Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised concerns over what he described as the erosion of moral values in Nigeria, warning that growing insecurity and violence are gradually desensitising citizens to human suffering.
Jonathan spoke at the first session of the 13th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Abuja, where he called for spiritual renewal, responsible leadership and collective efforts to rebuild the nation’s value system.
The former president said the increasing wave of killings and destruction across the country no longer provokes the level of outrage it once did, a development he described as dangerous for society.
“When we look around today, particularly at the challenges confronting our country, it is easy to become discouraged. Violence, insecurity, moral decline and the loss of human values have become deeply troubling realities,” he said.
Jonathan lamented that society now appears to treat tragic incidents as normal occurrences, unlike in the past when such events stirred the national conscience and collective grief.
“What is even more painful is how society sometimes appears to normalise these tragedies as though they are ordinary occurrences.
“Today, people are killed, communities are destroyed, and life seems to continue as though nothing has happened. This ought not to be so,” he added.
He stressed that religious institutions, particularly the Church, have a major role to play in restoring moral standards and guiding society towards righteousness.
According to him, modern technology and information systems, despite their benefits, have also contributed to the spread of harmful values and the glorification of wrongdoing.
“The Church must continue to stand as the conscience of society, speaking truth, defending righteousness, and shaping lives through faith and godly example,” Jonathan stated.
He further emphasised the importance of credible leadership, noting that national progress depends on leaders who possess integrity, courage and vision.
Also speaking, former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Peter Akinola, said the synod came at a critical moment for the global Anglican Communion.
Akinola noted that previous gatherings of the Church had helped project a positive image of Nigeria to foreign delegates despite negative international narratives about the country.
