Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has tasked religious leaders to work towards promoting morals and eradication criminality in the society.
Soludo made the call recently while addressing over 170 Anglican bishops that gathered for their annual retreat in Awka, the state capital.
The Governor painted a vivid picture of the moral decay afflicting Nigerian society, especially the youth, driven by a relentless pursuit of wealth without hard work and the insidious rise of idolatry which he said has become a worrisome trend in his State.
Soludo said the “get-rich-quick” mentality has taken root among the youth, a mindset he argued is fueling insecurity and making kidnapping a lucrative enterprise in the country.
The governor warned that the ideology of acquiring wealth by any means necessary has become a cancer eating away at the fabric of our society.
“This pursuit of wealth, often without regard for its source, has led to a moral crisis, with young people increasingly turning away from the church and its teachings, and heading to the bush to join cults and kidnappers for power and money.”
He pointed out that many religious institutions have failed to question the origins of the wealth donated by their congregants, thus tacitly endorsing unethical means of acquiring riches.
He urged church leaders to restore the right values and serve as models of integrity and righteousness. He said the church must lead by example by promoting values that prioritise character over wealth and service over self-interest.
He called for a return to the core tenets of faith that emphasised humility, honesty, and service and hard work over unbridled materialism and hedonism.
Soludo reminded the church of its sacred duty to protect the spiritual and moral well-being of the nation, noting that the future of Nigeria depends on collective ability to nurture a generation that values integrity over wealth and faith over fortune.
