Nigeria’s welfare hampered by systemic corruption — Ugorji

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI — The welfare of Nigerians would have been considerably better than it is today if not for the socio-economic challenges and systemic corruption that have bedevilled the country over the years, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has said.

Ugorji spoke in his homily during a Eucharistic celebration at Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, to mark Nigeria’s Independence anniversary.

He urged political office holders to adopt people-oriented leadership anchored on enduring moral principles, saying this was necessary for the country to overcome its challenges and make meaningful progress.

The Archbishop said Nigeria had continued to face deep-rooted socio-economic and governance challenges, with successive administrations struggling with accountability, transparency and long-term institutional planning.

He said short-term political considerations had often taken precedence over national development.

According to him, despite the country’s abundant natural resources, Nigeria remained vulnerable to external shocks because of its reliance on crude oil, sluggish industrialisation, high unemployment and widespread poverty.

“Persistent insecurity, including insurgency, banditry and terrorism, continue to disrupt local economies, displace communities and strain national cohesion,” he said.

Ugorji also condemned the pervasive nature of corruption, saying it had become deeply entrenched in different sectors of Nigerian society.

“We must acknowledge that for 66 years, the cancer of systemic corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of our society,” he said.

He described corruption as “ethical decay or moral rottenness,” stressing that it went beyond the theft of public funds by political leaders.

According to him, corruption also manifests in everyday activities, including demanding bribes before processing official documents, soliciting money or sexual favours from students, examination malpractice, cheating customers with false measurements, extorting motorists and subverting justice.

He also cited the alteration of election results by electoral officials as another manifestation of corruption.

“If we want a new Nigeria, we must become new Nigerians. We must have new hearts. We must have attitudinal change. We must be transformed from head to toe,” Ugorji said.

He stressed that national transformation could not come solely from political leaders, urging citizens to examine their own conduct and embrace accountability.

“Transformation does not flow from top down alone. We cannot demand accountability from our leaders when we are unaccountable in our small homes, in our businesses, and in our churches,” he said.

The Archbishop called on Nigerians to cultivate a culture of honesty, hard work and merit, urging citizens to do what is right regardless of whether they were being watched.

“We must learn to do the right thing simply because it is right, even when no one is watching,” he added.

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