Abstract
For so long, development theories and practices have either deliberately neglected or simply overlooked the possible interconnections between religion, culture and the attainment of development goals. Against this background, this article reviews the literature on corruption, as a major factor of underdevelopment in Nigeria, particularly as it relates to religion and culture in the country. In its analysis, this article argues that corruption in Nigeria, especially in view of the country’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious status, must be conceived as a phenomenon transcending legal, political and economic boundaries. The study adopts an interpretative and descriptive methodology for its analysis.
Highlights
The type of corruption that involves rulers and other categories of holders of public offices is a perennial problem in any politically organised human society
What constitutes political corruption? How did it become such a huge problem in Africa, but in Nigeria under military rule? Why is it still so endemic in the country despite the reintroduction of civil rule and democratisation that has, so far, since 1999 been ongoing for 17 years? What are the probable interconnections between the bold character of political corruption and the gift culture and other similar traditional practices across the country? What about the relationship between the deep religiosity that cuts across adherents of African Traditional Religions (ATRs), Christianity and Islam in the country, and the high rate of political corruption in which supposedly religious people are involved? These research questions constitute the focus of this article
In addition to Islam’s emphasis on the reward of heaven for good deeds and hell for unrepentant acts of negativity and injury to others as well as the endless mercy of Allah to His repentant creatures, it makes provisions for punishing offenders through appropriate judicial and legal procedures. This is why, for instance, offences such as armed robbery and drug trafficking attract death penalties, while other forms of criminalities attract other various punishments in Saudi Arabia and some other countries where shariah operates. Despite these prescriptions, many Nigerian Muslim public officials have been involved in various acts of political corruption over the years, while, in some other more disturbing instances, some Islamic scholars have condoned corruption and indirectly encouraged their followers, those in public offices, to abuse such positions
Summary
The type of corruption that involves rulers and other categories of holders of public offices is a perennial problem in any politically organised human society. What about the relationship between the deep religiosity that cuts across adherents of African Traditional Religions (ATRs), Christianity and Islam in the country, and the high rate of political corruption in which supposedly religious people are involved?
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