Gap Between Religiosity, Morality & Ethical Conduct in Nigeria Is Humongous

Nigeria has more Catholic Knights than Italy. 

Nigeria has more Anglican Knights than England.

Nigeria has more Alhajis than all Arab countries combined.

This is not entirely bad.

Ironically, this our religiosity does not reflect in the religious and moral fabric of the nation! 

Each year, we budget billions of naira sending our people on pilgrimages to Mecca and Jerusalem to pray.

We pray for development,

We pray for long life and good health.

We pray against sudden death.

We pray against accident of any kind.

We pray for employment.

We pray for peace.

Above all, we pray to make heaven!

In the year of the Lord two thousand and eighteen (2018), we will spend 250 billion naira to sponsor pilgrims to pray for the development of Nigeria among others.

250 Billion can build 250 model schools.

250 Billion can build 100 modern health centers.

250 Billion can immunize all children in Nigeria.

250 Billion can build 250 new roads.

250 Billion can build 1000 new housing estates.

250 Billion can create 100,000 new jobs.

We choose not to do any of these.

Rather,

We choose to spend that amount to go pray for development!

We choose not to spend that amount to take care of our health, rather we choose to spend it to go and pray for our health!

We choose not to spend that amount to build schools and train our children to be wise, we instead choose to use it to go and pray for wisdom!

We choose not to spend that amount to build good roads to avoid and reduce car accidents, we choose instead to spend it to pray against accidents.

Christians are latecomers to the habit of annual pilgrimage to either Jerusalem or Rome. Chartered airplanes convey these pilgrims often at public expense in a country where the ordinary citizens cannot afford the basics of normal life.

These are our choices.  We will live with them.

Close your eyes and imagine!

How much resources have we spent over these years to pray instead of using them to develop our country? 

There is nothing wrong going on pilgrimage to pray and seek the face of God.  But, it should be entirely a private affair.