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INFLUENCE OF ASSERTIVENESS AND RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION ON THE PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION IN NSIT ATAI L.G.Acorruption Perception Index

Account Details

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION       

Corruption has been conceptualized to mean all acts and actions of any person or group intentionally perpetrated to secure advantage for oneself, a relation or association. In a manner that deviates from the accepted regulations, moral or ethical standards or code and hence constitute an aberration of justice, equity and fairplay Ojo Nicholas (2002). Corruption may include many activities including Bribery and Embezzlement though it may also involve practices that are legal in many countries.

Government or political, corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for personal gain. Corrupt practices among Nigerians, high or low are well known. In Nigeria, corruption as assumed an advancing proportion and is permeated all facets of the society running through all classes. The extent to which corruption has permeated our national psyche is aptly described by Odondiri (1995) who argued that corruption is endemic in our body politic. Nowadays almost every discussion about Nigeria centres more on the ascendance of corruption in our national life. Because of their near-suffocating preponderance of corruption, scholars have made effort at analyzing the dimensions and causes of the rather hydraheaded phenomenon.

Ottu (2006) posits that corruption has been a resounding worrisome concept in all Human Affairs.

Thus, a case of corruption often involves a breach of trust, dishonesty, cheating, immorality, moral debauchery and the subjective irresponsibility of a person acting towards another person or people. This study tries to look into the effects of two salient factors – assertiveness and religious affiliation on the perception of corruption in Nsit Atai Local Government Area.

A former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, had said that the activities of church leaders are contributing to the rampant cases of corruption across the country. Speaking at the Convention of Victory Life Bible Church Intentional in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on the 3rd February 2018. Mr. Obasanjo, a retired army general said in His speech titled “The role of the church in the fight against corrupt practices in Nigeria.” If the church as an institution does not take bribe or get involved in other corrupt practice, the behavior of some of our men of God leaves much to be desired.

They not only celebrate, but venerate those whose sources of wealth are questionable. They accept gifts (offering) from just anybody without asking questions. This gives the impression that anything is acceptable in the house of God. “But if Jesus can chase out those buying and selling from the temple with the declaration that, my house shall be called the house of  prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves, then it is time to stand up against corruption.”

Mr. Obasanjo called on the church to clean its Augean stable in order to restore its holiness. He also advocated that prosperity message be preached with caution and moderation. “While miracles, signs and wonders are the expectations of true believers, such must be based on righteousness to preach that one can acquire wealth without labour is not only deceitful, it is a call to corruption. It is false preaching and it is sinful.

We must be careful in believing and celebrating every testimony of miraculous blessings. Hence we end up being hoodwinked into celebrating corruption”. The church is an important and influential institution in our society.

Our main problems are moral ethical and disorientation. The church is an institution that provides the moral and ethical standards for believers.

God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the  people on earth had corrupted their ways (Gen 6:13). In the Old Testament, the word “bribery” is often used to refer to corruption. In the book of Exodus, Moses gives the following instruction. “Do not accept a bribe, for the bribe blinds those who see, and twist the words of the righteous” (Exodus 23:8). There can never be true justice when corruption is involved

Daniel was a paragon of integrity, “The administrations and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in His conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in Him, because he was trustworthy neither corrupt nor negligent”(Daniel 6:4).

Greed is the root cause of corruption, but King Solomon also did countered the attitude of corruption. “Better a little with righteousness, than much with injustice” (Prov. 16:5).

Contentment is a good virtue, and a good attribute to be cultivated. Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode Shared an interesting theory on the role of religious leaders in politics. And Vanguard report that he seems to hold men of God responsible for the high level of corruption, in the religious setting. In his words, “When church and Mosque want to do fund raising they will not look for people that are committed to the work of God but rather politicians and people in power whose salary is not up to N500,00 (five hundred thousand naira) to come and launch N50million project.”

The Qua – Iboe Church in Iwok, Obio Aduang, Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, when the local politicians come to church late, the Pastor will ask the congregation to stand and clap for them, whereas the poor that came to church early nobody recognizes them when these local politicians gives offering in the Sunday School, then it would be announced in the general church for them to be clapped for and recognized. The church must stand up against corruption, because the church plays an important role in the development of this country. The country is at another important historic juncture requiring the church to play a leading role, it is a period of moral and ethical rebirth. The church has a vital role to play in curbing corruption in our society. Morality must be preached at all times, in all places and by all people.

Baptist ethicist, Louise Kretzchmar of South Africa addressed the question of leadership in the church and on July 10, 2014. In a joint session of the Christian ethics commission meeting in Izmir, Turkey. In a paper entitled, “Beyond milk the moral failure and ongoing formation of Christian leaders in the church and the society.”

The presentation above shows that even in the church corrupt in strives so hard and this makes it difficult for the church to really play her all – important role of modeling the country in a morally – evidenced manner.  It is very expedient for the church to speak truth to rulers and politicians, for there is no substitute for the role of the church in fighting corruption.

The Saint Athanasius Catholic church in Essien Itiaba, Nsit Atai L.G.A recognition is accorded based on the size of one’s offering and tithes. In some of the Pentecostal Churches, such as the Mount of the Lord’s Mission at Spring Road, Oron, the pastor in charge specifies the exact amount and offering he wants, and members run over themselves to be the first to drop at the alter to claim their blessings, this is a church that a currency like 5naira, 20naira is seriously frowned at for offering.

Pentecostal Pastors are racing nowadays to acquire private jets and private Universities, and to out-do one another in accumulating worldly possessions. Apostle Ndiana-abasi the general Overseer of the (Apostle of Zion church) in Ndiya Ikot Ukap, in Nsit Ubium L.G.A did asked a sick woman to come for counseling with N60,000. (Sixty thousand naira), saying “Receiving the miracles of God is sacrificial.”

One of the major problems in Christendom is the breakdown of the church value system. The church as an agent of socialization, must be in the forefront of rebuilding the value system and making the individual to imbibe these values and moral principles. As part of its evangelical and spiritual mandate.

The church must embrace a more inclusive definition of evangelism. Evangelism must not only be limited to winning souls to increase the crowd in the church, but it must also embrace discipleship, which is the cleansing of the soul and heart towards righteousness. It would be interesting to know what Jesus thinks of these pastors whose conducts are quite indistinguishable from those of the Pharisees and Sadducees that he described as “brood of vipers” in His days.

Pentecostal pastors of the prosperity preaching kind who actively diassociate themselves from the poor. You do not here them talk about the poor state of education or health care system in the country, you do not here them protest firmly against policies that punish the masses. Rather than speak the truth to power they collude with corrupt practices, to defraud the masses and profit themselves.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Corruption in Nigeria has a whole has been a thing of worry and concern for individuals, corporate bodies and even governmental  institutions. In essence, these financial crimes have been on the increase and they include offences commonly called “The white collar crimes.” Telemarketing scams, insurance fraud, internet fraud, money laundering, identity theft, embezzlement of church funds. The researcher tries to find solutions to these research problems;

  • Does assertiveness affect the perception of corruption?
  • Does religious affiliation affect the perception of corruption?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is therefore to know the effect of assertiveness and religious affiliation on the perception of corruption in Nsit Atai L.G.A of Akwa Ibom State.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Corruption: An act or action of any given person or group intentionally perpetrated to secure advantage for oneself, a relation or association. In a manner that deviates from the acceptable regulations, moral and ethical standards or code and hence constitute an aberration of justice, equity and fairplay.

Assertiveness: Assertiveness refers to the trait of possessing self-assurance and self –confidence without needing to be aggressive. However, as this trait does not come easily to many people, it can be beneficial to engage in assertiveness training. This training (is being increasingly used by personal development specialists and behavior therapists to help improves self-esteem).

Religious Affiliation:  This refers to an association or connection with a particular theology or spiritual belief, that is in accordance with the principle of a religion.

Perception: Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information, or the environment, it deals with the way something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.

 

 

 

 

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