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Collapsed Moral Values, Major Cause Of Pervasive Corruption In Nigeria — Clerics
Two renowned clerics in Nigeria, Rev Father George Ehusani and Imam Fuad Adeyemi have blamed the high level of corruption in Nigeria on fallen moral values in the society.
The clerics say the diminishing moral values amongst Nigerians have largely boosted the prevalence of corruption in the nation and proposed the development of a core national value as the solution to having a better Nigeria.
The Founder, Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Revd. Fr. George Ehusani led the call during a special radio town hall meeting against corruption, organized by Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, with the support of MacArthur Foundation on Thursday in Abuja.
Fr. Ehusani who was proffering a solution on how to curb the menace of moral decadence which is believed to be chiefly aiding corruption in Nigeria, said the nation’s present circumstances do not encourage integrity amongst citizens.
His words: “We need a certain set of values. We need core national values with leaders that will uphold those values and virtues and will show examples of it.
“Teachers, high-level government officials and others will show a high level of truth, integrity, honesty and it is through this way we can govern society better.”
Against the opinion of some Nigerians, Fr. Ehusani argued that religion has majorly helped in keeping Nigeria together as a nation and calming down irate citizens against taking to violence and crime.
“Let me say that when people say that religion has failed, I tell them that actually, it is a religion that is stopping the poor from killing the rich today.
“It is a religion that is helping our society stay afloat, if not for religion we would have had worse criminals on the street today. Imagine what it would have been like without religion in Nigeria,” Fr. Ehusani stated.
The National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Imam Fuad Adeyemi who was also part of the program backed the call for the development of a core national value in Nigeria.
“We actually need to have a national value, we need to work for love and when you have that at the back of our minds, we would be able to have a national value,” Imam Adeyemi noted.
On his part, the Country Director, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Mr. Friday Odey asked the federal government and governments at all levels to lead the way in promoting integrity.
On reward for integrity, Odey had this to say: “For me, to serve or build a school for the people should not be rewarded. If I found you as a person, I should identify and celebrate you as a person.”
Earlier, a lecturer at Bingham University, Dr. Hope Cole said society’s role in molding people is actually to create that ethical value. She stressed that ethics is the most important thing society needed to mold the younger ones.
Dr. Cole identified corruption, greed, and injustice as the three basic things responsible for moral decadence in Nigeria society.
Her words: “Moral decadence booms in our society as a result of corruption, greed is also a factor that pushes people to corruption and injustice that has over time formed precedents in the minds of the people.”
Cole, however, urged Nigerians to take responsibility in building a better society.
“Be the good person you need people to see and try the best you can to know that integrity is not inborn, it is something that you must do and not just do but do always,” she said.
The meeting was also used to celebrate two Nigerians; Keith Mali who returned the sum of $80,000 worth of Bitcoin mistakenly transferred into his bitcoin wallet by an unknown person, and Oluwafisayo Arojojoye, a taxi driver renowned for returning forgotten items by his passengers.
Mali and Arojojoye respectively attributed their acts of integrity to their upbringing.
PRIMORG’s town hall meeting against corruption is supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
Featured
Tax Reform Bill Passage: New Tax Laws, Better Nigeria
By Arabinrin Aderonke
Nigeria must work; this is the vision we have held onto for so long. When the news came that the Senate had passed all four tax reform bills, it was one of those moments you stop and ask yourself, is this really happening? For years, Nigeria’s tax system has been a source of frustration, something we all got used to criticizing. Truthfully, it was not just tax. From electricity to education to healthcare, we have long complained about the failure of government systems.
On top of that, Nigeria remained tied to the unstable global oil market, leaving us with unpredictable revenue and a shrinking ability to fund our future. That is exactly why we must keep believing in the idea of a new Nigeria. And this time, it is not just another round of promises, this is action.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu understood that to truly rebuild Nigeria, we needed a tax system that would create sustainable revenue, spread the burden fairly, and give every Nigerian, rich or poor, north or south, a reason to trust government again. That is what led to the introduction of the tax reform bills in 2024. It has taken months of serious policy work, consultation, and courage. Now, with the National Assembly passing all four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Nigeria Tax Administration (Procedure) Bill 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill 2024, and the Joint Tax Board (Establishment) Bill 2024, we are seeing decisions that could finally loosen Nigeria’s dependence on oil and give states the resources they need to grow.
One of the features is the new VAT sharing formula. Under the proposed structure, 50 percent of Value Added Tax revenue will be shared equally among all states, 20 percent will be distributed based on population, and 30 percent will be distributed according to actual consumption. It is a formula designed to balance fairness with performance, giving each state a stake while also encouraging economic activity and good governance.
The Senate also made it known that the VAT rate will remain at 7.5 percent, resisting pressure to increase it. For Nigerians, that means no new burden added to goods and services. But more importantly, the bills approved also provided for the continued funding of development agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). These are the institutions that support learning, research, and innovation across the country, and their survival is necessary for the future of the Nigeria we all want.
Another part of the bill is the plan to turn the Federal Inland Revenue Service into the Nigeria Revenue Service (Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill). But this is not just a name change. It is a coordinated effort to build a system that supports states, strengthens local government revenue, and makes tax collection more transparent.
Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of FIRS, has led the redesign of the agency and introduced many measures aimed at improving tax collection across the country, and even these Tax Reform Bills are one. If anyone has earned respect in this space, it is him. His work shows that reforms are possible when people in charge are ready to do better.
As it stands, all four tax reform bills have been passed, and these laws are now in place. This means Nigeria has completed what many consider the most needed tax reform in years.
The process now moves to the harmonization stage, where both the Senate and House of Representatives will come together to resolve any differences in their versions of the bills. Once they reach an agreement, the bills will be sent to the President for his final approval. After the President signs them into law, they will be published in the official gazette, making them official. From there, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which will be renamed the Nigeria Revenue Service, will take the lead in implementation. With the capable Tax Boss, Dr. Zacch, we can be sure that the results will exceed expectations.
This is the Renewed Hope Nigerians have been waiting for. The changes are here, these reforms give us the chance to do things right!
Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the technical assistant on broadcast media to the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service
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