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Abstract: Nigeria, the Giant of Africa is richly endowed with natural resources and high quality human capital but yet to find its rightful place in the comity of nations. One of the major factors responsible for her socioeconomic stagnation is the phenomenon of corruption. This paper examines the role that the state political actors and church leaders played in the entrenchment of corruption in the Nigerian state. Towing a historical trajectory, this paper submits that the structural defects and lacunae in the weak Nigerian state structure was unduly exploited by the political class giving them opportunities to exercise absolute power that enabled them to perpetrate all manners of corrupt practices with impunity. The political class looted the state treasury in turns at the expense of a nationwide socio-economic development. As the state could not better the lots of the masses, the masses lost hope in the state and in their frustration found solace in the church, especially the Pentecostal tradition, which gave the people a promise of hope, miracles and better lives. The church made ordinary citizens to believe that demonic forces or spiritual attacks are behind poverty, illnesses and other misfortunes that besotted them. Thus, the people started looking towards the church for solutions to their physical problems. They flocked the churches in search of elusive miracles and breakthroughs. The exotic life style of the corrupt politicians appealed to the church leaders and they set out to become like the politicians. Sooner than later, some of the church itself became so infected by the value system of corrupt political class; they devised several means of exploiting their congregations. The study found that some church leaders also attracted corrupt politicians to the churches, celebrated them, accepted looted funds from them and preached that the masses should show unconditional obedience to the political leaders in power. Thus, primitive accumulation became a joint endeavour of the church leaders and political leaders. The poor masses became double victims of exploitation; by the state and the church. The study recommends the revival of ethical Christianity, where Gods-consciousness and search for absolute holiness influences directs human behaviour. Keywords: Politicians, military, church, corruption, poverty and Nigeria. |
