Courtney McGrailElectricity could go a long way to stemming violence often attributed to religion, Nigerian’s bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto has said.
Violence in Nigeria is attributed to religious conflicts, the bishop said, but “more often it is just a battle for survival and a battle over resources”. Without electricity, he argued, many people cannot do ordinary work, and are left with too much idle time, which leads to trouble. Education can seem futile in such conditions, he indicated, explaining that although children can be sent to school and graduate from college, there are few jobs available afterwards.
Bribes
He also said it is hard to tackle corruption in the country because of its “pervasive nature”. Because people who take and give bribes are recognised as having often done good things, he said, “everyone is contributing to the criminal tribe”.
To move forward, he said, Nigeria needs to develop “a sense of moral revulsion”.