditions of facts. For example, under a functionalist point of view the newspaper

deliverer and the sewer worker all contribute to the function of the entire unit without

serving these purpose the socialand ethical structures would not function properly.

Another strength of functionalism is that it looks at the whole of society, in other

words it is a macro level structural theory. It does not just look at parts of society as an

action theory does. Also a strength is that as it uses the body as a means to describe the

different part of society. For example, the brain would be the politics and the family the

heart etc. This further gives weight to the fact that it looks at the whole of society but

makes it easier to understand sociologically and shows visually how all the different

functions of society link and work together. Functionalism therefore is considered vital for

the smooth running of the state.

2.2.1.3 Weaknesses of Functionalism

The central weakness of functionalism after the end of the Second World War and

Nigeria –Biafran war became its inordinate emphasis on order and stability. The world in

general and Nigeria in particular had become characterized by conflict and instability and

the functionalist view of all things as serving some positive purpose was widely

discredited. In addition, functionalism was rooted in a strong positivist tradition, which

existentialist thought and, later, post- modernism called out of order. Thus at both

epistemological, ideological and methodological levels, functionalism went into decline

and disrepute in the 21st century. Its main strengths are found in the Parsonian school,
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which incorporated three of the four main theoretical tendencies in sociological theory: i.e

constructionist, systems and utilitarian perspectives. This incorporation of so many

elements made it strong and applicable to diverse social situations. Despite Merton‟s

attempt at bringing in “dysfunctions”, however, the central weakness of functionalism

remains its inability to grapple effectively with the idea and reality of conflict.

Another weakness of this perspective, however, is that some could arguably assert

that poverty serves a function in such a society. You can make this argument, but as

Durkheim saw “function” he was much more optimistic and may have argued that poverty

was more a product of “anomie” than actually serving a function. Also, functionalism

assumes that there is consensus: that everyone in the structure holds the same norms and

values; that we all essentially believe in and work for the same thing. Many theorists take

issue with this component and argue that western society is more accurately characterized

as groups of people in a society competing for resources, wealth, and power. More

importantly, these groups do not all believe the same thing (in fact, many are counter-

culture) and are thus in conflict with each other. May Conflict theorists would take the

pessimistic view expressed earlier that poverty serves a function in a society.

Again, functionalism is a macro level theory. For example, as it does not look at

small groups or individuals in society, then it may miss crucial factors that cause

sociological points of interest. Also as functionalism is also known as the consensus

theory the it does not look at the inequalities that Marxism looks at such as exploitation,

conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat the two main classes according Marx.

Functionalism looks at consensus and harmony in society and doesn‟t look at the other

side of the coin.

With regard to this study, the researcher argues that study observes ethical re-

Orientation play both functional and dysfunctional roles. Through the proper re-orientation
 64

of ethical principles, it could serve as a way of enhancing poverty alleviation that would

lead toeconomic growth and development in Nigeria. It could due to over zealousness or

disregard to ethical principles hinder or mar poverty alleviation, economic growth and

development in Nigeria.

2.2.2 The Liberal Reformists Theory

This perspective deals with situational theory of poverty which is hinged on the

fact that poverty results or is given rise from the experiences that individuals or groups

rather than an issue of culture. This theory was made popular by Donnell in 1997. He

posits that poverty results from imposed constraints such s low income, unemployment

and illness.

The liberal reformists theory is relevant in explain that people are poor due to the

fact that they find themselves in a situation of no resources and opportunities for them to

advances their welfare. However, evidences abound that the liberal reformists theory

under pins the establishment of such poverty alleviation programmes as the National

Director rate of Employment where school leavers who are unemployed are engaged.

2.2.3 Relative Deprivation and Equity Theory

Relative deprivation theory dates back to the ancient Greece that is associated to

Gurr (1970) and others. It is concerned with poverty and social segregation. Relative

deprivation and equity theory are two major social psychological approaches to the study

of felt distributive injustice. Both theories postulate its antecedent conditions, emotional

concomitants, and behavioural consequences. Both theories assert that not having and

deserving something are preconditions of felt unjust deprivation; that resentment, anger

and dissatisfaction are among its emotional concomitants, and that the experience of

unjust deprivation leads to behaviours aimed at eliminating it.

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The social deprivation theory applies to the populace in Anambra State in

particular and Nigeria in general. There is need for equitable distribution of resources to

avoid denial or rights and privileges in such area that is suffering from marginalization in

a land of plenty. The social deprivation situation for many has left many in poor state.

This poorstate makes the Church,Government, Non-governmental organization

andAnambra State in particular and Nigeria in generalmust tackle to ensure that the poor

are alleviated from such anomaly.Davis (1959) asserted that a person experiencing

relative deprivation experiences unfairness. It retains the merit of being value-neutral as

between a feeling of envy and a perception of injustice. The appeal to justice will

distinguish those feelings of relative deprivation which can and which cannot be properly

described as a sense of envy rather than the perception of an unfulfilled right. Gurr‟s

(1970) definition of values expectations as the “goods and condition of life to which

people believe they are rightfully entitled” (p.24).Faye and Miren (1970) asserted that the

similarities between the two theories are so marked that a number of researcher have

pointed out that relative deprivation and inequity concerning distributive injustice refer to

the same phenomena. Felt injustice and the underserved benefits of other. Homans (1974)

points this out when he asserts that relative deprivation is the same as distributive

injustice. Adams (1965) declares that his theory of inequity is an integration of “two major

concepts relating to the perception of justice and injustice”, namely, relative

deprivation/relative gratification and the concept of distributive justice (p.268).

Petigrew(1967), in his review of social evaluation theory says, “An unfair exchange” and

injustice‟ are essentially a recasting of „relative gratification‟ but to the neutral

„comparison level‟. (p.266). according to Martin (1981), “Equity and relative deprivation

theories focus on the same …. Variables…. But equity labels and operationalizes those

variables differently”. Wheeler and Zuckerman (1977), ask, “Are relative deprivation and
 66

inequity different constructs? We think not. …. Our own position is that relative

deprivation is a state experienced by the victim of inequity”.

Despite the many similarities shared by the two theories in their approaches to felt

distributive injustice, they have hardly ever been compared. The most likely reasons for

the lack of interaction are that two theories have developed in different disciplines. Equity

has gown primarily in the social psychological literature from work of Homans (1961) and

Adams (1965) and has been largely investigated in the context of behaviour involving

monetary exchanges. Relative deprivation theory, in contrast, evolved in the sociological

and political science literature from the work of Davis (1959), Runciman (1966), and Gurr

(1970) and has been applied to group and societal level phenomena such as worker

(dis)satisfaction, urban violence and collective political action.

It is only recently that some attempts have made to differentiate between the

hypothesized preconditions of inequity and relative deprivation (example, Cook (1977),

Crosby (1976), &Hennigan, 1977; Martin, 1981). However, no intensive work has yet

been done comparing the two theories in their approaches to felt distributive injustice.

This examines how feelings of grievance about the distribution of outcomes have been

approached by relative deprivation theory and by the exchange formulation of equity

theory. This theory has three goals. The first is to deprivation of value expectations

indicates that relative deprivation in his system involves the state of felt unjust

deprivation. Crosby (1976) points out that “by definition, the sense of injustice is a part of

relative deprivation” (p.91). Martin (1981), in explicating the basic components of relative

deprivation theory, points out the deprivation „is a feeling of discontent based on the belief

that one is getting less than one deserves….. it is most frequently operationalized as

dissatisfaction in the perception of injustice”. The status value formulation of equity

theory differs substantially from the exchange formulation. For expository ease, the term
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equity theory is used when discussing the exchange version.

The Liberal Reformists theory and relative deprivation, and equity theory are

reviewed for the purpose of the study. This is because human is imperative in and among

the church members and the priest. As they relate they are able to decipher the needy and

how to involve them in the affairs of the Church. The Church is relating adequately with

all and sundry will be able decipher the level of social welfare need of the poor and needy

among them.

The relative deprivation and equity theory links to the study is that it addresses the

problem of deprivation of rights and privileges either directly/deliberately or through

government policies and implementation strategies that can be devastating. This is very

true of the situation with the peopleof Anambra State in particular and Nigeria in general

is part of. The aftermath of the Nigeria-Biafra war left the Igbo with only twenty pounds

irrespective of the economy money one has in the bank; a policy of deprivation to

impoverish the people.The rich in the society get richer while the poor get poorer. In this

situation some of the citizens, in order to get a share of wealth stoop too low enslave their

conscience; engaging in many vices to survive. When there is equity, there will equal

opportunity for all to survive. There will be tendency of social poverty rate, hence less

need for provision of social welfare services.

Though deprived of many opportunities to grow, the Igbo people in general,

known for handwork and self-reliance developed attitude of non-total reliance on

government. Many resorted to private business. Top government offices are named by

other tribes while the Igbo serve as sub-ordinate with little or no authority in contributing

to policy statements and the implementations. This has relatively created deprivation and

poverty among the handworking people of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province of Catholic

Church. This state of poverty among many of the citizens of the Province has been an
 68

issue of concern for the Catholic Church in Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, hence the

provision of Social Welfare Services to cushion the effects of the deprivation and

consequent poverty of the people.

The periodic rolling out of government policies to enhance adequate provision of

basic needs has born no useful fruit as the poor still get poorer. The Operation Feed the

Nation, (OGN), Green Revolution, and many others yielded no viable fruit. These policies

were devastated by corruption which enabled the deprivation of the poor from getting the

required relief. Schuyler (1974) observes that “the rich–poor gap will be a positive

contribution of the Church. Ossi (1989) suggests that the Church is called upon to help

bridge the gap by working for basic equality of all Nigerian citizens.

The Liberal Reformist Theory reviewed show that relating with the people

irrespective of class gives the less-privileged to ascertain the plight of the needy. The

relative deprivation theory points out that deprivation constitutes social problem where

people are denied the right to opportunities such as education, source of income,health

facilities and many more. This apart from generating poverty equally stirs up vices in the

society.

2.3 Empirical Studies

The empirical studies in this literature review adopt thematic approach. They are reviewed

under the following sub-themes the meaning of National Rebirth, the necessity for

national Re-birth, the need for a new political culture, the need for Revival of hope, the

need for Economic Recovery and stability, the need for moral revival, and the need for

Religion in building a polity.

2.3.1 The Meaning of National Rebirth

Babangida in his selected speeches, entitled “Portrait of a New Nigeria” which

gave insight into national rebirth as a political parlance refers to a new political culture
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that would bring aboutnew direction, new perspectives in the techniques and

management of the affairs of the Nigerian nation. His national rebirth

lacked ethnical orientation and needed a strong ethical fibre in order to be

a true apostle of national rebirth.

Archbishop John Onaiyekan(2005) states that national rebirth reiers

to national renaissance that is brought about by better management of the

nation‟s resources. How these would be achieved in the face of moral

decay is anybody‟s guess. According to Fayose (2005), it is achange that

does not come about by mere legislation. Writing on national rebirth,

Odion (2005) posits that it has to do with foundation for national building

and greatness which according to him is to be birthed by the religious

community.

National rebirth in the words of Adedeji (1993) is that freedom

which the church brings about in the citizenry. According to him,we are

subject to law in order to be free. Elohe (2000) in his own noted that

national rebirth has to do with redirection, and (or) a reshaping of our past

public policy errors in order to align with global trends and standards.

From the foregoing national rebirth refers to right approach in our

political, social, economic, cultural and educational pursuits. It is the
adoption of better and right attitude in our management of our human and
material resources. It is the entrenching of sound moral and spiritu al
foundation, values or principles in our collective individual and national
character

2.3.2 The Necessity for National Rebirth

In spite of the outward worldly signs of our national success, and

big name- the giant of Africa, Amunnadi (2007) writes thatNigeria is

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actually on the brink of our destruction, and if Nigeria do not awaken now

to address the issue, Nigeria will discover much later that it become too

late. Several reasons are given below as the issues that make national

rebirth a need of the hour in today s Nigeria. He did not include the

question for ethnical re-orientation in addressing men rate of poverty and

the need for its alleviation.

2.3.3The Need for a New Political Culture

Reacting to the need for national rebirth Nigeria former President,

Babangida stated that in the face of on multiple national crisis there is an

urgent need to salvage our battered economy as well as usher in a new

political culture for a strong and stable economy.

Continuing, lie stated that part of what has brought on unhealthy

drift as a nation lay in our conception of government and our philosophy

and attitudes to what is good. In his conclusion, Agwu (1999) pointed that there is

a need for a new direction politically since various measures put in place by past

governments have failed to redress the nation‟s continued drift socially,

economically and otherwise. Instead, things continue to grow worse.

2.3.4 The Need for Revival of Hope

Average Nigerian lives in an atmosphere of helplessness. They seem

to have lost hope of themselves, their political leaders, their fellow

countrymen and women and worse still on theircountry. Writing on this state of

hopelessness, Uwujaren (2005) quotes Archbishop John Onaiyekan as

stating that “before they exist of the military the country had yearned for a

democratic government that would usher in respect for rule of law -,

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fundamental human right as well as economic renaissance yet till today

those expectation remains a forlorn hope. The reasons for the above

precious situation may not be unconnected with.

2.3.5The Need for Economic Recovery and Stability

Oyovbaire (1997) summarizes the need for our economic recovery

and stability when he wrote stating that “as a nation we are thoroughly

exasperated with political instability, economic deprivation, and social

devastation and the compelling aggregate is national exhaustion ”. Noting

further that Nigeria‟s economy has been ranked among the 50 poorest and

dismal economies in the world. President Babangida was in agreement to

the above view when in one of his selected speeches, he stated that the

adoption of new direction in policy, and implementation as well as better

management of our national affairs is the' ground norm that would bring about

economic recovery .and stability.

2.3.6 The Need for Moral Revival

Commencing on the level of moral decay eating up even the political

leadership of our nation and the need or national rebirth Orimolade (2005)

puts it succinctly in the following words:The young boys who took over

power inyou wanted a voice" to not around. They said the politicians were

corrupt. The politicians a t that time were taking 10 percent, now they are

taking 50 percent.

Continuinghis remark, he state that there was need for surgical

excision of this deadly cancer before it was too late. Writing on the level of

our moral decay Nzomivvu (1994)posited that the hardship created by the present
 72

economic, social and political problems in Nigeria has generated serious

social ills in our country. For instance he noted that selfish materialism

and breakdown of marital values arc all eating deep into the moral fabric

of our Nigerian society.

Onwu (1992) in his own view condemns the present trend in the

nation where humanistic and materialistic approach to morality is being

allowed to penetrate every area of our national life. According to him the

philosophy of humanism and scientific materialism, which teaches man to

place faith entirely on himself, science and reason above his creator,

leaves much to be desired.

Continuing, he stated that morality has to do with human

responsibility to God on account of our owing our origin to God and the

fact of our awareness of that origin. Any concept, which reduces man to a

mere machine or highly developed animal and expressed in psychological,

biological or sociological term creates a vacuum that needs to be filled.- The filling

of this void is necessary for building a total man that builds a wholesome nation. The need

for moral or spiritual rebirth is an essentially missing link in our pathway to national

rebirth and development.

2.3.7 The Need for Religion in Building a Polity

Duncan (1989) once told a parable that disclosed the importance of religion in

building a polity. According to him a monk personifying theology was approached oven a

controversy, which erupted in the public square concerning a lamp-post which many

people desire to pull down. Responding in a scholastic style, he went back to fundamental

by involving them to consider first importance the value of light, and if it has of itself any

goodness.
 73

But while he was still speaking he was rudely knocked aside and with a mad rush

the lamp-post was knocked down in a moment. And there erupted war in the night with

none knowing at what he was striking. In the end they came to the conclusion that the

monk should have been heeded to in the beginning. For then what might have

been debated by gaslight must now be discussed in the dark.

Corroborating the above claim on the relevance of religiousbeliefs

and values as ground norms or societal survival and progress Maclnyre

(1931) states that “the lack of genuine moral consensus rooted in a public

philosophy he argues has devastating consequences for society”. Noting

with such an arena without rules or referee t h e result is that the strong

seizes power and employs it in their own interest at the expenseof the

weak.

In her contribution ObyEzekwcsili, is quoted by Adeokoye and Edo

(2004) as subscribing to the view that Nigerians need to change

behavioral). There is going to be a lasting turnaround of the nation. This

change, according to her, must be inward driven.

2.4Summary of Literature Review

There is need to gain the existing insight into the related literature on poverty

alleviation in Anambra state: and the emerging quest for ethical re-orientation. Poverty is

variously defined but there seems to be a consensus that there is a condition which

explains the disparities between the rich and the poor, the developing and the developed

economies of the world. A critical look at it origins points to our level of development,

inadequate mobilization in, harnessing the productive force, war or political conflict,

natural disasters, atmospheric conditions and corruption.

Attempts aimed at sustainable poverty alleviation seem to be mission impossible

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because of rigid attitudes of the people. The scripture says it is easier for a camel to pass

through the eye of a niddle than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Many have

resigned to fate with no corresponding efforts. This has been compounded by laziness,

greed, corruption and unemployment.

The Biblical tradition or the place ' of spiritual poverty and poor in spirit needs to

be properly applied. These defects in the literature review will be addressed in the

subsequent chapters starting with the concept of poverty in AnambraState in particular

and Nigeria in general.

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CHAPTER THREE

POVERTY IN ANAMBRA STATE

3.1 Poverty Situation in Anambra State

Poverty is one of the most serious problems confronting Nigerians today. In fact,

poverty has become so endemic in the country that Nigerians now see nothing wrong in

division of the society into the haves and have-nots.Adeboye (2007) states that, “it is sad

and simply out of the ordinary to believe that a nation like Nigeria which makes billions

of dollars in oil revenue yearly still finds majority of its citizens living far below poverty

line” (p.86). Despite the various efforts of government from independence to date, poverty

among the people of Nigeria has been on the increase.

Ezigbo (2009) reports, that “the UN Habitat, an arm of the United Nations

responsible for promotion of quality housing and urban planning around the world

recently said from its analysis that the poverty rate in Nigeria has shut up from 46% in

1996 to 76% at present” (p.l).

According to the report, in 1996 poverty rate in Nigeria was 46 percent but instead

of being made to come down to 21 per cent, it has sky-rocketed to 76 per cent. He said

available statistics also has it that close to 77 per cent of Nigeria city dwellers are living in

urban slums, that is why 99 per cent of problems expected to be solved under the

Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are located in urban settlement. The United

Nations chief Prof. Johnson Falade, the report went further stated that going by current

indices, Nigeria is very far from meeting the global economic target set by United Nations

under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to enable member countries,

especially the developing countries, to reduce poverty rate by at lest 50 per cent. He was

of the opinion that if Nigeria is able to tailor her efforttowards meeting the Millennium

Development Goals (M.D.Gs), life in the country will be a lot better.

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3.2 God and the Poor-The Biblical Perspective

As Christians, our understanding of God‟s words as contained in the Bible will

enable us to know the appropriate approach to poverty reduction or eradication in our

society. Challenging the church to action, Stott (1984), points out “two statements in the

Bible which appears contradictory, but are actually complementary and as well provide

the frame work for understanding poverty in the scripture” (p.222). The two statements

are:

There will always be poor people in the land (Det.15:11; Matt.26:ll; Mark.l4:7);

there should be no poor among you (Deut.l5:4). According to Stott, (1984) one should

lead to the other. The first is not really acquiescing in the permanence of poverty. Also, it

is intended not as an excuse for complacency but as an incentive to generosity as a result

of which „there should be no poor among you‟. Okwueze (2003) bases his approach to

poverty in the Bible on this identical passage (Deut.15). He started' with the content of

2nd statement (there should be no poor among you) by noting (ie Old Testament stress

that God blesses those who keep his commandments... with material possession. It is clear

because of this blessing that there should be no poor among the people of God as the very

next words reads “for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your

inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and

carefully to follow all these commands I am giving you today” (Deut. 15:4-5). Okwueze

however observed, and rightly, that:

There were uncountable numbers of poor people at every stage of Israel‟s

history. This is among the obedient or righteous one to the point that... the
Psalmist (ps.73) sometimes struggled with the problem as to „why wealth
so often ended in unworthy hands. (p.43).

He then goes to the first statement (there will always be poor people in the land)
 77

which written in full is an injunction for simply generosity and philanthropy. Social

question of mutual self respect which immensely depends on protecting the self-respect of

the poor.

Some authors or writers like Stott (1984), Okwueze (2003), Hinson (1992), and

Fung (1980) dissect the compassionate treatment of the poor envinciated in the Old

Testament especially the law code of Deuteronomy. The laws radiate a genuine humanity.

The poor are highly favored and their welfare received, touching almost every facet of the

social life of the people. In summary, the predicament of the poor (their condition of lack,

powerlessness or helplessness) should never be taken advantage of. They should rather be

given special consideration and treated very well.

In what seems to be his manifesto, Jesus Christ at the beginning of his ministry

reaffirmed what is written in the book of prophet Isaiah when he read out thus:The spirit

of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has

sent me to proclaim freedom for prisoners and recovery of sight for the year of the Lords‟

favour (Lk.4:18-19).Jesus has always shown compassion, to the oppressed. The verse

eighteen of Luke 4 tells of the messiah‟s ministry of preaching and healing-to meet every

human need including that of the poor.

Generally, there is a kind of agreement in most of the literature on poverty in the

bible. First, there is the promise of wealth and divine provision of needs of the faithful

which is the ideal and anticipated situation in the Promised Land. But the real situation is

that poverty is still prevailing and conscious effort being made to tackle it. The position of

the scripture is that the abolition of poverty among the people of God and through men the

world over is a task that must be accomplished.Subsequent two chapters will x-ray various

efforts of both the government and the church in complementing the efforts of God in

reducing and eradicating poverty in the society.

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3.3 Persistence of Poverty in Anambra State

It is an obvious fact that many Nigerians are still languishing in poverty despite

government‟s strides in reducing poverty in the country. And this is not because there are

shortages of resources for improved standard of living. It is neither because efforts have

not been made to utilize the resources or even pool more resources to liberate people from

grip poverty. An examination of the Government‟s programme on poverty eradication

reveals a master-piece and all-encompassing approach. NAPEP is really unequalled and

has everything it takes to succeed.The reason for the persistence of poverty in

Nigeria obviously lies in the following:

3. 3.1 Character of the People

The different poverty situations among the people can one way or the other be

attributed to the people‟s unbridled quest for materialism, erosion of values, insincerity,

unpatriotic, lack of commitment, passion and love for the Nigerian nation. Even the

economic crises in the country are man-induced. Most Nigerians like to adopt shortcut

approach and there by sabotage good intentions and policies of the government.

3.3.2 Lack of Honesty of Purpose and Inconsistencyon the Part of Government and

Policy Makers.

Lack of honesty of purpose and inconsistency on the part of government and

policy makers are Identified as other reasons for the persistence of poverty in Nigeria. For

instance, the Better Life for Rural women programme ended up enriching the wives of

well to do in the society and those who claim to be clever than others to the neglect of the

actual poor rural woman. The Agricultural loans ends in the hands of importers and well

placed civil servants to the neglect of the actual farmers.

Some notable scholars, such as Kannkwenda et al (2000), Ogwumike (1998) and

 79

Egware(1995) while highlighting the reasons, stated that the major reasons for the failure

of poverty reduction related programmes in Nigeria include, programme inconsistency,

poor implementation, poor targeting mechanism and failure to focus directly on the poor.

3.3.3. Over Dependence on Crude Oil and Neglect of Agricultural Production

The other reason is the over dependency on Crude oil revenue and neglect of

agricultural production. The youths even queue up for employment in the oil companies

because of the seeming higher pay. This has adversely affected food security in the

country. The constant increase in salaries of workers has not been able to provide three

square meals a day for most families as everybody chases the little available food

produced by peasant farmers.

3. 3. 4. Environmental Degradation Resulting in Poor Agricultural Harvest

The climatic condition of most parts of the country, especially the north which

manifests in poor rain fall, has put farmers and those who depend on their products in a

precarious condition. The on-going global food crisis is caused by poor weather condition.

In AnambraState and most of the eastern part of Nigeria, the ravaging soil erosion has

been dealing a tremendous blow to farmers who are in the habit of losing their farm land

or had the fertile surface of the soil washed away. In the South it has been water and land

pollution as a result of oil spillage in their area.

According to Human Development Report (1994), “economic collapse and natural

disasters can also lead to social break down” (p.54). And on this issue, the former UN

secretary-General has been quite explicit in his agenda for peace: “Drought and disease

can decimate no less mercilessly than weapons of war”

Another reason for the persistence of poverty is urban migration. There is mad

rush to urban cities by able bodied men and women. Most of them are not even educated.
 80

They abandon their fertile agricultural land and their farm work to urban cities. This mass

exodus of people from rural areas to urban centre has resulted in over population,

accommodation problem, health hazard and even unemployment as many people chase

few available menial jobs in the urban' centre. Because of over population and acute

accommodation problem, many of the people live in squalors and under the bridge and

motor parks.

Sin and corruption is the canker worm that had eaten deep into the lives of the

Nigerians. Corruption of government officials and public servants has resulted in the

sabotage of good intentions of the government aimed at poverty reduction and eradication.

Most of them are in the habit of diverting fund meant for the poverty reduction and

eradication or a specific project in to their pockets. In November 2007 the former speaker

of Federal House of Representative and her deputy were forced to resign their

appointments as a result of their alleged involvement in contract inflation (see Vanguard

Newspaper Wednesday‟ October 31, 2007 front page). Even the former inspector general

of police had to be relieved of his post on allegation of embezzlement of public fund. He

had since been tried and found guilty.

In the light of the above, it will be difficult to achieve the MDGs goal on poverty

eradication. The most persistent problem that militates against poverty reduction in

Nigeria is corruption which has eaten deep into every fabric of the society. Therefore,

Nigeria must fight hard to eradicate corruption in its systems and lives if poverty

reduction has to be achieved. This fight against corruption must be tackled in both the

leaders and the led.Furthermore, Nigerians need to look beyond human effort at poverty

reduction and eradication and pray for divine intervention. The role of Christian church in

complimenting government‟s efforts on poverty reduction and eradication cannot

therefore be over-emphasized.
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CHAPTER FOUR

ETHICAL RE-ORIENTATION IN ANAMBRA STATE

4.1 History of Moral Decadence inAnambra State

The history of moral decadence in Nigeria started since the pre-historic period.

One school of taught says that man is a rebellious prone being. However, the magnitude

or the tempo of the wrongness, bad, immoral and condemnable actions became more

pronounced during and after the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. In the pre-colonial era, issues

like slavery, inter-tribal wars, killing of twins and burial of kings with human beings

especially their slaves indicate immoral activities. The proliferation of arms,

unemployment, poverty, hunger, disease and lack of shelter led many people including

youths into armed robbery, prostitution, rape, incest, stealing, and slavery.

The process of rebuilding Nigeria especially the South-Eastern states was not

easy. The civil war negatively affected the value system and compounded under

development, progress or backwardness of Nigeria. The general principle or idea is

that it refers to the principle concerning wrong or bad behaviour which affects

negatively greater number of people in Nigeria in a particular place, time and

situation. The government takeover of schools from the church did not help the

teaching of moral instruction, religious education and moral education. The

implication of the takeover of schools affected the history of moral decadence in Nigeria.

Education without character was invoked where religious education was taught, the

missionary schools embarked on indoctrination. The curriculum for moral education was

left out and the gardening of mind of man to direct and shape man's intercourse and

conduct in good moral integrity was difficult if not impossible. The danger posed by

this western education and civilization accounts for the history of moral education.
 82

There is culture conflict between western, Christian and traditional value systems

in Nigeria. The fundamental moral principles had existed since the beginning of man and

comprised the doctrine of most religions. Moral education as an aspect of critical

thought was not allowed to understand people, community and their relationships

with others. Uche (2017) says "national moral decay in the private and public spheres of

life in Nigeria has reached a deplorable condition despite increased religiosity and

fattest rate of phenomenal growth in religious participation in Nigeria" (p. 132).

The 1970 May/June West African School Certificate Examination marked the

worst examination conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Nigeria.

There was a repeat seven years later. This time, it was not cancelled, but the students

were marked down. Examination leakages, malpractices, cheating in various forms

and impersonation have been recurring moral issues challenging Nigeria educational

system negatively. Poor funding is not left out of educational challenge.

From the foregoing, it is observed that the deplorable state of decay explains

the monumental corruption. avarice, kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, child

trafficking, child abuse, and other forms of unpatriotic activities. Issues of national

interest or concern have not been seen as issues of immorality or have not been

sustained due to lack of political will and instability. The complex nature of the above

situation seems to compound the lack of moral fibre, attitude to economic and social

issues in life.

The infiltration of Nigerian market with fake and sub-standard drugs,

pornographic materials, internet and other cyber activities have added momentum to the

hard and perilous times Nigeria is passing through for decades. These have brought bad

names to the nation and its citizens both locally and internationally. For instance,

Folaranmi (2012) says that:Mention anything negative, corruption, violation of human

 83

right, fallen standard of education. electoral malpractices, epileptic power outage,

incessant strike, unemployment, fraud, greed and the rest, Nigerian is in the fore-front,

(p. vii).

The above predicament has been blamed on leadership, law enforcement agents

and the populace. In the history of moral decadence in Nigeria, they portray moral

decay, negative image, uncomplimentary attitude and immoral disposition of

Nigerians. The high rate of unemployment, poverty, corruption and insensitivity of

government gave rise and increased anomie. The culturally approved goals became

meaningless. The political leadership is characterized by large scale fraud, corruption,

exploitation, selfishness, avarice and other forms of bad image which had dangerously

deteriorated the moral life of Nigerians. Lawal (2012) says that life expectancy

seems to be decreasing because people's life are being disposed off cheaply through

different means such as armed robbers, hired assassins, kidnappers and death traps on

most of our high ways.

The long military rule was another source of moral dilemma as the military

joined multitude to do evil in Nigeria. Their effective occupation, institutionalized

avarice, corruption, armed robbery, bad leadership, drug pushing and other vices that had

cast aspersion on Nigerians as indecent, notorious and disgraceful. The same military

rule and sit tight syndrome that bedeviled the socio-economic and political life in Nigeria

introduced policies and programs such as 'ethical revolution' by former president

ShehuShagari in (1979) which was aimed at combating moral decadence in Nigeria.

Former President MohammaduBuhari introduced 'War Against Indiscipline' (WAI) in

(1983) which tried to justify military takeover by emphasizing the eradication of the

vices associated with indiscipline such as greed, dishonesty, impatience, vandalism,

brutality, armed robbery, tribalism among others. National Orientation Agency (NOA)
 84

also known as Mass Mobilization for Social Justice, Self-reliance and Economic

reconstruction (MAMSA) in (1991). The above programs could be seen as efforts aimed

at expurgate according to Igbara and Apenda (2002) "ignorance and liberation of the

Nigerian citizenry from the chain of incapacitation". The war against corruption found

unfulfilled expectation as the worst perpetrators of indiscipline and corruption in

Nigeria. A follow up to these program initiatives to light corruption in Nigeria were the

Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the International Crime

Prosecution Commission set up by former President OlusegunObasanjo. These two

bodies have been criticized as tools in the hands of former President OlusegunObasanjo

to fight his perceived enemies.

The deplorable state of decay in Nigeria probably informed late President

UmaruYaraduah to initiate rebranding Nigeria project. For evil to triumph, every God

fearing man and woman must have maintained indifferent attitude to the damaged image

of Nigeria. Approaching the immoral disposition from outside marked the failure hitherto

recorded. The rebranding effort was short lived probably due to the demise of late

President UmaruYaraduah the initiator of rebranding project. The much needed U-

turn in Nigeria's drive towards deliberate turning away from materialism, religious

belief and practices which blinded their eyes from true humanity, hope in the saving

grace of God, liberation from operation and socio-economic transformation.

4.1.1 The Moral Situation in Contemporary Nigeria

The moral situation in Nigeria calls for a sober reflection. It is our observed view that the

discussion is better made by classifying the moral situation under the family, the church,

the school and the government. Periodization will be helpful in situating each structure

and institution in Nigeria.

 85

The family system was more stable during the pre-independence, pre-Christian and

shortly after independence and Christianity in Nigeria Western civilization, Christianity,

and Islam had their toll on Nigeria family system. In the words of Achebe (1963) things

fell apart and the centre could not hold. The traditional family norms and values were

eroded during and shortly after Nigeria civil war. The effects of the civil war on the family

system were enormous. Other factors that influenced the family negatively included

western civilization, Christianity and industry. The oil boom, the Udoorji award and the

crave for materialism made parents to go all out in order to make money.The above was at

the detriment of the family system that was left in the hands of those whose interest were

far from the ideals and principles for which the family was established in Nigeria.The

technological advancement did not help the situation especially as it relates to cyber

crimes, pornography, internet fraud, and yahoo swindlers. Less attention was given to

formal education as a means of developing and sustaining one's potentials in Nigeria.

There is rural-urban migration which did not help the family system in Nigeria. The

search for greener pasture left farming in the hands of old men and women. The search

for white collar jobs did not make Nigerian youths keep faith with destiny and

traditional family norms, and values. Hard work, respect for ciders, patience, loyalty,

patriotism, love and filial piety were far from the Nigeria youths.

Mothers were not left out of the challenge to the family system. They became

materialistic and compete with their male counterparts for business activities. Some

leave in the morning and other come back late in the night. This has negative effects on

their families especially their children and husbands. The parental influence was

weakened. There is no control in their attitude to issues of spiritual, moral and social

development, rather, internet, satellite; or cable television and social media seem to

becloud their sense of humanity. To whom much is given, much is expected from
 86

parents especially in children moral formation and development. Mothers need to be

complimented by fathers in this match towards moral education of their children in

Nigeria.

The post war years saw the proliferation of arms and ammunitions in Nigeria. The

embattled Nigerian youths and their leaders were not sincere in managing the nation's

reserves. The attitude of get rich quick syndrome and the oil boom that did not get to

every Nigerian, made most Nigerians to pursue with utmost zeal such vices as avarice,

kidnapping, drug peddling, terrorism, child trafficking and other forms of corrupt-

practices in Nigeria. Similarly, Nigeria in her 58years of a sovereign nation had not less

than seven coup delta. Each of them would hold on to corruption as their reason for

taking over power. Yet the level of moral decadence has risen unabated.

The fall in moral standard is further complicated by unemployment, poverty,

disease, lack of patriotism and other crimes against God and humanity. The situation

became more unbearable with the Christian church being preoccupied with prosperity

preaching and other forms of commercialization of the Christian church. Indoctrination,

schism and unhealthy rivalry were not left out of the moral situation in Nigeria.

Politically, ethnicity, nepotism, favoritism and thurgery. False declaration of

election results, violence, conflict, arson, murder and terrorism seem to have beclouded

Nigeria's sense of political experiment. The political leadership has not shown enough

evidence of patriotic feeling and exemplary character in stirring the political boat of filial

piety. The economic situation did not help matters as monumental fraud characterized the

nation. Contracts were awarded and the last kobo paid with no tipper of sand tipped on the

sight. The oil sector witnessed individual ownership of oil fields. Pipe line vandalism,

crude oil theft and bunkering seem to defy solution.

 87

Worse still, major cities became the heaven of beggars. Many of these beggars

pretend to be physically challenged. Some hung around places of worship, bus-stops,

festivals and special celebrations by the rich. The high poverty rate explains parents giving

their children to slavery and the attendant large scale exploitation of the poor. In the

light of the above hard and perilous times are here. Folaranmi (2012) articulated these

sentiments as follows:

Mention anything negative, corruption, violation of human rights, fallen standard

of education, electoral malpractices, epileptic power outage, incessant strikes, lack

of security of lives and properties, unemployment, fraud, greed and the rest,

Nigeria is in the forefront, (p.vii).

There is a strong implication that corrupt practices breed abject poverty, violence

terrorism and insecurity. Nigeria is really blessed with abundant human, natural and

material resources but they are mismanaged. The description of Nigeria as the world most

corrupt nation by an international year book calls for serious concern. The reverse seems

the case as the principal actors in Nigeria's political leadership are characterized by

fraudulent mind, exploitation, degradation, avarice, selfishness which have brought bad

image on Nigeria,

The deplorable moral predicament in Nigeria has raised issues as to what role

religion has played to address the hopeless situation. For the above moral evil to persist,

every God fearing person has upheld cold complexity, and mute indifference'. The Christian

church is criticized of compromising as the salt of the world. Materialism seems to have

affected the required radical transformation of thought, attitude, outlook and direction.

The religious inability to holistically address societal injustices in Nigeria informed the

editorial of Nigerian Tribune of Wednesday 1985 to point out that: "Nigerians are used in

these violent reactions because they had suffered from progressive deprivation and
 88

lacked the language to articulate their differences and also were denied the opportunity to

disagree with other privileged members of the society" (p.2).

The manifestation of these violent -reactions is evident according to Uche (2008) in

the ''blood bath in Kano, Kaduna, Kastina, Gombe, Zaria etc." Christian Association of

Nigeria (1987) gave sordid story of the burning of one hundred and thirteen (113) churches

by Muslim rioters within 20 hours of March 1987. Similarly, a breakdown of figures or a

rundown in lives and property destroyed during the violent conflict point to moral decay,

Ilori (1987) opines that the first and largest religious riot in Nigeria claimed four thousand,

one hundred and seventy seven (4,177) lives in Kano state in 1987. The sum of eight (8)

million naira was paid as compensation. In "The Trial of Blood", the breakdown of figures

shows that in Bulumkutu near Maidugiri 400 people were killed in April, 1985. Six

thousand arrest of fanatics were made. Akinrinade (1991) gives insight into the death

figures. Seven hundred and sixty-four (764) deaths were not part of the police

andhundred and sixty-four (764) deaths were not part of the police and mortuary figures of

350 and 500 respectively. It is significant to note that the above tale of woe which the

recent Boko Haram terrorist activities made unending has moral undertone. These rising

wave of deaths, destruction of private and public property, arrests, molestations and

prolonged detention of Chibok school girls have adverse moral effects on the socio-religious

development of Nigeria.

4.1.2Overview of National Malaise

This study here shall attempt to catalogue the various maladies that

constitute our collective national malaise. These problems no doubt create

subhuman conditions which range from hunger, disease, poverty, famine,

injustice, political apathy and selfish inter-tribal wars.

The knowledge of the depth and scope of our collective national

 89

malaise is very important. This is because in modem times as emphasized

by the documents of Vatican 11, especially Gaudiumet Spies, where it

states that the role of the church should no longer be limited to merely

meeting man‟s spiritual quest. Corroborating the above statement Avoseh

(1993:25) posited that in addition to meeting man‟s spiritual quest, the

church should become involved in all activities that are geared towards

preserving man‟s humanity.These national malaise which constitute a cog

in the wheel of our national progress and rebirth are discussed under t he

following sub -headings:

i. Social malaise, ii. Economic malaise, iii. Moral malaise,vi.

PoliticalPredicament, v. Poor Educational funding and Legal malaise,

4.1.1.1 Social Malaise

Referring to a recent programme in Britain aimed at raising

Nigeria‟s image abroad, Oyetayo (2005) remarked that it will take more

than cultural exhibition to beef up the country‟s social image. According

to him, with the country still churning out criminals by the minute, more

efforts need to be put at home in terms of education, orientation and

reshaping of the polity before we start to polish our image outside.

Continuing, he cited the additional succinctly and the derogatory

remarks ordinary and prominent Nigerians receive while travelling abroad

as an evidence that all is not well with Nigeria' socially. Commenting on

the social lives of Nigerians since the end of the civil war, Akpoigbe

(1997) stated that it had been one plagued with crisis. According to him,

Nigerians are too much in a hurry to become rich, a situation that has
 90

fostered several social vices among the citizenry, such as armed robbery,

cultism, embezzlement of public funds, bribery and corruption, drug

addiction, gambling, cheating in examinations and certificate rack eteering.

Contributing on the above malaise, Diya (2015) stated that absence of

moral rectitude amongNigeria citizenry has given room for unusual

increase in prostitution, armed robberyand advance fee fraud popularly

called 419. From the foregoing, it is observed that the various

manifestations of Nigeria‟s social malaiseaccording to A. Ofochie,

(personal communication, June 5, 2018) is predicated on the lack of

underlying internalised norms and value system as well as the distorted

nature of Nigeria‟s social control instruments such as the family, school,

media and government.

4.1.1.2 Economic Challenges

According to Sabo (1992), the crises in Nigeria have numerous

angles and dimensions that are interrelated. He argues that “there is a

dialectical correlation between on the one hand, the biting economic crisis

and accompanying political repression, and on the other hand, the

mounting wave of religious intolerance and revolts in Nigeria.

Writing on the overview of development challenges in Nigeria Ajayi (2002) stated

that Nigerian economy is a devastated one and its rebirth has been the major priority of

the present democratic government since May, 1999. Complimenting this view, D.

Nwokolo (personal communication, August 7, 2018) described the economy' as one that is

heavily dependent on the oil sector. Quoting Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Report of

2000, he remarked that whereas oil export accounted for 58.3 percent total foreign earning
 91

in 1970, it rose to 95.4 percent in 1998. During the same period, the income from non-oil

sector fell from 41.7 to 4.6 percent during the same period. Thus he noted that this trend

where Nigeria‟s economy operates under a high degree of external dependence renders it

highly vulnerable to external shocks.

Analysing the state of the Nigerian economy since independence in 1960, Ajayi

(2002) posited that it has been battered by 30 years of military misrule, an era which was

characterized with institutionalization of corruption. This economic challenge he reports

did not only result in total collapse of most of the social infrastructure and that of the

productive sector, but it has in turn led to rise in massive unemployment.

This economic challenge he reports did not only result in total collapse of most of

the social infrastructure and that of the productive sector, according to J. Eke (personal

communication, June 7, 2018)it has in turn led to rise in unemployment, under-

employment and growth in poverty levels. Confirming the above information the Federal

Office of Statistics in their 1999 Annual Reports states that more than 70 million

Nigerians are living below poverty line as against 67 million people by 1996.In his

contribution Elohe (2000) pointed that policy reversal combined with the political

instability in Nigeria led to deplorable economic situation, a development which in the

words of Ele Sunday (Personal communication, 20-7-18) made poverty situation to

worsen. For according to him the number of Nigerians in the poverty range rose from 39.2

million in 1992 to 67.1 million in 1996.Continuing he posited that:

Due to the policy errors of the past the Nigerian economy after about four
decades of political statehood and economic management suffered from
fundamental structural defect and remained in a persistent state of dis-
equilibrium. The productive and technological base was weak, outdated,
narrow, inflexible and externally dependents. (p.4).

From the information above there is no doubt that economically all is not well with
 92

Nigeria. According to L. Eze(personal communication, May 2, 2018)one of the reasons

being the widening gap between the strategic and the operational level of economic

decision-making process. Economic policies are tailored to serve the selfish interest of the

political class thereby grinding all other economic interests in the polity to a standstill.

4.1.1.3 Moral Decadence

The need to help Nigerians cope with the rising trend of their loss of grip with

moral values and standards made Magaji (2004) to say that:

Over the years certain negative behaviorpatterns have emerged, the most
prominent being gang violence popularly known as cultism. This is a
national epidemic that has impacted schools of all sizes. It carries along
with it drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual malpractice/harassment, bloodshed
etc. (p.9).

Continuing, he stated that there is an urgent need to help Nigerians to develop

standards of personal behaviour that would help them to contribute positively to the

growth of the nation. K. Okoli (personal communication, June 1, 2018) states that Nigeria

cannot grow without ethical re-orientation.

Furthermore, he noted that the lack of moral fiber on the general society which has

tended to favour materialistic acquisition tendency has greatly undermined the younger

generation‟s interest in acquiring sound moral character. Rather, they focus all their efforts

on how to make it quick economically. This attitude he posited is the root cause of growth

of prostitution, armed robbery, buying of certificates and degrees with money etc.

The situation according to the Charles (personal communication, June 3, 2018) was

similar to what Israel once found herself as recorded in the book of judges best describes

the level of moral decay in Nigeria today. “In those days, there was no king in Israel but

every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).
 93

Corroborating the above claim Life Magazine of July 2004 pointed that the

condition in today‟s Nigeria “tends towards permissiveness. People want to cat what they

want to eat even in the face of known hazards, dress the way they want, though they know

their action insults sensibilities of our once cherished societal values”.

Besides the report by Omoniyi (2006) that statistics from National Action

Committee on AIDS, (NACA)show that about 4 million Nigeria is living with dreaded

HIV/AIDS disease is not a good indicator for the nation morally, “this is because it is

usually believed that the disease is mostly contacted through unguarded sexual habit.

The implication of the above submissions is that the nation is sick morally and

need to address this critical challenge before things get out of hand.

4.1.1.4 Political Predicament

Quoting the Transparency International Amokeodo (2005) stated that

Nigerian government has been ranked as the third in the ladder of the most

corrupt nation in the world.This corruption according to Oyovbairc (1997)

cuts across virtually all units and functionary of government. It is a

corruption, which manifests itself in massive graft and extortion by the

executive arm of government.

According to Tsa (2005) the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal

nullifying the results of 2003 presidential election in Ogun State and some

local government areas in the country on the ground of gross irregula rities

is a proof that all is not well with the political leadership' of this nation.

The above ruling was sequel to the suit filed against President

Obasanjo by General MuhamaduBuhari on the ground that the Obasunjo

used his party members as Residential Electoral Commissioners (REC)

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including armed military personnel and the police to rig election in his

favor. Commenting on the above Court, of Appeal‟s ruling Bamigbetan

(2005) stated that what it means is that Mr. President and his party the

PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) obtained the mandate which he is

purporting to exercise by corrupt means.

Contributing on the issue of b a d leadership, Ogbonnaya (2005) in

his report stated that when leaders mortgage the conscience of their people

by allowing the national values and cultures held supreme by the people to

drift away the resultant effect is loss of confidence in their leadership as

well as general atmosphere of non-complacency. Continuing, he described

the present leadership in Nigeria as that where the overall rights and

welfare of the citizenry are not protected and respected. This is why the

researcher describes the nation as being sick politically by operating in an

atmosphere where her leader places, personal interest far above national

interest.NwabuileStella (personal communication, September 22, 2019)

was very pointed in his view that when onecatalogued the ills .associated with

bad leadership in Nigeria as thefollowing: Misappropriation of funds,

embezzlement, and lack ofpatriotism, nepotism, sectionalism, bribery and

corruption come to mind.Noting further that productivity and efficiency

are traded to the wind in an environment where factors other than excellence are

employed in selecting leaders or managers.

In his contribution Akpoigbc (1997) stated that poor philosophy' of

leadership has been a major factor working against the progress of Nigeria.

From the foregoing the writer wishes to observe that Nigerian‟s political

woes are fundamentally rooted in the problem of bad leadership which

 95

according to OnwukaUgwu (personal communication, September 18,

2018is built on materialism and self-centeredness.This attitude has called

for ethical re-orientation among political leadership and followership in

Nigeria.

4.1.1.5 Poor Educational Funding

Elohe (2005) was very pungent when he stated that Nigerian

educational system has been in deep crisis for many years. According to

him vital literacy indicators revealed a deplorable condition. And these lie

listed as follows:

(i) Fall in adult literacy rate

(ii) Drastic fall in school children enrolment as low as 10% in some states

and 30% in others.

(iii) Increasing rate of school drop-outs

(iv) Significant falls in quality of education at all levels

(v) High rate of banditry, cultism, gangsterism, brain drain and corruption

Continuing, he stated that there is an urgent need to help Nigeria youths to

develop standards of personal behaviorthat would help them to contribute

positively to the growth of thenation.

Furthermore, lie noted that the lack of moral fiber on the general

society which has tended to favor materialistic acquisition tendency has

greatly undermined the younger generation‟s interest in acquiring sound moral

character. Rather, they focus all their efforts on how to make it quick

economically. This attitudeaccording to OnyekachiChike(personal

communication, July 18, 2018) is the root cause of growth of prostitution,

 96

armed robbery, buying of certificates and degrees with money, etc.

4.1.1.6Legal Malaise

According to Bassey (2000) the present democratic government is unique in a

sense. It is described as a lawless government because it does not operate the

constitution.Worse still he adds that even the constitution it inherited is a breached one

since it originated from a military government, which is a non-democratic regime.

In his contribution Bamigbetan (2005) states that in a situation where a President

of a nation single-handedly accuses and declares one guilty of a crime is a development

that grossly undermines and corrupts the judiciary. Continuing, he posits that the decision

of President Obasanjo to hold a state broadcast as a forum to pronounce the Senate

President guilty is a crude approach to derail and frustrate due judicial process. This

development he describes is a gross disrespect to the judiciary estate and a fragrant

desecration of the concept of separation of powers that is enshrined in the

constitution.Concluding, he posited that the constitution has provided a judicial system

that ranges from Customary, High Court to the Appeal Court and Supreme Court to ensure

that in convicting an individual of a crime all efforts are exhausted.

Noting that the recent development in the legal system is a trend that is carried

over from past military rule to democratic arrangement in governance. We live in a land

where equality before the law is in principle but not in practice. This is the position of

Nwala (1985) in Amucheazi (1985) where he stated that, system in Nigeria is titled in

favour of the rich and the ruling class. A situation "he noted that favors the promotion of

illegality and inequality in our rule of law. For instance he pointed that:

The governor or military administrator or commissioner who embezzles

public funds is removed from 0ffice and allowed to carry his loot into
business and later to vie for political power in order to come
 97

back to public office. The clerk who steals a little sum of money
on the other hand is sacked or imprisoned. (303).

Writing on the-deadly blow dealt on the inalienable right of the

people to choose the type of leader (or government) under which they will

live, Efenga (2003) noted that the cardinal pillar of democracy and its

unfading beauty and glory is the fundamental right to choose the type of

leader (or government) -under which they will live. Remove that whatyou

have is gangsterism which operates under organized anarchy.

Continuing, he posited that the riggers of the 2003 general polls in

Nigeria dealt the unkindest blow to the fragile foundation of the nations

hard won freedom. The above statement shows the level of our

undemocratic culture as a nation. Such a culture operates because the

judiciary has no independence and even where they do, they are easily

bought over with monetary inducement because many of o u r men and

women in the judiciary lack the moral fiber to withstand suchprofessional

challenge.

4.1.2 Rebranding Nigeria Project

Rebranding did not emerge in a vacuum. Evidence abounds that the moral decay in

Nigeria which was due to institutionalized avarice. The level of moral decadence was

alarming and something had to be done to address the cancer worm.

4.1.3 War AgainstIndiscipline (WAI)

Apparently not satisfied with gross indiscipline in every sphere of Nigeria life,

President Muhammad Buhari in 1983 introduced War AgainstIndiscipline (WAI). It was

 98

aimed at eradicating vices, associated disharmony, vandalism, greed, brutality, armed

robbery tribalism among other vices in Nigeria.

4.1.4 National Orientation Agency

As part of sensitization and mobilization efforts of federal

government, National Orientation Agency came on board. It was also

known as mass mobilization for social justice, self-reliance and economic

reconstruction (MAMSER) in 1991 by President Ibrahim

GbadamosiBabangida.

4.1.5 Ethical Revolution

Like the study indicated earlier, measures were put in place to

checkmate moral decay in Nigeria. Ethical revolution was a policy put in

place by former President ShehuShagai in 1979. It aimed at combating

moral decay in Nigeria. The level of moral decadence and it attendant

infrastructural decay had negative implications on people, institutions and

relationships.

4.2Failure of Non-Religious Indices in Bringing aboutEthicalRe-Orientation

Today, there is a growing feeling that the various paradigm for bringing about

national rebirth have failed. There is a need for paradigm shift as the various structures put

in place and carried over from past traditions of governance have continued to grind the

nation to a halt and eventually her collapse is inevitable if the issues are not urgently

addressed.This section shall consider the various non-religious indices for development

and how they have failed to bring about national ethical re-orientation.
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4.2.1PoliticalInstability

Commenting on the failure of various political instruments for development,Elohc

(2000) stated that “die need for public policy redirection in Nigeria become even more

obvious with the revelation of the consequences of past policy such as National

Orientation Agency (NOA), Constitutional Amendments, Mass Mobilization for Social

.Justice and Economic Reliance (MAMSER), to bring about the desired turnaround of the

nation politically. The EFCC for instance has been accused by many as a tool of the

government to clamp down the opposition. By employing the commission as an

instrument of selective justice it tend to defeat its initial objective of being an institution

that is charged with stamping out corruption within the polity. Besides the lack of trust

among the political leaders have tended to create the problem of discontinuity of

programmes and policies not originated by them. For instance the Green Revolution

embarked upon by President ShehuShagari was discontinued by his predecessor because

our-leaders are more interested in making names for themselves than in making the nation

to move forward.

From the foregoing, I would like to posit that Nigeria has the problem of

leadership that is at a loss on the way forward. This is why the researcher is of the view

that politically all the indices of moving Nigeria to great height of national development

have failed and the religious approach should be adopted for the ushering of a better

Nigeria.

4.2.2Economic Crises

The nation had in the last years made a futile search for solution from one

economic policy to another. Policies which have continued to impoverish rather than

empower the lot of the people economically.Besides the current presidential system of

governance not only promotes mal-administration, corruption and ineptitude, it equally

 100

grossly undermines the nation economically. From the foregoing it is evident that Nigeria

is operating a vicious cycle economic system that needs new approach if she must break

out from her present, economic deadlock. For instance, programs such as National

Economic and Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS), Structural Adjustment

Program (SAP), back to the land were all programmemeant to boost the economy of the

nation, but which never brought about the much-desired economic development of the

nation.

4.2.3 PoorEducational Funding

According to Ejiofor(2002) there is a great collapse of education in Nigeria such

that it has not been able to bring about the much desired positive growth in terms of

manpower development and technological transformation.Continuing, he posited that

education which was the real engine as well as the springboard that fostered development

in the pre-war Nigeria is now struck dead and is decaying.

Quoting the report from the educational survey held by consultant forum of Vice

Chancellors of South East Universities he stated this about education; “the impact, quality

and direction of education in Nigeria is going down and down”.Corroborating the above

claim, Eke (2002:4) posited that educationally the Nigerian nation has come to crossroads.

While noting that (the nation has never been resourceful as it is today and therefore is

greatly positioned to solve all her educational needs and concerns with relative ease.

Adding that the more we search for answers the more elusive the attainment of the goals

become. He then posits this questions, “how can it be said (or indeed heard) that a nation

which produces and sends its best brain to ether countries is struggling with how to find

the road map to its educational Eldorado”.

 101

We have been greatly ranked as an educated nation as is seen from our export of

great brains to the outside world and our education has failed woefully to bring about

sustainable socio-economic development in Nigeria. This no doubt underscores the fact

that our educational system is deficient of a basic factor. This basic factor the researcher

chooses to call the religious foundation.

The above view agrees with the record of King Solomon in the book of Proverbs

where he stated that “the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise

wisdom and discipline”. (Proverbs 1:7). According to him learning that edges out sound

ethical foundation ends up producing people without character, discipline or civilized

culture. The various changes in national educational policy are predicted on the void

loopholes inherent in them. For instances, the Universal Primary Education program failed

because both qualified and unqualified teachers were employed to handle the program.

This resulted in poor quality graduates. The 6-3-3-4 programme was then introduced to

ensure skill acquisition for those who may not be able to continue their education into

university level.

This too failed because of lack of will on the part of the government to create the

intra-structural base necessary for its success. For instance instead of using fund meant for

providing laboratory and teaching materials, as well as training of personnel, they diverted

these funds into private accounts. Today most of the Introductory Technology

Laboratories built by past administrations have all been grounded due to lack of money

for their maintenance. This problem of misappropriation of fund and lack of will to place

the national interest above selfish interest are no doubt some of the factors derailing our

education system and national development.

 102

4.2.4Poor Technological Knowhow

Science and technology play a very important role in the development of any

nation. Much accomplishment have been made in medicine, engineering, communication,

transport, business, education, and other areas of human needs globally through the

progress made in science and technology.By its ability to touch on every area' of life

science and technology according to lizcnui (2002) has been viewed as “the panacea for

mankind ills”. Continuing he noted that nations strive for technological mastery as being

technologically advanced is often equated (to strength and greatness in modern times.

Citing that this explains why such technological giants as the USA, Russia, Japan, China,

Germany and Great Britain decide what happens in the world today politically and

economically.

However, Jegede (2002) described Nigeria as a nation where technology has

failed. According to him Nigeria boasts of the best brains in Information and

Communication Technology (1CT) in the world, with 90 percent of them residing out of

the country. Yet he states that our communication policy, the implementation of our

telecommunication system especially with respect to mobile and digital technology and

computing and information technology has never been more plan less and riotous. In the

words of Ezema (2002) Technology means development, good and long life. This is

why citizens of technologically advanced nations have everything that

makes life comfortable.

They enjoy good roads, effective and efficient means of transport, well equipped

hospitals, quality schools, comfortable and durable homes, abundant supply' of food and

modern infrastructures.Then technology is best, described as wholesome failure in

Nigeria. To the question why technology seems not to work in our nation Jegede (2002)
 103

implicates the lack of commitmentand corporate spirit. Noting that even when we had the

general direction we arc bogged down at the implementation level.

It is in the light of the above failure that the researcher believes that (time has

come for us to invoke religion as an instrument of creating the much-desired ethical

foundation necessary for building technological greatness.

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CHAPTER FIVE

THE QUEST FOR POVERTY ALLEVTION IN ANAMBRA STATE

5.1 The Challenges of Poverty in Anambra State

Nigeria had a period of prosperity and boom between 1973 and 1978 following the

transition from a peasant export crop-oriented economy to one based on petroleum. The

period which was Udoji National salary and wage increase of 1974/1975, was fondly

remembered as that of petro-dollar boom‟ which according to the then head of state,

General Yakubu Gowon, the Nigeria problem then was not money, but how to spend it.

But Nigerian economy, according to New Nigeria (1979), starts indicating general

poor performance with General Obasanjo‟s budgets of 1979. He had taken N32billion

„Jumbo‟ loans from the International Capital Market (ICM). In order to meet the

conditionality of loan capital, IgweCalistus (Personal communication, 6/5/18)General

Obasanjo announced austerity measure in the form of budgeting, fiscal and monetary

controls like the harsh income guideline, new credit lines, new uniform tax law and

permanent wage freeze in 1978/79. Some luxury export goods were banned, staff from

grade level 07 and above had their annual salary increases stopped. The austerity measure

essentially touched on welfare and state public services like the withdrawal of school and

hospital fees in government owned schools and hospitals.

The measures inevitably sparked off reactions from university students, industrial

workers, journalists and the democratic forces in the country and states had to repress the

uprising and revolts. Thus the Nigeria Security Organization (NSO) was set up.

Demonstrating students of the Ahmadu Bello University and Lagos University were shot

in 1978. Some lecturers alleged to be radical and behind the student‟s action were

dismissed in the University of Ibadan. The National Student Union body(NANS) was

banned. And irate union leaders, workers and journalists were detained or sacked and the
 105

national labour body was re-organized from 896 existing registered scattered unions to 70

unions under the central control of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for government

easy manipulation. The situation is an index for the scope of poverty in Nigeria.

However, the economic aspect of the predicament (which of course is the - basic)

increasingly became gloomier. The revenue of the state started to decline progressively as

can be seen in the fall in oil revenue from about N38billion in 1980 to less than N5billion

in 1984 (UBA monthly Business and Economic Digest, September 1989). The budget

deficit rose from N2.6billion in 1978 to N12.4billion in 1988.

The foreign debt went up from N1.2billion in 1977 to over N150billion in 1988.

So was the debt servicing which jumped from one percent of country‟s income to about

50%. Thus the huge country‟s earnings that could be used to ensure sustainable human

development were diverted to payment and servicing of foreign debt. For instance, the

federal government in its 1990-91 budget allocated the sum of N39.7billion (over 42% of

its total annual expenditure) just to pay interest on external debts. According to Bala

(1990) “this whooping amount, it has been calculated “is equivalent to 21 state

governments and half of the total allocation to the local governments from the federal

accounts” (p.10).

Thus consequent on the above and other factors, including embezzlement,

mismanagement and misappropriation of national resources, the Nigeria situation is

eventually a case of obviously collapsed welfare state. The government has not only failed

to extend social services even to the most needy, but even the existing hospitals and

schools have deteriorated in terms of the services they render, with money now being fully

commercialized. The health crises caused by Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) has

led to complete destruction of hospitals and healthcare delivery in the country. In fact, it

has been reported that all over the country, “the diseases that had been wiped out since the
 106

colonial era like cholera, yellow fever guinea-worm and several diseases related to food

and deficiencies have returned” (Alternative August- Sept. 1989). Hundreds of thousands

of poor and sick Nigerians who cannot afford to buy medical services die daily and many

have resorted to use of religious, fetish and traditional medicines and other forms of

mysticisms.It is estimated by the World Bank that over 15million Nigerians are

dangerously starving, while over two-third of the population have no access to adequate

and clean water, shelter' and clothing and average life expectancy of a Nigerian has gone

down (UNESCO, 1989).

There has been a massive collapse of industries, companies, and enterprises

resulting in many Nigerians thrown out of jobs. Even state and federal government civil

services have been forced to retrench their staff, so are state owned companies, parastatals

and organizations. For example, between 1983 and 1987, Guardian (1989) says the

Nigerian Railway Corporation retrenched over 20,000 of its workers. Even those who

were supposedly employed did not find it easy.

As a result of massive devaluation of„ Naira, sky-rocketed inflation, Government‟s

systematic withdrawal of subsidies on fuel, fertilizers, and food, the situation had also

become for the workers what many Nigerians had described as „Hell on Earth‟. On the

whole, the Nigerian poverty situation is a complex one. It is not simply a case or condition

of lack, but mainly a deprivation.It could be observed that thedeprivations according to P.

Orji(personal communication, May 1, 2018)are not just about human sufferings; there is

also poverty in terms of injustice, oppression, and denials of human rights and access to

opportunities for advancement.

This is especially as ours is a society in which, on one hand, there are huge

material and natural resources at our disposal, as inequalities and uneven distribution. The

above situations have been too worrisome that successive governments have seen it as a
 107

great challenge. We shall now examine the various approaches to poverty reduction in

Nigeria.

5.2. Poverty Alleviation Strategies in Nigeria

Since the incidence of poverty has become so over bearing on the people of

Anambra state in particular and Nigerians in general, efforts according to Obi, Lambert

((Personal communication, 26/7/18)have been in place to checkmate it. This has given rise

to different policies or programs for poverty alleviation strategies in Nigeria. It will be

remarkable to note that most of the poverty alleviation strategies in Nigeria according to

Ibe Charles (Personal communication, 3/6/18) have been carried out at the state level as

obtainable in AnambraState.

In the view of Ogwumike (2000), the poverty alleviation measures implemented so

far have focused more on growth, basic and rural development approaches”. Like

Ogwumike, the Poverty alleviation Strategies in Nigeria shall be discussed in three stages

Viz- The Pre-Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) Era; The Structural Adjustment

Program (SAP) Era, and the Democratic Era.

5.2.1 The Pre-Structural AdjustmentProgrammeEra

This is the period when the poverty situation has not gotten out of hand. Apart

from the effect of the Nigerian civil war which lasted from 1967-1970, the oil boom of the

early 70‟s seems to dwarf manifestation of poverty situation in the land then. During this

era, poverty alleviation according to UgochukwuObioma (Personal communication,

26/7/18) was never the direct focus of development planning and management,

Government only showed concern for poverty reduction indirectly. For example, the

objectives of the First National Development Plan in Nigeria included the development of

opportunities.' These objectives, if achieved could no doubt lead to poverty alleviation.

 108

Similarly, the fourth National Development Plan, which appeared to be more

precise in the specifications of objectives that are associated with poverty alleviation,

emphasized increases in real income of the average citizens as well as reduction of income

inequality, among other things (see Ogwumike, 1987 and 1998). During this era of

national development plans, L. Okonkwo (personal communication, March 4, 2019) states

the many of the programs which were put in place in Nigeria by the government (either

wholly or in association with international agencies) had positive effects on poverty

alleviation although the target populations for some of the programs were not specified

explicitly as poor people or communities (Ogwumike, 1995 and 1998). For instance, the

River Basin Development Authorities (RBDA), The Agricultural Development Programs

(ADP), the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS), the Rural Electrification

Scheme (RES), and the Rural Banking Program (RBP) were designed to take care of such

objectives as employment generation, enhancing agricultural output and income, and

stemming the tide of rural-urban migration which no doubt affected poverty alleviation in

Nigeria. Despite some significant degree of success made by some of these programs most

of them could not be sustained. In fact, with time, many of them failed as a result of

diversion from the original focus. For instance the Rural Banking and the Agricultural

credit Guarantee Scheme at many stages according to S.Chinweuba (personal

communication, July 28, 2018) failed to deliver the desired credit for agricultural and rural

transformation because a lot of savings were mobilized in the rural areas only to be

diverted to urban areas in form of credits investments.

Other notable poverty alleviation related programs that were put in place in

Nigeria before the advent of the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP) include Operation

Feed the Nation (OFN) set up in 1977 by General OlusegunObasanjo (rtd). The

administration expended according to M. Okoro (personal communication, July 1, 2018)

 109

so much of national resources and efforts, recruiting ill-mannered undergraduates to go to

rural areas to teach peasant farmers how to farm. The government also in 1977 set up in

the words of Njoku Felix (personal communication, August 5, 2018) free and compulsory

primary education (FCPE) to enhance the education of the citizens.

The short lived civilian administration of President ShehuShagari introduced

Green Revolution in 1980, and Low cost housing scheme. Both the OFN and Green

revolution were set up to boost agricultural sector among other things. The low cost

housing scheme was aimed at tackling the accommodation need of the people. These

programs no doubt made some laudable impacts; they enhanced the quality of life of

many Nigerians.

5.2.2 The Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) Era

As a result of total collapse of the nation‟s economy and infrastructure coupled

with corruption and heavy debt burden during AlhajiShehuShagari‟s era, poverty line was

on the high side. This ugly situation attracted the military take over led by General

Ibrahim BadamasiBabangida in December, 1983. Babangida openly adopted the structural

adjustment program (SAP).

Conscious policy effort by government towards the poverty alleviation began in

Nigeria during the era of structural adjustment program. The severe economic crises in

Nigeria in the early 1980‟s,according N. Obasi (personal communication, July 21, 2018)

worsened the quality of life for most Nigerians. The government made determined efforts

to check the crises through the adoption of SAP. However, the implementation of SAP

further worsened the living condition of many Nigerians especially the poor who were the

most vulnerable group in the view of C.Ugwu(personal communication, July 21, 2018).

This made the government to design and implement many poverty alleviation programs

between 1986 and 1998.

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Table 1: Shows poverty alleviation programmes of federal government in Nigeria

since 1986

Program Year established Target group Nature of intervention

Directorate for food, roads and 1986 Rural areas Feeder roads, rural water supply

rural infrastructures (DFRRI) and rural electrification

National directorate of 1986 Unemployment Training, finance and guidance

Better life program (BLP) 1987 Rural women Self-help and rural development

program, skills acquisition and

health care.
Peoples bank of Nigeria (PBN) 1989 Under privileged in rural Encouraging savings and credit

and urban areas facilities

Family support programs (FSP) 1994 Families in rural areas Health care delivery, child

welfare, youth development etc.

Family economic advancement 1997 Rural areas Credit facilities to support the

program (FEAP) establishment of cottage

Many of these programmes had varied impact on poverty alleviation. For example,

the establishment of Directorate for Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI) was

not only a radical departure from the previous programs, but also recognized the

complementariness associated with basic need such as food, shelter, potable water, etc.

For instance, between the time of inception in 1986 and 1993, DFRRI had completed over

278, 526km of roads. Over 5,000 rural communities benefited from its rural electrification

program.

This integrated approach to rural development, no doubt, according to IfezuArther

(personal communication, August 5, 2018) provided for the necessary basic

infrastructures that can stimulate the growth of agro-allied small scale enterprises in rural
 111

areas. Furthermore, DFRRI impacted positively on food production. For instance, there

was a steady and significant rise in agricultural production between 1986 and 1993.

However, DFRRI could not achieve many of its objectives due to many factors

Ugwu Elijah (personal communication, August 19, 2018) which includelack of standards

for project harmonization and effective mechanisms for co-ordination among the three

tiers of government (CBN Bauchi zone, Enugu zone, 1998). Hence, with time DFRRI

could not sustain the tempo with which it started, and it ended up not living up to

expectation and became defunct (National planning commission, 1994).

5.2.3The National Directorate of Employment (NDE)

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE)was the main organ for

employment creation during this period. According to OgugoIfedi (Personal

communication, 5/3/18) the objectives of NDE include; designing and implementing

programs to combat mass unemployment and articulate policies aimed at developing work

programs with labour intensive potentials. Given that poverty manifests itself in the form

of unemployment and underemployment, the schemes/programs of NDE could be said to

have poverty alleviation focus. For instance the directorate has four men programs that not

only creates jobs but also enhances productivity and income earning potentials of the

youths and other beneficiaries. These programs include; the Vocational Skills

Development program (VSDP), the Special Public Work Program (SPWP), the Small

Scale Enterprises Programs (SSEP) and the Agricultural Employment Program (AEP).

The Central Bank annual report (1992-1996) shows that the NDE has achieved

remarkable progress in respect of its various programs. Some of these include;

 The training of over 766,783 persons (including the disabled) in the national open

apprenticeship scheme between 1987 and 1996.

 Those who have benefited from the resettlement scheme were over 106,854 at the end
 112

of 1994.

 The school on wheels scheme had engaged youth 15,317 unemployment youths as at

the end of 1994.

The special public works program has created jobs for over 154,910 persons

between1987-1996. Besides, NDE as one of the institutions that survived the SAP era, has

continued according to L. Izuegbunam (personal communication, June 5, 2018) to

articulate development policies and programs with labour intensive potentials aimed at

solving the unemployment problems in the country. However the directorate has not been

adequately funded.Thus it has not been possible for NDE to cope with the needs of the

ever increasing number of job applicants in the country.

5.2.4The Better Life for Rural women Programme (BLP)

The Better Life Programme (BLP): was set up to enhance the quality of life of

rural women, among other objectives. Poverty in Nigeria is a rural phenomenon and the

rural women are worst hit by the dreadful malady of poverty. In the view of Ujumadu

Vincent (Personal communication, 19/8/18) this is due to lack of basic skill and education

necessary for gainful employment.

The targeting of women in the fight against poverty will no doubt reduce

significantly aggregate level of poverty in the country. The Better Life Programme,

therefore, tried to harness the potentials of rural women and thereby impacted positively

on their economic activities and incomes. The Better Life Program improved the quality

of life of many women through the distribution of various educational / enlightenment

programme. Based on available evidence, Ogwumike (2000) concludes that the Better

Life Programmemade tremendous impact with regard to poverty alleviation. However the

success of the programmes was not only hijacked by position-seeking individuals but the

resources set for the programme were diverted and used for personal enrichment.
 113

5.2.5 ThePeoples Bank of Nigeria (PBN)

The Peoples Bank of Nigeria (PBN): this was another poverty reduction strategy

established during the regime of General Ibrahim BadamosiBabangida (IBB). The PBN

was set up to encourage savings and provide credit facilities for the under privilege in both

urban and rural areas. Also, Community Banks (CB) was established to provide banking

facilities for rural dwellers as to support micro enterprises in urban areas (Oladeji and

Abiola, 1998). These two banking schemes were established in recognition of the

indispensable role of finance in poverty alleviation. Although the two banking scheme had

some success, many of their goals and objectives were never realized. In the words of

AnyanwuKenneth (Personal communication, 30/7/18) the schemes have been bedeviled

with many adverse factors including corruption and gross mismanagement. For instance,

Late Tai Solarin resigned as chairman of Peoples Bank because of alleged corruption /

executive rascality that characterized the management of the bank.

5.2.6The Family Support Programme(FSP)

The Family Support Program (FSP): like the Better Life Programme which was set

up according to AkaribeChigbo (Personal communication, 7/6/18) by the wife of General

Babangida, to provide health care delivery, child welfare, youth development, and

improved nutritional status to families in rural areas.

There is also the Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) which was

established to provide credit facilities to co-operative societies to support the

establishment of cottage industries in both rural and urban areas. Oladeji and

Abiola(1998) say that the programme was also designed to create employment

opportunities at ward levels, encourage the design and manufacture of appropriate plants,

machines and equipments, and provide opportunities for the training of ward based
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business operators (Oladeji and Abiola, 1998). In a nutshell, both Family Support

Programme (FSP) and Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) were

designed and set up to improve the quality of life of rural dwellers. Although the Family

Support Programme recorded several remarkable achievements such as the establishment

of many nursery and primary schools, construction of many public toilets and setting up of

many vocational schools. Many of these projects were not properly executed and could

not be sustained and many of the poor in several communities did not actually benefit

from these projects while they lasted.

Other several programmes such as National Agricultural Land Development

Authority (NALDA), the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), and the Strategic

Grains Reserves Programme (SGRP) have one way or the other impacted positively on the

agricultural sector and by implication reduced poverty. They have impacted positively on

people by creating'employment opportunities. Government raised the hope of farmers by

their bulk purchase of farm crops. This has improved their standard of living. They could

afford to sale when the crops are in scarcity. Similarly, in health, education and housing

sectors, there are several poverty reducing programmes which were implemented. For

example, the primary health caresscheme and the Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Although these Guinea Worm Eradication Programmerecorded tremendous success,

(Egware, 1992) States that: “the effectiveness of the primary health care programme was

grossly reduced due to inadequate funding, lack of equipment, essential drugs and trained

manpower” p.35.

In the housing sector, the National Housing Policy has brought about the national

housing fund managed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. The federal housing and

various state governments have been in the direct construction of housing units. However,

despite the efforts put in place in the housing sector, it is a common knowledge that many
 115

Nigerians do not have decent accommodation. Today, most of these poverty reduction

strategies are more bound because of corruption.

5.3 The Democratic Era

This is the era of civilian administration in Nigeria. It started in May.29th 1999

with the second coming of General OlusegunObasanjo as the executive president of the

federation but now as a civilian. At the inception of the current democratic government,

many Nigerians were meant to believe that poverty alleviation is the ultimate goal of

Obasanjo‟s administration. The Government embarked on Poverty Alleviation Programme

(PAP) which aimed at job creation. Aliyu (2001) advanced the government‟s reason for

the formation of Poverty Alleviating Programme (PAP) when he states that:

In view of the unemployed in the country and the need to jump-start the
poverty alleviation program of federal government, pending the time a
more sustainable program is introduced the federal government introduced
the poverty alleviation' program (PAP) in the year 2000. The program was
designed to provide meaningful hands-on employment to 200,000 people
allover the country. It was also aimed at including and improving better
attitudes towards a maintenance culture of high ways, urban and rural roads
and public buildings. (p.10).

The programme was implemented in every state of federation including Anambra

state and has provided jobs to 214,367 people who were being paid stipends of N3, 500

per month. Although the monthly payment was small, considering the harsh economic

conditions in the country, the programme really aided a lot of the unemployed. In 2001 the

federal government in its effects to strengthening the formulation, coordination and

implementation of the poverty Alleviation /Eradication programme, phased out Poverty

Alleviation Programme (PAP) 2000 and its gains fused into the new strategies adopted for

current and future poverty eradication programme. The programme was named National
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Poverty Eradication Programme(NAPEP). The permanent secretary of National Poverty

Eradication Programme:

(NAPEP), Aliyu (2001) explains further: At the on-set the overall target of federal
government is to eradicate absolute poverty among Nigerians. Absolute poverty
denotes a condition in which a person or group of persons are unable to satisfy for
human survival in terms of food, clothing, transport, energy, health, education and
recreation. In view of the target the program is named National Poverty
Eradication Program (NAPEP) (p.12).

Poverty alleviation in Nigeria is therefore to ensure that all Nigerians are provided

with: steady source of real income; high purchasing power; abundant, quality and high

nutritional food; basic health care facilities;quality education;good drinking water;

standard housing units;quality road and other means of transport;cheap and affordable

consumer products; andconducive environment for production and trades;If all these can

be provided to all Nigerians; then the target for eradicating absolute poverty in Nigeria is

achieved. But there are manifest defects that tend to dwarf the concerted efforts being

made to alleviate or eradicate poverty in the country.

The government has also tried to reduce poverty in recent time through upward

review of salaries and wages. For example, those who were pushed into temporary or

transitory poverty, especially in the civil service during SAP era, are gradually being

moved out of poverty through this process. However, the inflationary trends which often

accompany such increases in wages need to be checked by ensuring that the aggregate

supply of goods and services is increased. This calls for incentive structures that can

encourage adequate investment in the real sectors of the economy.In view of manifest

defects in the poverty reduction strategies in Nigeria there is the need for general

evaluation.
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5.4 Evaluation of Poverty Alleviation Strategies in Nigeria

The cost of living and poverty in Nigeria could best be described as falling from

grace to grass and from boom to doom. The General Gowon‟s administration experienced

the period of oil boom which enhanced great improvement in the living condition of the

people. But this was short-lived. At a point in the life of the nation, the economy started

showing negative signs and poverty started intensifying. The government really responded

by making frantic efforts to curb the poverty menace but it continued unabated.

As the threat of poverty became so severe, Nigeria president (OlusegunObasanjo)

in September 2000, met with other 188 world leaders for United Nations Millennium

Summit. And in view of the fact that poverty has become a global phenomenon and

serious threat to the peace and security of the world, the millennium summit came to

adopt the millennium declaration which was a commitment by the leaders to reduce

extreme poverty by half by 2015. The world leaders also pledged to eliminate gender

inequality, environmental degradation and HIV/AIDS, to improve access to water, as well

as to forge global partnership for development. These specific objectives which are set to

be accomplished within l5 years‟ time (2015) are known and referred to as the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs).

So, back home, the Nigeria Government obviously as the first step to achieving the

MDGs and also in response to the obstacles to the initial actions of government on poverty

alleviation, the federal government of Nigeria, in January 2001 launched a comprehensive

programme for poverty eradication in Nigeria by the year 2010, called the National

Poverty Eradication.Programme (NAPEP).

The National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) consists basically in 4

multi-sect oral schemes: Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), Rural Infrastructures

Development Scheme (RIDS), Social Welfare Services Schemes (SOWESS), and Natural
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Resources Development and Conservation Scheme (NRDCS), which cover all the

institutional landscape of poverty consisting of economic empowerment, provision of

economic infrastructures as well as social welfare services. The implementation structure

is bottom-top approach and has provided for grass root participation. And ultimately, the

target is to ensure that all Nigerians are provided with steady service of real income; food;

education; water; housing; power supply; road; health care facilities; good government;

security and conducive environment for productive activities.

The questions now are, how far? How much of the targets have been met? How

well has Nigeria performed in the fight against poverty? The National Poverty Eradication

Program (NAPEP) ten-year projection is gone and the Millennium Developments Goals

(MDGs) 15-years‟ time line has expired. This calls for stock taking or general evaluation

regarding various poverty reduction strategies adopted in Nigeria with the view to

modification where necessary in order to achieve the desired objective.

In all honesty, some appreciable progress has been made on many fronts, but there

is still much biting of poverty in the land. As Ochekpe, (2007) the co-coordinator, of the

Civil Society Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) puts it:

At half time, the score board for Nigeria does not show clear victory by
2015 if we continue at the same pace. We are still a long way from
achieving the MDGs unless something drastic is done and in a sustained
manner. (p.21).

The truth is that government has not only solidly put machinery in place, but set it

in motion for the extermination of poverty. And a cursory look at the NAPEP set it in

monitoring and an assessment sheet shows that a lot has been achieved. The various

schemes are up and doing with formidable structure and strategies for the monitoring, log

books are developed for gathering information or the macro indices in a format, easy

recording, digesting, analysis, assessment, tracking and quantification. And in effect,

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looking at the activities of NAPEP, it becomes obvious that poverty is not just really

fought, but also seen to be fought. People are being empowered through skill acquisition

and provision of credit facilities, social welfare services are equally provided including

primary health care services. Also some infrastructures and development projects are

carried out. Enrolment in schools and higher institutions has been on the increase and

there is improvement in women empowerment. The infant mortality rate and HIV/AIDS

scourge are being seriously tackled. We can go on and on appraising various poverty

reduction or alleviation programmes in Nigeria. But on the whole, poverty alleviation

programs/ efforts in Nigeria failed to produce the desired results. There is still poverty

everywhere in our country, despite the activities of NAPEP. Osagie (2007) of the flipside

column of the Daily Sun once sarcastically described the Nigerian situation thus:

Nigerians were voted the happiest people in the land, majority of our
people have more than three square meals a day, while every Nigerian lives
in his own home. No one is so poor in Nigeria today that he has no shelter
over his family‟s head or lives under the bridge. (p.48).

According to the analysis of Ochekpe (2007), who is deeply involved in the

activities of the various civil society groups campaigning against poverty and for the

attainment of the MDGs on the platform of Global Call to Action against Poverty

(GCAP), Nigeria working group: 54 percent of Nigeria are wallowing in poverty and

having to make do with less than $1 per day, a situation being worsened by retrenchment

and lay-off. Beside, education is of poor quality, maternal and infant health have become

issues of serious concern as 800 out of 100,000 Nigerian women die during child birth.

There is also the problem of rising unemployment, as well as the unabated expansion in

the number of urban slums and environmental degradation resulting from poor sanitary

and environmental habits. There is near absence of commitment in the purposeful

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development by state and local government in the by state and local governments which

will address the issues of poverty reduction and general development (Ochekpe, 2007).

Even the official government source is not left out in noting the failure of the

poverty eradication efforts in Nigeria. The official publication of the Anambra State

Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (ASEEDS 2nd edition) reports that:

Despite the number of poverty schemes of government and the extensive '
support of international community in general and United Nations agencies
in particular, the poverty situation in Nigeria has become worse since the
90‟s. Moving from a 1992 level of 42.7% to 65.5% of the population in
1996 and over 70% by 2002 (p.27).

Furthermore, the March 15, 2007 edition of the Vanguard bears the front page

headline: „Poverty Tops FG‟s list of human rights problems‟. In the report, it was stated

that the federal government has picked out poverty, discrimination, conflicts and diseases

as the most acute human rights problems in the world today. The then foreign affairs

minister, Ogwu (2007), was quoted in that report as stating that preventable diseases and

malnutrition kills children in their millions despite the abundance of resources while

conflicts that could be prevented, if statesmanship and sober judgments had been applied

to situations, are allowed to kindle and rage unabated.

This report points to the fact that the problem of Nigeria is not just that of wealth

but of the people. People die of malnutrition and disease in the midst of plenty and people

engage themselves in war and destruction when they should not.This is the point

portrayed by West (2006) in his essay entitled, „The poverty of wealth‟. The essay

actually has a lot to do with evaluating the poverty situation in Nigeria but he realized that

poverty in Nigeria is not necessarily the opposite of wealth, but rather an abuse of wealth

(by the people themselves). Poverty in Nigeria, according to West (2006):

Is not synonymous with mendicancy or pauperism in ordinary language. It

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is a metaphysical state of deficiency, inadequacy or bareness, even in the

midst of otherwise conventional sufficiency. It could also be a state of
moral psychological or even psychiatric individualism. (p.31).

He went further to declare that: „poverty or deficiency of wealth is perhaps more

glaringly manifest in the field of public morality‟.

5.5 Prospects of Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria

Prospects of poverty alleviation in Nigeria are discussed under the

place of religionin ethical re-orientation, prayer; an index in promoting

ethical re-orientation, necessity for prayer,

5.5.1 The Place of Religion in Ethical Re-Orientation

According to Brown (1997) religion is the most important part of the

life of human beings yet with the great flux of change in science and

technology many people feel that religion does not help them answer the

most important questions of their lives, namely:Will there be enough food

to feed the growing world population? What is freedom and how can

people live in freedom? How can the nations share the wealth of the world

more equal? How can development be encouraged in all countries of the

world?

This approach to life is what is called secularism i.e. t h e line of

thinking which tries to disassociate God and eternity from the issues of

human life. However from the earlier submission of this work the various

non-religious indices for national development have not been able to move

our nation forward. This is why the researcher believes that the Nigeria

nation cannot continue in this direction. There is the need to exploit

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religion as an instrument for bringing about sustainable development.

Globalization is a concept that means so much to the modern man. To him it

appears to answer all things just like the proverbial statement that money answers all

things. Through globalization the world has been made to operate as a global village

through the aid of information technology especially the internet. Man at least appears to

have the world at his control just at the press of a button.

However, while the mass information and privileges being afforded by the internet

abound thus bridging the gaps between nations, people, cultures and business they don‟t

seem to reduce the moral questions that are plaguing our modern society. Various crimes

such as corruptions, embezzlement of government funds in the billions, pornographic

epidemic, Obtaining by Trick (OBT) are on the increase notwithstanding our advancement

in information technology.

The recent charges against some governors for embezzlement of several billions of

naira through money laundering are all aided through e-governance and e-banking.Thus

technology which is intended to better human life and affairs without religious foundation

and standard can become a curse rather than blessing.

This work shall discuss the following issues with respect to adopting religious

approach to our national question.

i. Prayer and national rebirth

ii. Religious conversion and (or) spiritual Rebirth

iii. Conscience Rebirth/Development

iv. Religion and Economic Empowerment

v. Religion and National Integration

vi. Religion and Socio-Political Rebirth

vii. Religion and Educational Development

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5.5. 2 Prayer: An Index in Promoting Ethical Re-Orientation

Nation building 'transcends meeting only the material needs of the citizenry. This

is no doubt what informed the founding fathers of our nation to incorporate in the national

anthem a prayer to God of creation for help to build a nation of justice, peace and

plenty.Commenting on the above dream of our founding fathers Ezeanya cited in

Amucheazi (1980) stated that they were desiring for a peace which transcends merely

absence of war or that imposed by dictatorship. They prayed for pence which results from

harmony which the divine founder bestows on the society. In addition, he remarked that

they were equally not praying for merely material plenty for in some' societiesmaterial

wealth may abound and yet majority of the citizenry are found to languish in moral

decadence. Rather they were praying for God to bestow both material and spiritual gift

abundantly on the nation.

From our discussion so far Nigeria of today is very far removed from the Nigeria

of our collective dream. This is why the researcher is of the view that Nigerians should

adopt prayer as a way of attracting divine intervention on the Nigerian question that has

defied all forms of non-religious instrument of change and development.

5.5.3 Necessity for Prayers

According to the Chambers Dictionary prayer is defined as the act of

communicating with God or some spiritual powers in the form of a petition, poise,

intercession etc. In his contribution Strong (200I) posits that it is a term that usually

representsan expression of personal need and that of petition directed to God. (Matthew

1:22, Luke 6:12, James 5:16, Ephesians 6:10 - 18,'Phil 4:6). Continuing, he states that it

refers to a Hebrew word “Tephilnh” meaning supplication, psalm, or hymn of worship,

intercession as well as a Greek word “Proseiiche” which is a word commonly used to refer

to petitions directed to God.

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Human society has its divine founder who should be sought for when

things go out of hands. According to the Hebrew writer, “Every, house is

built by some men but he who builds all things is God. (Hebrew 3:4)

Nigeria needs the assistance of their divine founder in time like this when

things have completely gone out of hand in the n at i o n . Corroborating the need

for prayer in the light of prevailing hostile circumstances in Nigeria, Pagan (200) had this

to say:

May 1 use this medium to call on all and sundry who do not want to perish this

impending doom being caused our inordinate ambition and irresponsible behaviour “put

on sack cloth and lament-order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly.You elders

summon everybody in the country to your praying grounds. Cry out, to God (Joel

1:13 - 14).According to him our level of moral and political decay demands urgency of

prayers to God. Noting that if the present probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC) went through all our political office holders we wouldn‟t get the

Biblical 10% required for sparing Sodom and Gomorrah.

In his own contribution Otlion (2005) stated that “after many years of failed

experiments in nation building the time has come for Nigeria let (their problem to God”.

Continuing, he noted that no other group of people is better positioned to engage in this

exercise than the religious community be they Christian, Moslems or the Traditional

religion worshipers.

Commenting on the place of harnessing divine intervention in bringing about

national rebirth, Falwell (2000) quoting Benjamin Franklin one of the founding fathers of

America while advocating a motion of the 177G Constitutional Convention for morning

prayers, had this to say “I have lived sirs, a long time and the longer 1 live, the more

convincing proofs 1 see of the truth that God governs in the affairs of men”. Continuing,
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the stated that while the nation was experiencing unparallel national prosperity outwardly

yet it was actually going down morally and therefore called the nation to humble herself

before God and seek for divine mercy (2 Chron. 7: 14). If a world power nation like

America can be called upon to employ prayer as an instrument of bringing about national

rebirth, the researcher is of the opinion that Nigeria, a developing nation, should do more.

5.5.4 Strategies for Prayer

The following strategies should be adopted in helping to bring about national

rebirth through prayer.

5.5.4.1 Sensitization on the Power of Prayer

Prayer according to the saying of the wise is the greatest power on earth. Nigerians

need to be sensitized to appreciate the fact that prayer works even in the area of nation

building. The Apostle James confirms the above view when he wrote: “is any among you

afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry, let him sing psalms. The effectual fervent prayer of

the righteous man availethmuch”. (James 5: 13, 16).

5.5.4.2 National Prayer Summit

National challenge should demand national action,today‟s challenge

in Nigeria calls for a national prayer summit. This is a prayer for

repentance, for mercy and the divine healing of the land. It is a prayer that

should involve all people of this country irrespective of status, ethnicity,

religion, class, age o r sex.

This approach was adapted by Queen Esther when the lives of the entire Jewish

race was threatened by the evil conspiracy of Harman during the reign of Ahasuerus king
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Medo-Persia empire at about 51.0 1.3.C. the following statement underscores the above

claim:

Go gather together all the Jews that are present inShushan and fast ye for
me, and neither eat nor drink three days night or day: I also am] lay
maidens will fast likewise; and so will l go in unto the king, which is not
according to the law and if I perish, 1 perish (Esther 9:23-25).

Was the call for national prayer summit by Queen Esther fruitful? It was, for the

Scripture records? That the wicked device of Haman against: the Jewsto destroy them

backfired upon his own head and (that of his sons for they were hanged on the gallows

they made for others. (Esther:23-24).

In the book of 2 Chronicles the Scripture records that king Jehoshaphatcalled for a

national prayer summit when the nation of Judah was besieged by many hostile nations. In

a swift reaction to the call for divine intervention God caused their enemies to destroy

themselves and Judah was left with resounding victory (2Chron. 20:3-24). Besides, God

told the people of Israel that through prayer and penitence their land can be healed, from

national devastation and decay. That is why the Scripture records as follows: “If my

people which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and 1 will forgive their sins

and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

In addition the action of the king of Nineveh in about 802 B.C. corroborates the

power of national prayer summit in harnessing national recovery and averting divine

wrath. According to Biblical history the king of Nineveh summoned the nation to fast and

pray in the face of impending divine judgment. At the end of the day, God had mercy on

the land and changed his mind from destroying the nation as shown by the following:

But let man (and beast be covered with sackcloth. And cry mightily unto
God; yea let them turn everyone from his evil way; and from the violence
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that is in their hands. And God saw their works that they turned from their
evil ways; and God repented of the evil that the he had said that he would
do unto them (John3:8-9).

From the foregoing, it is evident that prayers were used in Bible times to solve

similar problems that we .face today as a nation. It is against this backdrop that the

researcher wishes to propose the adoption of prayer to the Almighty God of creation as a

strategy for achieving national rebirth. Even though that Christian, Islamic and Traditional

Religions possess different modes of prayer to their deities, yet from recorded Bible

History, when nations are sensitized to pray to Almighty God during national emergency,

for healing, mercy and deliverance the answer had always come positive irrespective of

their individual religious affiliations. This is why Nigeria should pray now not

withstanding our multi-religious background as a nation.

5.1.4.3 Institutionalization of National Prayer Day(s).

It is in the light of what prayer can do in bringing about national rebirth that the

researcher calls for national day(s) of prayer to be enacted in the Constitution of our

nation. Such days of prayer should run quarterly, half-yearly, annually or bi- annually as

the case may be. Government should provide the logistics and then allow church leaders

to work out the modalities for carrying out such exercise.

5.1.5 Spiritual Rebirth and National Re-Orientation

Religion is an instrument, of social change. Social change may be overtly or

covertly driven. Genuine and lasting change is that which is inwardly driven. This is

where the religious experience or spiritual rebirth can be harnessed as a great instrument

in bringing about lasting national rebirth.

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5.1.5.1 The Concept of Spiritual Rebirth

According to The Chambers Dictionary‟ conversion is defined as a religious

experience which involves a change from ones conditions, opinion, or relationship to

another. The same word is defined by Pearlman (1937) as the critical period of a sinners

return, from the ways of sin to the path of righteousness. , Continuing, she defined

conversion as the supernatural effect that results when an individual responds to the

drawing power of God‟s grace and word.

In his own contribution Prime (1984) defined conversion as the act of “turning

from sin, to be the servant of the living and true God, through repentance and personal

faith in Jesus Christ”. According to him it is a work in which God takes the initiative as

one is confronted with the gospel resulting in his turning away from sinful lifestyle to a

godly lifestyle.

5.1.5.2Necessity for Religious Conversion or Spiritual Re-Orientation

Contributing on the necessity of conversion or spiritual rebirth Anene (1990)

posited that the challenges; of moral decadence, self-centeredness and selfish personality

of an average Nigeria man or woman is a problem beyond sociology, psychotherapy and

even beyond the individual himself. Continuing, she stated that, the intervention of the

divine on the human heart is the critical factor that can bring about lasting solution to

man‟s deformed personality.

Commenting on the need for the divine influence on the Nigerians as a way

forward morally Nchujie (2005) reports that Nigeria needs a divine dynamism which he

describes as the divine ability needed lo actuate the Nigerian citizenry to externalize the

life of virtue, truth, equity, love, mercy and brotherly kindness, which According to him

are moral building blocks for fostering a great nation.

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Falwell (2000) was in perfect agreement to the above view when he stated that

“no nation in history which lost its moral and cultural core was able to recover from

decline. Continuing, he noted that moral value is the spiritual tore, that lightens the way of

national freedom and prosperity and should never be allowed to die out.

5.1.5.3 Encouraging Spiritual Re-Orientation in Nigeria

According to Pearlman (1937) God, by his Spirit is specifically responsible for

bringing about a change in the heart of an individual that ushers him or her to a life of

righteousness. Continuing, however he noted that while conversion is actively the

sovereign act of God, man owes the responsibility of preparation through repentance and

faith.

In his own contribution Opokil (1997) in Nmah (1998) states that

religious activity helps to bind man to the unseen power. Continuing, lie

posits that such union creates a relationship that aids man positively.

Man approaches the divinities through prayers, sacrifices and self-

denial. These constitute religious activities o r ritual which is harnessed b y

man to create a harmonious relationship with the divine. Commenting on

the role of self- denial and withdrawal from evil practices as an instrument

ofbirthing or converting a nation, Fagan (2006) called on Nigerians to give

up men shouting religiosity and genuinely turn back to God.

Hadley (1998) puts it tersely when he states that “Christ is the answer to our

struggles against sin”. In Him alone is the power we need for victory and our duty is to

acknowledge His grace so that he can impart in us a divine nature - one that loves

goodness and hates evil. When the church becomes committed to raising a genuinely

converted religious community she would no doubt helping in no small measure to build a
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nation with strong ethical foundation. This is a foundation, which outweighs every other

in fostering national development and greatness.

5.1.5.4 Conscience Re-Orientation

Building a new Nigeria demands the rebirth of our dead and deformed conscience

and its development to a mature or perfect level. This is needed if we must promote

accountability and tolerance in all strata of our national lives. The word conscience

according to Orijimbawo (1993) derives from Latin word “Cum” (together) and scientist

“Scire” to know.

According to Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologiae (1911), conscience is

defined as the “application' of knowledge to activity” continuing he stilted that it is the

“Natural disposition of the human mind by which who apprehend without inquiry the

basic principles of behavior”. While Luther linked conscience with practical knowledge

and conceived it as a faculty.

In a nation where there is great distortion and deformation of the moral dictates

and ethos, the religious authority should be seen as the last arbiter in providing both

conscience rebirth and development. Asogwua (2005) in his contribution posited that the

church has a veritable role to play in charting the way forward for a new Nigeria.

According to him the issue of ethical revolution as the root of birthing the modern

Nigerian of our dream should be championed by the religious community.

5.1.5.5Conscience in Ethical Re-Orientationand Development

Religion provides the moral building blocks for the rebirth and development of a

healthy conscience. According to Nmah (1998), Emmanuel Kant stated that morality in

religion has to do with recognizing our moral obligations as divine commands.While

defining morality Udabah, Ezeugwu and Inyiama (1998) posit that it has to do with the
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branch of philosophy, which attempts to evaluate rigid conduct, good character and

acceptable norms or values. Commenting on the place of religion in providing a healthy

conscience Nmah (1998) in Mbiti (1975) stated that “it is religion, which tells us what is

right and what is wrong. Religion enriches people morally for the welfare of the individual

and society at large”.

5.1.5.6 Strategies in Ethical Re-Orientation and Development

5.1.5.6.1 Self-Examination

One of the ways of effecting ethical re-orientation is through self-examination.

Thing is because as an Igbo adage puts it, “he who does not know where he is coming

from can hardly know where he is going”.Ogugua (2004) in Nzomiwu (2004) agrees on

the relevance of self-examination when he quoted Socrates as saying “NosceteJpnum”

man know thyself and that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Moral education: according to Okeke (2002) “the way God makes himself known

to us involves the exercise of our own alerted faculties". Continuing he stated that the

startling stories of the Old Testament prophets help to bring about enlightenment on the

divine.Madu (1997) corroborates the above view when he quoted the Church fathers as

holding the view that the purpose of God in disclosing Himself to man is to give man

access to share in His divine nature. According to him the Sacred Scripture, which

includes both the Old and New Testaments consist the divine self-manifestation. Noting

further that it is as the Church propagates the gospel that she affords man the opportunity

of experiencing the ultimate reality of values in his existence.

Udaba, et al (1998) were in agreement with the above view when they stated that

divine disclosure or revelation theology not only reveals the ultimate source of nature but

especially the way of salvation. This is why the researcher posits that divine truths as
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contained in the Word of God or the Sliced Scriptures should be harnessed by the

religious community in creating an educated citizenry morally.

Moral Sanctions: Religious communities can foster moral rebirth by providing

sanctions to check the excesses of her faithful. Such sanctions for instances were applied

in Bible times to curb the influence of an unrepentant and stubborn son as shown below:

Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him and bring him out
unto the elder of his city (into the gate of his place; and they shall say unto
the elders of his city. This our son is stubborn and rebellious... and all the
men of the city shall stone him with stones that he die, so shall thou put
evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear (Deut.21:19-
21) (K.JV).

From the foregoing it is evident that sanction can be exploited by the people of

God to stem the tide of moral decadence. While the sanction cited above may be an

extreme case in that it involves the destination of life, yet the church can adopt measures

less of life.

5.1.5.6.2 EthicalRe-Orientation and Economic Empowerment

Religion according to Modi(2002) “helps to develop problem solving

abilities”. A special area where religion can address serious problem in

Nigeria is in the area of economic empowerment. In an-era where Nigeria

has been adjudged as occupying hierarchy among the poorest nations of

the world, religion no doubt can-play a positive role in bringing about an

economic revival through the following ways.

5.1.5.6.3 Creating Economic Culture

Ethical or moral education can be applied to foster economic culture or principles.

It could be applied to fight against economic deprivation, war, social marginalization as

 133

well as promote commitment that foster respect for human dignity and the need for

personal empowerment. These values which include justice, hard work, discipline,

transparency, and integrity are the building blocks that have contributed in making many

developed nations of the world great economically. These, non-material indices constitute

what Solomon in the Bible refers to as godliness. 'This disposition of life according to him

advances a nation forward in all sector of human endeavors (Prov.I4:34).

The need for the creation of proper economic culture in Nigeria cannot be over-

emphasized. For according to Chula (2004) in Schloss (2001) the nation has continued to

stagnate economically because of high level of bribery and corruption. In his remark Hiurt

(1993) noted that the abject poverty being suffered by many African nations is perpetrated

by very few affluent Africans. Continuing he stated that such situations are not only very

intolerable but very dehumanizing as they, have often led to high wave of corruption,

smuggling high rate of armed robbery and increase in crime.

He, therefore, called on the religious communities to address this ugly trend by

educating their masses with a view to eradicating poverty and its attendant evils. Against

this backdrop, he states that religious community must:

Place the social responsibility for ameliorating these conditions squarely

upon, the shoulders of its devotes... it must arouse and disturb them with
the desperate challenge “yon are your brother‟skeeper” and drive them
on to an ever new experimentationof perfecting; this
stewardship,must voice idealism of life, calling for a
condition in society in which reward will commensurate with
service and in which none shall partake of social goods who
do not contribute to social wealth.(68).
 134

5.1.5.6.4 Provision of Economic Resources

The Church should go beyond preaching and discipline men to

creating economic values and resources that empower the people

economically. The researcher believes that the call byChrist; the founder

of Christian religion, to feed the hungry,cloth the naked, shelter the

destitute and relieve the afflictedhas both spiritual and economic

dimension. Its economicdimension has to do with the church helping to reduce

poverty by participating in giving material succor to the poor.

Commenting on the theme “Christianity as a factor of human

development in Africa” Iwe (n.d) posited that; Staggering and alarmingly

increasing unemployment figures are one of the striking features of our

economy. In these economic spheres, there is no doubt that Christian

leaders can at least offer some solace, and relief. They can summon people

to, co-operative endeavours aimed at pooling their resources to provide the

necessary capital to improve their lot.

Continuing he stated that various Christian communities can in addition embark on

providing cottage industries, farm settlements and similar projects that can help to reduce

unemployment among the citizenry.

The church according to Christ has been called to be the salt of theearth. It should

seek to penetrate the economic fabric of the Nigerian society in order to exerts it‟s

sweetening influence. It can do this by both character transformation as well as generating

economic wealth for the nation. The Catholic Church for instance is taking great lead in

the; area of economic transformation of the society through provision of banks, hospitals,

universities, farm settlements and should be emulated by other religious communities.

 135

5.1.5.6.5 Religionsand National Integration

According to Emeka (1998) in Oka for and Emeka (1998) the word integration in

child psychology relates to co-ordination of specialized movements into a complex

behavior.

Applying the above definition of sociology, Okafor and Emeka (1998) as well as

Ezeodili (2003) defines it as the bringing together or the unification of divergent groups

be they ethnic, religious or cultural. On the other hand the Oxford English Dictionary

defines the word as the state of being united.

5.1.5.6.6Ethical Re-Orientation and National Integration

According to Nmah (1998) both Christian, Islam and Traditional

Religions, preach the sovereignty of God and the brotherhood of man, this

harmony can be used as a basis to bind the adherents of the different faith

together. Commenting on the place of religion in fostering national

integration Madu (2002) posits that the primary objective of religious

education is to help people appreciate the love of God for them and the

whole creation. An appreciation h e continues should be translated in their

loving God and their fellow men. In other words, religion when rightly applied

should help to foster unity and social harmony.

5.1.5.6.7 Ethical Re-Orientation and National Dialogue

Dialogue according to Alhi(1988) has to do with the willingness of parties to a

dispute to actually pay attention to the views held or expressed by the other negotiating

party. Continuing further he noted that dialogue is the missing link in the Nigeria nation

that has created constant conflict in the struggle for power and authority in the Nigeria

polity. He then advised the church and indeed the religious community in Nigeria to rise
 136

up to the challenge of giving religious dialogue and interaction a chance. Such dialogue he

opined can only be effective when the religious community individually begins to come to

terms with learning to disagree without being disagreeable.

Commenting on the multi-ethnic culture of Nigeria, Enem (1999) in Okafor and

Emeka (1998) stated that Nigeria has about 254 major ethnic groups. It is in the light of

the above highly divergent nature of our nation that the researcher is of the view that our

religious community should adopt religious dialogue to emphasis what bind us together

rather than what divides us. This calls for dialogue and call for sacrifice.

When Christ called the Samaritan woman to dialogue, it cost him time and food to

break through racial barriers but at the end he won her to himself. (John 4). This view that

dialogue can elicit unity is costly corroborated by Dresselhaus (1998) when he stated that

"those in spiritual leadership will often be called to lay aside what could be clearly

understood as their personal rights in order to meet a higher demand of service e.g

fostering unity”.

5.2Ethical Re-Orientation and Socio-Political Rebirths

According to Obiora (I991) citing Pope Leo Xiii encyclical Revu.ni Nova rum

(published in .1891), he stated that the “Church owes the world the duty of not only

developing social teachings but also of social action”.' Continuing he posited that for the

church to bring about social and political rebirth in the nation she must commit herself to

the following tasks:

(i) Develop a Biblical theory of development of the total man with special emphasis on

social justice

(ii) Become a strong activist in defense of human rights, human worth and

human dignity.

(iii) Pursue the vision of raising church membership that make faith,
 137

relevant in action as well as translate the good news within its own

environment.

(iv) Build a church that can take root in the Africanculture.

Continuing he stated that it is the duly of the church to expose the

inequities of capitalism, democracy, autocracy, etc that tend to not only to

frustrate sound social order, but also perpetuate the concentration o f power

in the hands of few party officials, and technocrats.

Ani (1991) in Obiora (1991) commenting on the way out of the socio-political

malaise of our nation opines that thechurch must rise to the level of participating

in the joint-decision making process that shape the political destiny of the

nation. 'The above view agrees with one of the goal of CatholicCampaign

for human Development which states that:

It will be especially necessary “to nurture growing awareness

in society of thedignity of every person and therefore
topromote in the community a sense of her duty to participate in political
life in harmony with the gospel. Involvement in the political field is clearly
part of the vocation and activity of lay faithful. (p.4).

5.3 Religion and Educational Development

According to Ocho (2000) writing on the primary aim of educational development

it was posited that, “the most important function of education is to increase and refine our

sensitivity to the existence of others, to lesson our preoccupation with self and to accept

that shared world, a shared existence is more productive of happiness than a world of

selfish pursuit and aggrandizement”. Continuing he stated that the primary thrust of

education development of the individual should be the cultivation of moral values. Values

according to him that makes it possible for people to live corporately in the society. Such
 138

values he went further to list as accepting the sanctity of life, the necessity for truth and

honesty, respect for property and the rights of others to hold and canvas opinion.

Concluding he stated that the only sure road to Nigeria regeneration is through

education in which the majority of teachers are committed to the moral and intellectual

upbringing of children. It is in the light of the above submission that he criticized the

forceful take-over of schools from voluntary agencies. The above claim is corroborated in

Nwagwu (1998) where he stated that deprivation of Christian missions of their schools by

the state government created an environment of immorality in schools as the state owned

schools were not equipped to teach and uphold strong moral values. Noting further that

children grew up in such schools believing that nothing is sacred and. nothing is morally

wrong.

It is against this backdrop that the researcher strongly recommends that the

religious community' should be encouraged by the government to participate actively in

the promotion of sound educational development in Nigeria. Schools taken over from

mission agencies should be returned to them,besides qualified religious leaders and

instructors should be employed in government schools to help mould our citizenry

morally from the cradle.

Equally the religious community should widen the curriculum of theological

education to embrace non-religious courses such as accountancy, law, mathematics,

history, geography etc. By so doing instructors engaged to teach in schools would have

broad based acceptance as they will be capable not only to teach moral instruction but

other fields of knowledge where they have additional qualification. In additions, religious

groups should strive to provide the right moral leadership to school children so as not to

betray the trust reposed on them by both the government and society.
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CHAPTER SIX

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

In this chapter, the focus is on the summary of the study, conclusion,

recommendations and suggestions for further research.

6.1 Summary

Poverty remains a problem that humiliates, dehumanizes and poses a great

challenge, to man in the society, Anambra state in particular and Nigeria in general. It

ravages society at different levels, and accounts for diseases, hunger, illiteracy and

corruption in Nigeria in particular and the globe at large. The above challenges cannot be

tackled by government alone. Sustainable poverty reduction in Nigeria has taken

different dimensions and there seems to be no head way due to teething problems. These

teething problems ' include lack of funds, high interest rate by financial institutions,

lack of political will, corruption, and other cultural factors. This study has taken a critical

look at ways the successive governments had carried out poverty reduction. Some of the

past poverty eradication programmes and polices include: Structural Adjustment

Programme (SAP), Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructure. (DFFR1),

Better life for Rural Women, Directorate of Employment (NDE), Peoples Bank of

Nigeria (PBN) and Community Bank (CB) now Micro Finance Bank, others include

Family Economic Advancement Programme(FEAP); Poverty Eradication Programme

(PEP); National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP), and National Economic

Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS). The above policies and programmes

were initiated and implemented at government levels with the aims of ameliorating the

excruciating pains of poverty through the provision of employment opportunities and

access to soft loans and other credit facilities to enable the people establish their' own

businesses.
 140

Despite the above lofty ideas at sustainable poverty reduction, poverty seems to be

on the increase with multiplying effects on people, institutions and relationships in

Anambra state in particular and Nigeria in general. The pertinent question is what factors

are responsible for the persistence of poverty which cripples the efforts of the

government? The identifiable factors include attitude of the people, lack of honesty,

inconsistency, and our dependence on crude oil, environmental degradation, rural-urban

migration, corruption and social vices. These challenges made the abundant human and

material resourcesremain either untapped or underutilized. The international

community is not silent on the high poverty level in Nigeria. The United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) with its subsidiaries and agencies had

various,schemes aimed at and reducing eliminating poverty in AnambraState. The Non-

Governmental organizations compliment the above poverty reduction efforts. To what

extent are these agencies and their policies effective in meeting this socio-economic goal

of the poverty reduction in Anambra state and Nigeria?

There seems to be areas of human sphere of operation that cannot be

penetrated for a wholesome human development and transformation. This area of

human life calls for an alternative or complimentary option that can deal with man in his

wholeness. It is here that the Christian church comes to make a transformative mark

based on its human, spiritual, moral or ethical, psychological and social dynamics. The

emerging role, of the Christian church is based on building organic body through the

sword of the spirit, counseling and Dialogue. This is an empowerment that should

complement financial facilities in order to achieve positive results.

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6.2 Conclusion

This study has endeavored to examine the place of ethical re-orientation with

poverty alleviation in Nigeria. We discovered that the, social, economic, political, cultural,

educational, and technological degeneration of the nation has continued to assume a

recurring decimal, in spite of several approaches aimed at moving the ration forward.

While all the ills of the Nigeria society cannot be totally excised by the instrument of

religion yet decimation of ethical principles in the life of any nation has often led to

unending decline, as can be seen in the Nigeria situation today. It is against this backdrop

that the researcher proposes the following strategies as ethical re-orientation for bringing

about moral revolution based on ethical re-orientation.

Firstly, the study calls for the (i) mobilization of the entire nation through ethical

re-orientation, (ii) national prayer summit, and as well as (iii)prayer support services to

pray for divine intervention. Secondly the study advocates that religious ethics in religious

communities should play frontline role in fostering genuine conversion experience among

the citizenry as well as helping to rebuild the conscience of the nation through undiluted

preaching and teaching of God‟s Word. Nigeria needs moral values that made nations like

Britain, United States of America, Germany and other advanced nations great. Such

values include justice, love, truth, mercy, industry, discipline and tolerance. Thirdly,

others include, hard work, diligence, frugality, and providing foundational frame work and

spiritual driving force to helping Nigerians imbibe these values through her creed and

deed, as well as employing sanctions when necessary.

Fourthly to bring about ethical re-orientation, religious and political leadersmust

sensitize the nation to embrace such ethical values as leaders‟ integrity, trust, partnership,

tolerance, equity, productivity, creativity, and perseverance and purposefulness. These

ethical principles will turn the advanced nations of the world into economic giants.
 142

Moreover, she must go beyond educating her membership to providing economic

resources that will help minister genuine concern for the poor, the destitute, unemployed,

the aged, the sick and the challenged persons.

All through the human history, the ordinary man has always been a victim of

corrupt and ungodly leadership. The church must stand for justice and fair plan no matter

the intimidation. It is in this sense that the Church like Jesus, the advocate of the poor and

the oppressed, must stand up to empower the people, to transform Nigeria politically,even

if such empowerment must begin by providing ethical principles to her lay-faithful.

Poverty is still with the people and it is responsible for ignorance, lack of

qualitative education, mal-nutrition, lack of shelter, pipe borne water, illiteracy,

youth's resilience and unemployment. Anambra state cannot claim to be making

sustainable development in the face of the above challenges. Besides, ethnicity,

nepotism and religious sentiments seem to becloud the sense of excellence, creativity and

competency in choosing those to man the poverty eradication agencies or programmes

Poverty situations and the factors favoring them are manmade and need a frontal

attack. Identifying the causes of poverty and the effects of poverty are good but it is

better to go beyond this identification and appeal to the conscience of the people of

Anambra state in order to have a true humanity. This seems to be in line with theAnti-

corruption campaign and poverty alleviation programmesof the present Federal

Government of Nigeria, in order that this rebranding campaign succeeds, religious bodies

ought to be carried along. It is an integral part of their calling. Religious bodies command

large followership that cut a cross tongue, colour, tribe, and other cultural divide. They

command greater respect, because they are oracles of God.

The experience of the past shows that the history of existing societies is the

history of class struggle, Poverty remains an index for measuring ones social status. The
 143

widening gap between the poor and the rich calls for collaborative efforts aimed at

complimenting Government sustainable poverty reduction efforts. Man is limited in

spiritual upliftmernt and cannot cope with the challenges of his day. The scripture says,

except God keeps watch over a society, in vain does watchman toil. Similarly, except

God builds a city, in vain does the builder labour. This indicates that trusting only in the

ability, creativity and capabilities of man is futile. There is need to demonstrate that the

grace of God is sufficient for the people of Anambra state and Nigeria nation.

The emerging role of the Christian church in sustainable poverty reduction is a

welcome development. God works through his servants to turn around the fortunes of

past and present nations from Old Testament to the present day Anambra state and

Nigeria.The Christian church has a major role to play in tackling poverty. This role

should go beyond cooperative kind of self-help to empowering indigent members with

gainful employment. It has not only received the divine commission but it is divinely

equipped and prepared for the task. There are ample evidence that the Christian

church has been demonstrating her care, love and concern towards poverty reduction in

Nigeria. This was achieved through her rural industrialization. These efforts had their

difficulties which indeed have actually hindered her own attempt to quell poverty in

history. In spite of these prevailing obstacles, the role the church plays in character

molding through psychological and spiritual transformation should be collaborated by

government of Anambra state and Nigeria

The Anglican,Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches' involvement in poverty

"reduction is not an aberration. This is based on the premise that science,

technology,globalization, economic meltdown and development are based on human

wisdom and efforts.Consequently, they are subject to error, imperfection and destruction.

But bringing in religious flavor will make for dynamic perfect resultand more
 144

sustainabledevelopment. Neglecting the role of the church implies a neglect of

involvement of the church in social and economic life of Anambra state and Nigeria

society.

It is difficult, therefore, to hold that poverty has no solution. If it is proved that

poverty is a curse, it can be broken and normalcy returns. It could be a scourge used to

chastise a people due to one transgression, or the other. Religion is required to

propitiate, atone, appease and cleanse such transgressions. This makes the grievous and

perennial problems of poverty in society receive sustainable effort at reducing. The

interest of God in poverty reduction and alleviation programmes seems very clear and

pervasive in the scripture. This is evidence in the fact that God appointed the church to

be his agent and instrument in accomplishing this divine purpose on poverty reduction and

even eradication.

Poverty is a challenge to the Christian church and it has been misinterpreted to

mean weakness, inability to join the multitude to do evil. In all these ascribed meaning,

spiritual poverty does not seem to matter to government and nongovernmental

agencies. Spiritual poverty connotes humility, patience, tolerance, accommodation and

discipline. In the face of temptation, they are empowered by the spirit of God to discipline

their emotions. In this way; poverty ought not to withstand the efforts of the Christian

church in quelling it. The intrinsic wherewithal of the Christian church when mobilized

will subdue poverty despite its firm grip or effects and features on the people of Anambra

state and Nigeria in general.

It is observed that what is lacking in human efforts to achieve sustainable

poverty reduction can be achieved under God who works through the church. The
 145

Christian Church faces socio-religious and economic dilemma which explains its

apparent slumber in seeing poverty reduction as a core duty.

6.3. Recommendations

The various effects of poverty in AnambraState and Nigeria point to the need

for structural adjustment in order to tide the storm of poverty affecting people. The

ravaging features point to the need for systematic and expository study of the

dynamics of poverty. Poverty affects population growth, school enrolment, planning,

urbanization, economic and stock market enterprises. The ethnic and youth resilience

exemplified in Niger Delta crisis, national strikes by public workers including health

workers, point to the level of poverty in Anambra state. The issue is why has

government poverty reduction programmes not yielded good results? Blaming it on

corruption is not enough. The research believes that collaborative efforts by

government, Non-Governmental Agencies should work together with the Christian

churches' as partners in progress in Anambra state and Nigeria. The spiritual arm of

Christian church activities such as prayer, counseling and dialogue should transform

people and situations.

The religious leaders in the team should dissect the inherent problems. This will

bring about psychological transformation and positive financial empowerment. Since

poverty is not tied to material things, the various dehumanizing, degrading, alienating and

repressive bondage people of low income face in the society would form the focus of

their constructive engagement and dialogue.

Another area of collaborative research is in the area of spiritual transformation as

the basis of leadership in Nigeria. People with little or no charisma are bound to draw the

hand of poverty reduction backward. An improve social action in service to God and
 146

humanity is solicited in AnambraState and Nigeria where poverty seems to be on the

increase and people are oppressed by their refusal to „play ball‟ not according to the rule.

It is our fervent hope that the Christian church, in the spirit of this manifesto, can ask the

pertinent question: what is the task of liberating the oppressed all about, and how can

Anambra state be built as a just, egalitarian and equitable society?

6.4. Suggestions for Further Research

This dissertation does not claim to be an all-embracing research on ethical re-

orientation and quest forpoverty alleviation in AnambraState and Nigeria. Though it has

digressed from previous studies on the theme by bringing in the emerging role of the

Christian church, more still needs to be done. This will bring about greater success in the

various strategies, programmes, policies and actions of government which must be

complimented by other disciplines. The work has only stimulated and watered the

appetite of other interested and intending scholars from theology, sociology, economics,

political science and history. Their research efforts on the subject matter will improve on

the results. There is substance in believing that one researcher's weakness is another

researcher's strength. In the light of the acknowledgement of the limitations and scopes of

this study, the following suggestions are made:

1. An appraisal of the problem of poverty in AnambraStatein particular and Nigeria

in generalshould beundertaken.

2. The comparative analysis of the involvement of religious, governmental and non-

governmental organizations (NGOs) in poverty alleviation should be x-rayed

3. The study of non-governmental organizations in poverty alleviation efforts in

AnambraState in particular and Nigeria in general should be studied.

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APPENDIX I

LIST OF THE INTERVIEWEES

S/N NAMES DATE PLACE OCCUPATION AGE

1. Orji, Paulinus 1/5/18 Nnewi Lawyer 49

2. Eze, Linus 2/5/18 Awka Trader 40

3. Ezeani, Ikechukwu 4/5/18 Aba Business man 41

4. IgweCalistus 8/5/18 Onitsha Finance Consultant 57

5. Mbaelui, Ebere 6/5/ 18 Asaba Oil magnet 55

6. Okoli Kenneth 1/6/18 Osodi Ikeia 45

7. Nwafor, Ojilaka 3/6/18 Ikeia Student 38

8. Chikere, Dennis 3/6/18 Ikoyi Hawyer 50

9. Ibe, Charles 3/6/18 Surulere Public servant 65

10. Izuegbuanam Luke 5/6/18 Victoria Consultant 42

11. Ofochie, Alexander 5/6/18 Victoria Island Lawyer 59

12. Akaribe, Chigbo 7/6/18 Benin Inswance manager 35

13. Agu, Justin 7/6/18 Benin Civil Servant 47

14. Okoro, Maryann 1/7/18 Asaba Business man 42

15. Eke, Fustice 25/7/18 Aba Trader 36

16. UguchukwuObioma 26/7/18 Aba Economist 49

17. Obi, Lambert 26/7/18 Aba Teacher 57

18. Chinweuba, Sonia 28/7/18 Umuahia Lecturer 54

19. Nzomiwu, Arther 30/7/18 Okigwe Teacher 60

20. Anyanwu, Kenneth 30/7/18 Okigwe Lecturer 71

21. Njoku, Felix 5/8/18 Calabar Lecturer 60

 153

22. Ifezuo, Arther 5/8/18 Calabar Lecturer 35

23. Nwokolo, Dennis 7/8/19 UyoEket Economist 50

24. Okenkwo, Lucy 4/3/19 Uyo Business Consultant 84

25. Oguequo, I 5/3/19 Uyo Lecturers 65

26. Ugwu, Casmir 15/9/18 Umudike Insurance consultant 69

27. OnyekachiChike 18/7/18 Owerri Lecturer 52

28. Okeke, Justice 18/7/18 Owerri Lecturer 62

29. Ele, Sunday 20/7/18 Uduru Lecturer 56

30. Obasi, Nwabueze 21/8/18 Uturu Lecturer 32

31. Ujumade, Vincent 19/8/18 Enugu Business man 68

32. Ugwu, Elijah 19/8/18 Enugu Economist 74

33. Onwuka, Ugwu 18/9/18 Nsukka Lecturer 68

34. Nwabuike, Stella 22/9/18 Nsukka Iawyer 72

35. Iwuagwu, Ezeji 2/09/18 Awka Musician 54