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Tag: moral values

  • The global erosion of moral values

    The global erosion of moral values

    The decline in moral values is a universal problem, although the extent and causes of decline vary slightly from country to country and from generation to generation. For example, a recent Gallup poll showed that Americans’ poor ratings of the state of moral values in their country have fallen to the lowest point in Gallup’s 22-year trend. The study showed that 54% of adult Americans rated moral values in the country as “poor”. It was the first time that the majority has expressed this level of concern about the erosion of moral values in the country.

    Americans are not alone. Recent survey data published in Nature magazine also showed a declining trend in moral values. The survey data were collected from 12 million people between 1949 and 2021. Like the Gallup findings, the results showed that the decline in moral values was at its worst level in the most recent study.

    I cite these international polls as a backdrop for understanding the erosion of moral values in Nigeria, even in the absence of survey data on the subject. In all the studies, the decline is traceable to escalating social, economic, and political problems as well as environmental pressures across the globe. These problems are interconnected. For example, poor governance can trigger economic problems, which, in turn, can trigger social problems. Similarly, environmental pressures, such as climate change, can cause economic hardships, which can also trigger social problems.

    I will discuss these problems only as they relate to Nigeria. Although there are no statistical data on the decline of moral values in the country, all adult Nigerians I have interviewed on the subject have one complaint or the other about moral values, especially when discussing the behaviour of youths. To be sure, there is no one definitive answer to why moral values are declining in Nigeria, but there are many factors at play.

    Since the beginning of the military era, starting with the Majors’ coup of January 1966, the shock of deaths gripped the nation like never before; it escalated with the pogrom in the North and peaked with the civil war. It was the beginning of the devaluation of human life on a large scale. With the advent of civilian rule in 1999, political tensions increased, especially around election time, with thugs maiming and killing voters. There have been cases of political assassinations as well.

    These political killings were complemented by insurgency, led by Boko Haram, the terrorist group, killing and destroying property at will. More recently, cattle herders began their onslaught on farmers and their farmlands, while cattle rustling, banditry, and kidnappings took their toll on various populations. The political implications of these killings went beyond setting one ethnic group against another. They also laid the foundation for trust deficit in government as it did not meet citizens’ expectations of resolution of the wanton killings.

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    However, a much worse political problem, which reached its peak during the last presidential election, is political polarisation, which set political parties, ethnic groups, and different religious organisations against each other. The polarisation continues till today, setting  up an environment in which divisive rhetoric and actions breed a breakdown of social cohesion and shared moral values.

    What is worse, large scale political corruption, which began during the military era increased exponentially with the advent of civilian rule in 1999. Today, corruption has become endemic and normalised by various government institutions and their agents. Corporate bodies and business enterprises have also doubled down on corrupt practices.

    Corruption has institutionalised the drive for materialism, leading to various unethical practices. For example, restaurant owners and roadside hawkers have devised their own methods of cheating their customers. The story has been told of plantain chips “chefs” who mix clinging nylon film with vegetable or palm oil to make the chips remain hard and crunchy for a long time! There are fake wine and soda (soft drinks) factories. There are Yahoo Boys, who specialise in cyberfraud, with a subset (Yahoo Plus) engaging in ritual killing for quick money. And there are email and social media platform hackers, who use your account to solicit funds from your contacts as well as fake old friends or distant relatives, who send SOS messages or call for money to get out of difficult situations.

    These political and economic developments have been aided by globalisation and social media. Globalisation exposed Nigerians to political practices, cultures, and values that challenged local traditions and moral values. For example, classical juju music tradition popularised by Ebenezer Obey and Sunny Ade (born in the 1940s) gave way to new genres of music amplified by Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and Kizz Daniel (all born in the early 1990s). These imported practices were spread by social media, which were used to amplify negative behaviours. Following American influences since Trump’s run for President in 2016, social media have been employed in partisan politics to distort information, misinform, and create negative perception of political opponents.

    These developments have taken a toll on moral values, creating a cultural shift in which social norms began to shift radically. Nigeria is in the throes of this shift. Unemployment, underemployment, and a surrounding culture of excessive materialism of politicians have driven today’s youths out of their parents’ moral zone. The model for our youths is dead, where parents help their children to cheat in JAMB exams or beg for their children’s admission to higher institutions; where teachers sell their crap notes or dumb books to their students for money, ask female students for sex in return for grade or ask students for a fee to assess their dissertation; and, above all, where politicians put self interest above public good by diverting public funds into private pockets.

    To be sure, moral values are not static. It is also not uncommon for different generations to have different values. There is, however, a problem when a society is sharply divided on the scale of values. Such a division is fast becoming a serious issue in Nigeria today as elsewhere.

  • At 86, Ogunlana pens books on culture, moral values

    At over 80 when most of his peers are going senile, Pa Olola Ogunlana has done the incredible, writing two books on Yourba culture, Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports

    A public presentation of two books may be seen as ordinary, as many books have been presented in the past. But when such books are written by an octogenarian, 86-year-old retired insurance guru, Olola Olabode Ogunlana, on Yoruba culture preservation, then such effort is not ordinaryand a commendable feat.

    Little wonder guests such as the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu;  Onikate of Ikate Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi; the Oniru of Iru, Oba Idowu Oniru; Rev George Bako and some chief executives of insurance companies, among others, converged on the Civic  Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos to witness the historic unveiling of the books — Out of the Black Pot and The Selected Tales.

    Chaired by former Punch Newspaper Chairman Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, the presentation also doubled as part of activities to mark 40 years of SCIB Nigeria & Co Ltd. Ogunshola described Ogunlana as a very thorough person and the first Nigerian managing director of NICON.

    According to Ogunsola, Pa Ogunlana’s thoroughness when he headed NICON made his stay to be shortlived.  “He was very thorough, sometimes too thorough for that type of organisation. And so his stay was brief, which turned out to be a blessing for him,” he said.

    Ogunshola recalled that the author upon retirement from active insurance business devoted his time and energy to exploring and expanding his artistic and literary talents.  He said Ogunlana is not only an accomplished artist, but a very talented painter. Four years ago, the author launched two books at Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos that was chaired by Chief Michael Omolayole.

    Ogunshola described the books as not only entertaining and morally instructive, but also a product of a fertile mind  for poetry, canons and idioms, wits and wisdoms, creativity and fecund imagination. He noted that one of Ogunlana’s books, Out of the black pot is an entertaining vehicle for Christian evangelism and it galvanises the highest moral values, adding that the author must be commended for the publication, which strengthens moral values, and for consciously promoting Yoruba culture.

    In his remark, Olola Ogunlana said considering the nature and significance of the two books, it was particularly gratifying that the occasion was graced by traditional rulers, the custodians of Yoruba culture, to which enough attention had not been given in recent years. He recalled that his growing up to become a successful entrepreneur was influenced by a nursery rhyme he learnt in 1938 at St Paul’s Primary School, Breadfruit, Lagos, which made a deep impression on him.

    “I am guided by a nursery rhyme I learnt in 1938 at St. Paul’s Breadfruits Primary School, Lagos which made a deep impression on me. It runs thus: “Good, better, best. May I never rest until my good is better, and my better is best”.

    He said it was the principle embedded in the above rhyme that inspired him to establish SCIB Insurance. He noted that he grew up in the midst of Moslems and Christians, who lived harmoniously and were helpful to one another.

    “In retrospect, I think that spirit promoted the wellbeing of all which made possible the emergence of a strong middle class on which Nigeria was built. I have no doubt that the spirit of togetherness was the catalyst. This goes to show that religion, an important part of culture, is the mainstay of society,” he said.

    He lamented the decay in Nigerian music, blaming it on past adminstrations. “The advent of party politics in the mid-50s bequeathed Nigeria with different types of music. The initial melodious harmony followed by loud drumbeat was later escalated to the cacophony of the present day to which many Nigerians are unwilling and unable to dance”. This led to a situation in which Nigerians are no longer their brothers’ keepers; where the spirit of co-operation has gone askew; where only a privileged few are able to take and grasp all they desire without let or hindrance, rather than to give and nurture…to the advantage of the vast majority,” he said.

    This, he said, led to the destruction of the middle class, adding that the life of togetherness was destroyed and everything degenerated into a state of decadence. According to him, a totally disillusioned person like him went back down memory lane, recalling two icons of Christian religion; Prophet Joshia Ositelu, primate and founder, Church of the Lord Aladura, and Right Reverend Runsewe Kale, one-time principal of CMS Grammar School, Lagos and later the Anglican Bishop of Lagos.

    He added: “May the Almight Father in His mercy give Nigeria many more of such spiritual giants to assist in turning this nation around for the better. I am almost certain that these two icons of the church will be turning in their graves to see what Nigeria of 1938 has metamorphosed into in 2018.

    “In the course of my ruminations over the issues confronting Nigeria, I recalled what the writer Spinoza said and I quote: “For myself I am certain that the good of human life cannot lie in the possession of things which one man to possess   is for the rest to lose, but rather, a thing which all can possess alike, and where one man’s wealth promotes his neighbour’s.”

    The octogenarian noted that this is the mindset Nigeria urgently needs to address the backsliding, which led to today’s godlessness. Ogunlana continued: “Hence, I decided to put pen to paper. The result is two books: Out of the black pot” and Selected Tales. The former is a study of comparative religion. The later dwells on Yoruba culture and language. The two books, in-between them, are wake-up calls to arouse us as individuals and as a nation from our deep slumber”.

    He quoted a a poem on page 75 of Out of the black pot: “We came into the world with nothing, We shall leave it with nothing, Lets try to keep the world unspoiled, Use it with others in love and unity, Pass it to others not only good but better.”

    According to a statement in the book’s brochure, the ‘stories in Out of the Black Pot transcend the local context. They are epical moral tales. Out of the Black Pot, the lead story, recalls the power of predestination and ironic consequences of fundamental errors committed by man in his interaction with divine powers. The other stories also in various ways convey moral values and virtues of the traditional Yoruba.

    “This book of stories challenges the older generation to pass on their wisdom, counsel and skills to the younger generation for the good of the world. A major tragedy of non-documentation of African traditions and values account for the loss of identity of a race, which originated civilisation, but now a victim of globalised foreign cultures; more so as richly endowed custodians of African knowledge in all spheres of life pass away with their moral traditions without handing them over to their children.”

    The Selected Tales, a collection of special thrillers from Olola Ogunlana is another clear illustration of the author’s dedication to a legacy of moral discipline, ethics and all that should constitute the objective of real living and ‘giving’ to the younger generation. The book, which emerged from the author’s study of Yoruba culture and language, hopes to stimulate readers’ interest in Yoruba culture and language. Similarly, it is expected to provoke other writers to do the same for other cultures within Nigeria.

    The event was not all about long speeches as there were musical performances by Muraina Oyelami, who thrilled the guests with rendition of Yoruba traditional poetry (ewi).

  • Buhari’s wife urges parents to inculcate moral values in kids

    Wife of the President Hajia Aisha Buhari, has urged parents to inculcate the virtues of integrity and morality in their children to enable them grow up to be responsible citizens.

    She spoke at the weekend through a nessage sent to the sixth Annual Integrity Award organised by the National Association of Christian Journalists (NAFJ) in Lagos.

    At the event tagged Integrity is Everything, Mrs Buhari was given an award as the Integrity Woman of the Year.

    She described children as parents’ greatest gift from God whose future depended on the upbringing, guidance and support system given to them by their parents.

    She noted that parents must be alive to their responsibility of showing the pathway that would make their children lead a better life, adding that inculcating the virtues of honesty, love, truth and integrity into children was the way to go.

    Mrs Buhari, who was represented by Mrs Mercy Paul said: It is very difficult to practice integrity in Nigeria. I have been fighting a lot of battle because of my stand on integrity. I am not deterred. I will remain a woman of integrity”, she said, adding:  “Integrity is a virtue that comes from within. If you are brought up as a honest person, nothing in life can make you steal. If you have a mindset and you uphold integrity as a virtue, no matter the temptation around you, nothing will make you to change”, she said.

    A former Assistant Inspector General of Police Tunde Ogunsakin, called on Nigerian leaders to exhibit high standard of strength and sacrifice of good conscience to fight the common enemy of want, deceit, and poverty which are common enemies of common man, the bonds of mass poverty and mystery which permeates our entire society.

    Ogunsakin said “our problems are rather too complex for a quick fix to solve the myriad of problems besieging us as a nation, it requires sacrifice from our leaders”.

    Secretary General NACJ Charles Okhai, said the award was organised to recognise persons who had exhibited verifiable moral standard across sectors of our national life.

    Among the awardees are Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, Imo State Deputy Governor Eze Madumere, former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Chief Judge of Lagos State Justice Opeyemi Oke, Chairman of JAFAC Groups of Companies, Felix Idiga

  • Cleric to FG: institutionalise moral values

    Senior Pastor of Praise Arena Kingdom Light Christian Centre Lagos, Pastor Jummy Adetoyese-Olagunju, has charged the federal government to put in place institutional mechanism that will enforce moral ethics and selfless service.

    This, he said, should be across public and private sectors as part of lessons for the Easter Celebration.

    Adetoyese-Olagunju said the right value system will always produce good society and awful value system allowed to fester will ultimately breed an unsustainable society.

    He bemoaned the spate of inequality, corruption, nepotism, inequity and all forms of criminality that has eaten deep into the moral fabrics of Nigerians.

    These, he said, can only be addressed “when we promote and institutionalise the right value system that everyone can key into.”

    He commended efforts of the federal government in fighting corruption through the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

    He asserted the needs for sustainable mechanism and infrastructure that would help in facilitating transparency and selfless service driven by the federal government.

  • ‘Govt should institutionalise moral values’

    The Senior Pastor of Praise Arena, Kingdom Light Christian Centre, Jummy Adetoyese-Olagunju, has urged the Federal Government to ensure institutional mechanism to enforce moral ethics and selfless service in the public and private sector.

    Adetoyese-Olagunju spoke ahead of the church’s special praise night on Friday to mark Easter.

    The cleric noted that the right value system will always produce good society, and an awful value system will breed unsustainable society.

    He bemoaned the spate of inequality, corruption, nepotism and inequity, and criminality that has eaten deep into the moral fabrics of Nigeria, and reiterated that these can be addressed when we promote and institutionalise the right value system that everyone can key into.

    “It is sad that many public office holders, entrusted with public funds, enrich themselves and families with the fund and they leave the people in penury, abject poverty and untold frustration.”

    Adetoyese-Olagunju asserted that the Easter celebration will continue to be a mere ritual and jamboree, and lessons from Jesus’ selfless sacrifice will be lost if we do not exemplify sacrifice, love and honesty that Jesus truly represent.

    He added: “Jesus Christ, though sinless, gave up himself and his position to save mankind from doom and eternal debt.

    “Jesus is the essence of Easter because he paid the price so that the mankind would experience salvation which comes with peace, unconditional love, forbearance in the heart.”

  • ‘Professor Johnbull’ harps on moral values

    ‘Professor Johnbull’ harps on moral values

    With 26 episodes in two seasons so far, satirical comedy series, Professor Johnbull, has continued to expose dominant ills of the Nigerian society by passing across valuable lessons in life to TV audiences across the country.
    Since its debut in August 2016, the drama series, which airs on Nigeria’s biggest TV network, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on all its platforms including terrestrial and cable, DSTV and StarTimes, has shown the hilarious as well as educative; featuring episodes with subjects and titles such as Kitchen on the Run,  Voice of the City, Beautiful Girls, Happening Guys, Baby Bomboi, Foreign Petrol, Eliza My Daughter, Find Me Something and others, Oil Windfall, Dem Give Me, Sorting Things and  Radio without Battery.
    Mercy Johnson Okojie plays Caro, a character that flagrantly exhibits her grammatical limitations.  This makes her a delight each time she comes into a scene. ”Professor Sir” is her usual refrain to her master’s (Professor) calls.
    The ”erudite professor” is played by a master in the entertainment industry,  Kanayo O. Kanayo.  He gives a fantastic account of himself in translating the role.  Naturally, Kanayo O Kanayo is not a man given to high-sounding words, but, indeed, he is handling the role so well.   Not only is he professorially dignified in carriage, he is also very paternalistic.  And his Engish? Wow, it could raise the dead. He has a way of elevating a simple communication task to the level of a doctoral thesis.   Sample:  ”This is unabashed educational jingoism” when all he meant was, “a wrong way to teach”.
    The soap also parades other comic characters like Olaniyi acted by Yomi Fash-Lanso, Mai Doya (Funky Mallam), Jumoke played by Bidemi Kosoko, Etuk (Imeh Okon Bishop). These guys just turn on the fountain of humour.
    Beyond these regulars, the drama has also featured musicians including Ego, Flavour, M.I., featuring in cameo appearances. Similarly, comedians such as Ayo Makun (AY), Bovi and Helen Paul have added spice to the satire.
    In addition to mirth, the show is didactic and instructional. Every episode has a lesson it conveys. For example  Kitchen on the Run, carries the message that husbands should provide culinary support for their busy wives.  ’Voice of the City’ condemns the replacement of public power supply with domestic power generating sets which are hazardous to both health and social relationships.
    In the last two seasons,  Professor Johnbull has brought art, humour, high technical quality and education to the viewers of NTA and DSTV, giving Nigerians a bundle of creativity packaged in 30 minutes of drama.
    Prolific Tchidi Tchikere who is the series director, was effusive in commending the concept Professor Johnbull as a TV drama series. He highlighted the numerous merits of the sitcom, part of which is the emphasis on peaceful co-existence among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

  • Pupils urged to imbibe moral values

    Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary Education District II, Mrs Titilayo Solarin, has urged students to exemplify moral values anchored on honesty, compassion, courage, modesty, and forgiveness.

    She spoke in Lagos during the final stage of the quiz and public speaking competition, organised by a non-governmental organisation, Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI), with the theme: ‘Beyond the walls’.

    Solarin, represented by Mrs Ronke Matuluko, urged participants to demonstrate sound moral ethics, values and be sensitive to other people’s plight.

    “Learn to build trust, credibility and respect for yourselves as well as other people,” she said.

    Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, Education District IV, Mrs Lola Are-Adegbite, represented by Mrs Adenike Ajayi, said the initiative will create opportunities for students to be taught and mentored in leadership skills in a practical and ethical manner.

    According to her, the programme will give young people room for increased intellectual growth through team work, while introducing them to skills needed for effective decision making, how to adopt change and tolerate the views of others.

    The programme would engender the development of the pupils’ verbal, written and other communication skills, increase their knowledge in their chosen field of endeavour and develop them towards self-discovery and actualisation, she added.

    AEI Project Coordinator, Mr Olabanjo Shefiu, said the initiative aims to encourage academic excellence, morals and ethics among the future leaders.

    He explained that the contest, which began in October was in three stages.

    “The competition is about quiz and public speaking. We had about 45 schools in the first stage from which we selected 15 schools that were qualified for the second stage. At the second stage, five schools were selected from among the 15 schools to compete for the final stage.

    “Participants were given consolation prizes and the overall winner and the first and second runners up have special gifts,” Mr Sheffiu said.