By Laja Thomas & Oboh Agbonkhese

LAGOS – Development is not possible without a solid religious and cultural foundation. This was revealed by General Ishola Williams (rtd), President, Transparency International (PI) at a seminar organised by the Rosicrucian Order (AMORC) with the theme, Duty Performed, the Key to World Peace and Stability, weekend in Lagos.

He said while Indian has Buddhism, Japan has Buddhism and Shinto, Israel held on to Judaism, Nigeria practises spiritual prostitution.

According to the retired Army General, while delivering a paper on Nations Duties to the World,  “no country can develop without a solid religious and cultural foundation. It determines doctrine and ideology. The absence of such foundation leads to spiritual prostitution.”

He said the result of a weak religious and cultural foundation was the establishment of universities in areas that should have been known with world class institute of oil and gas technology; workers in the Ministry of Education having kids in private institution; Ministry of Health workers going to private and foreign hospitals for treatment and inability of Nigerians to take over if Shell decides to leave Nigeria after about 50 years of operation in the country. “An irresponsible government is the result of irresponsible citizens,” he concluded.

Earlier, Dr. Kenneth Idiodi, Grand Administrator and Vice President, AMORC enjoined Nigerians to always contribute their quota to the socio-political development of the nation.

According to him, “the World would be a better place in terms of peace we enjoy as well as progress for all individuals to move from one level of stability to another if we all learn to be efficient in the performance of our duties and obligations to God firstly, others and ourselves, in that order.”