NGO bemoans decline in moral values

Forum 8 months ago

NGO bemoans decline in moral values

A non-governmental organisation, the Centre for Ethics and Civic Orientation, has bemoaned the decline in moral values in the country.

The NGO said poor moral values would not allow the country to realise its true economic potential.

Delivering a presentation on the topic, “Morality and the State: The Nigerian Experience”, at the CECOs 2023 National Conference tagged “Renewed Hope for Better Nigeria: Imperative of Ethical Reorientation” in Lagos on Thursday, the Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Godwin Sogolo, said the current deteriorating moral value remained multi-dimensional problems affecting the growth of the country.

Sogolo added that in the past, anyone found paying ransom to kidnappers was considered aiding the crime, lamenting that those who are saddled with enforcing the law now openly pay kidnappers.

He said, “More disturbing is the growing insensitivity to the lack of moral value in our society. In those days, the payment of ransom, if ever done, was done secretly. If you are caught, you will be severely punished for encouraging criminality. But now, ransom payments are done almost openly. We’re in a situation where anything goes and nothing invokes a moral burden.

“In those days, when our children engaged in examination malpractice, we chastised them. Today, parents and teachers conspire to direct children on how to indulge in examination malpractice. The new order sees nothing wrong in a situation where a convicted senator is allowed to receive salaries.”

Commending the Emeritus Professor on the presentation, the former Editor of Saturday PUNCH, Dr Olabisi Deji-Folutile, said the current loss of moral in the country could not be eliminated with one solution, advising the National Orientation Agency to imbue the imperativeness of morals in Nigerians.

Deji-Folutile said, “I also believe that whatever we are saying here today cannot be a one-bullet solution to solve the challenges of decreasing moral value in our society. This is a conversation we should be having from time to time. I will also suggest that we increase the responsibilities of the National Orientation Agency to begin to talk about the essence of moral value through their different orientation programmes.”

Speaking, the chairman of the event, Professor Mojeed Alabi, noted that if Nigeria did not work on its moral values, its economic growth would be stifled, wondering “how Nigerians have become so low in public morality, integrity, and dignity. No matter the amount of intellect we have, as long as the ethical foundation of the country is lost, we are heading anywhere. If we have a very sound moral and ethical foundation, the government will spend less on maintaining our infrastructure. We will need fewer governors.”

Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of CECO, Dr. Olusanya Awosan, explained that though President Bola Tinubu was dear to his heart, the programme was meant to chart a new path for the entire country.

He noted, “We are doing this programme not because of one person but because of Nigeria. I have not seen any country in the world that has attained growth without a sound public morality.”