Date: 2015-02-20

Morality, defined as the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour, is what people expect to guide human conducts and interactions. Morality exists in various facets of our life: religion, politics, and economy. The combination of our interactions in each of these aspects of our life is what makes up a society.

In today's society, our hitherto held value of morality has been lost on the altar of selfish political ambitions. St. Augustine once argued that morality cannot be separated from politics. He said: "Morality, once removed from politics, politics becomes a gang of robbers." The political landscape in Nigeria, no doubt, needs a reflection on its morality.

The lack of morality in our politics is the root cause of violence; electoral or otherwise. Despite their claim of being an adherent of a particular religion, the lack of morality on the part of politicians has made the soul of a human worth less than their ambition in their myopic view. Their covert and overt authorization for the use of violence lends credence to this last statement.

None of the two popular religions condone the use of violence. Islam outlaws any act of violence that can lead to killing of human beings for political or economic reason either on the basis of caste, colour, race or religion. In fact, the glorious Qur'an equates the killing of a human being to Slaughtering the Entire Human Race (Q5:32). To ensure political, economic and religious harmony, Islam enjoins obedience to Allah, the prophet and those in the position of authority.

According to the Christian perspective, any form of killing or violence is a violation of God's law. A clear understanding of the Old Testament portrays God as a being with great understanding of justice and permits individuals to kill only in self-defence in order to preserve lives. In the New Testament, Paul told the people of Hebrew to "follow peace with all men..." (Heb 12v14). In fact, Jesus Christ, showing His total abhorrence for violence, instructed His followers not to resist evil and turn their left cheek if they were slapped on the right cheek.

My fellow Nigerians, I am sure we will all agree that wherever there is violence, there cannot be an iota of peace of mind there. Since the two most popular religions in Nigeria preach against killing a human being, talk less of hundreds of it, let's unite against the senseless killing of innocent souls in this country for they also have right to live amongst us. There is the need for our religious scholars, both Muslims and Christians, to continue to preach against the inhuman act of violence.

Violence is one of the major factors trampling Nigeria's quest for development. Recent electoral violence has engendered some other social problems that Nigeria is now faced with the challenge of overcoming. Since it is a 'challenge,' it means we can overcome it.

Parents should rise to the occasion by taking the urgent and responsible step of advising their wards at a tender age, when they are still malleable, before they grow up into the proverbial 'dried fish' that the larger society cannot even control. Charity begins at home they say. Any parent who fails in his or her responsibility to always inform his or her wards on the importance of peace and unity, as the symbol below our coat of arms says, has failed the whole nation.

Government at all levels must recognize that it is only in a society where there is peace and unity that there will be development. Our politicians should not view public office as a do or die affair. Rather, they should see it as a service to God Almighty and humanity and that one day, they would account for their actions and inactions to the creator of the universe.

Children, on their part, should see themselves as leaders of tomorrow and not as destroyers of tomorrow. They should always aspire for greatness and should have it in their minds that one day they also would account for their actions and inactions to their creator.

Ayodeji Yusuf Ikoh, University of Ilorin