The Executive Director of Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Imam Fuad Adeyemi has warned religious leaders and citizens over the disturbing absence of integrity in the society, insisting that “integrity certainly pays”.
Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society is a faith-based organisation.
During a radio town hall meeting on ‘Entrenching Culture of Integrity in Nigeria: The Religious Perspective’, organised by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), at the weekend in Abuja, Imam Adeyemi disclosed that every well-meaning citizen of the country ought to be bothered by the growing scarcity of persons of integrity while rebuking religious leaders who promote prosperity preaching over honest living.
He stressed the need for more Nigerians to imbibe the culture of doing right and living above board, given its long-term benefits, rather than corruption, which continues to constitute a major drawback to national development. He added that it is worrisome that Nigerians think of themselves nowadays more than advancing the course of entrenching sincerity in their daily lives.
Imam Adeyemi lamented: “Integrity pays, and it lasts longer. You can use integrity to buy what money cannot buy. With integrity, you can live as the richest man and serve as a symbol for all other people.
“The religious leaders should lead by example; the community leaders should not lead people into destruction by supporting fraudulent people. We should be able to recognize everyone who is doing good. Also, when there are no repercussions for crime, the government is the greatest challenge.
“More Nigerians becoming persons of integrity has to start with the religious leaders; traditional or community leaders have their own, government and law enforcement agents have their own. Some people steal money, and when they get to the community, they are conferred with a traditional title”.
The cleric warned against what he termed the ‘politicisation’ of religion in Nigeria, urging the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) to do more in purging their ranks of religious leaders who are downplaying integrity lifestyle over prosperity preaching.
“The essence of religion is for you to cope in any circumstance you find yourself after you have put in an effort. Unfortunately, the government themselves need to sit up unless we might all crash out. With the proliferation of these kinds of teachings from religious houses.
“I’m happy CAN and NSCIA have started doing something about wrong preaching, but I believe they need to do more. Religious houses must have some sanction to disrobe erring leaders,
“Christian and Muslim leaders must preach integrity and spirituality. When you are spiritual, many of these things will become nothing to you. Material things will become secondary in your life instead of primary. We have quacks among the religious leaders, and those quacks have so much followership, and that’s why I’m questioning what qualifies one as a religious leader”? Imam Adeyemi noted.
Project Coordinator at Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Mike Egbe said that the shortage of integrity and moral decadence in Nigerian society is worsened by the impoverishment of citizens and agelong leadership failure in the country.
While charging religious leaders to preach and promote more integrity deeds, Egbe identified greed as a major factor drifting preachers away from integrity messaging.
“Indeed, we have people who are preaching the authentic message of God, whether in the Christian or Islamic faith, but generally, especially in this age and time, social media and access to information is perhaps easier for many people, the ones who preach what seems to be soothing for the individual with his natural tendencies and human weakness of being greedy is the one that seems much more popular.
“If you are in a helpless situation, if you believe in God, God will come through for you. God, in his principles, does not take shortcuts”, Egbe advised.
In proffering solutions to the challenges of integrity in Nigeria, the Programme Officer of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Mnenga Shiiuwa averred that every citizen must first appreciate the dangers of a corrupt society before things can be addressed; Lamenting that corrupt people are today in leadership positions and serving as role models.
“Until all of us as citizens of this country begin to see the impact of our lack of integrity on our daily lives, it will be difficult to understand this component of the discussion we are having. It’s one thing for religious leaders to preach on integrity. It is another thing for people preached to take up the virtues, he said.
Shiiuwa revealed that all is set for the 2024 Integrity Icon events, as nominations of the top five people have been concluded. He revealed that the annual identifying and faming of public servants who maintained high moral standards and values while discharging their duties have been instrumental in raising thousands of public servants who are modelling after the celebrated integrity icons.
PRIMORG’s town hall meeting on entrenching integrity in Nigerian society is aimed at celebrating citizens who displayed uncommon integrity and stressing the need for honest and upright citizenry.
The syndicated radio programme runs with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
