Where is our moral Nigeria citizens – Activist

A United States-based civil rights activist, Mr. Smart Ajaja, has stated that the conferment of national honours on individuals under probe over alleged corrupt activities is an evidence that the nation has lost its moral compass.

Ajaja said the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan must understand that there are more than enough emergent “social disorders” to address in the country.

In a statement obtained by SATURDAY PUNCH in Abuja, the activistsaid the action had sent a wrong signal that living a positive and virtuous life did not pay.

He said, “These awards to a mostly fraudulent,
monumentally corrupt and fiscally irresponsible personalities have only sent a clear signal to Nigerians that their country has lost its moral compass and therefore, a call to action for all men and women who truly love Nigeria to stand up to say no.

“It goes further to send a very wrong signal to the youths, who constitute about 70 per cent of the Nigerian population, that it is no longer necessary to aspire positively as only those who are corrupt, fraudulent and saboteurs are now qualified to receive national honours, as opposed to those who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavours.

“The Federal Government should stop this embarrassing and controversial habit of giving national merit awards to failures, economic saboteurs and corrupt politicians, especially at a time when the threats to our economy and national security arising from their tragic failure of leadership and economic sabotage, have assumed a very grave and disturbing dimension and places the unprotected majority at the risk of the consequences of the corresponding profound social disorders which their obnoxious policies have created.”

Ajaja said social disorders were direct or remote reactions to dysfunctional systems or imbalances “in the social equilibrium of vulnerable societies, where survival by all means necessary becomes the priorities of the citizens.”

He said, “Nigeria’s terrible all-round flawed government policies and conflict resolution approaches portend the greatest threat to her economy and national security than the al-Qaida and Boko Haram, put together, because if citizens are motivated, terrorism cannot thrive.”