By Chioma Gabriel

Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has decried the rising corruption in Nigeria and called on the church to be in the forefront in the fight against the menace.

Obi who spoke as guest lecturer at 10th Anthony Cardinal Okogie Lecture series at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland,  Ikeja, on “Creating a Corruption-free Society: The role of the Church Nigeria,” argued that corruption had inflicted major havoc on the country, because it killed entrepreneurship, since nobody was enterprising in a corrupt society.

He said corruption killed hardwork, since nobody worked hard in a corrupt society, adding that it also killed  professionalism since nobody aspired to become a professional when it did not pay.

He linked the problems Nigeria is experiencing to corruption, adding: “All the agitations are as a result of cumulative failure of leadership over the years.”

He said Nigeria was in a sorry state because the resources that should have been used to develop the country percolated into few private hands.

Regretting the colossal loss by the state due to corruption, Obi   recalled painfully that countries like China, Malaysia, South Korea and some others that started economic voyage with Nigeria have all overtaken Nigeria.

He submitted that corruption has crept into every facet of the nation’s life, predicting that the nation cannot grow if we continue to tolerate corruption.

Speaking also at the event, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, said unless Nigerians unite to kill corruption, the monster would soon kill Nigeria.

In his remarks, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Anti-Corruption, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, outlined three cardinal ingredients that fuel corruption in the country, including, “the culture of silence, saying if we fail to speak out against corruption, we won’t go anywhere. He argued that religious organisations are better placed to address such matters.

On his part, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, who was represented by Special Adviser on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, hailed Cardinal Okogie, who he said had demonstrated his commitment and unalloyed passion for the poor in the society, praying that God should continue to preserve him to fearlessly defend the cause of the down trodden.

His Delta State counterpart, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Tam Brisbe, was of the view that unless the nation moves away from the current corrupt culture and develop other economic choices, the future of Nigeria will remain  bleak.