1 NIGERIA ON THE WHEEL OF DECAY: THE BOOK OF AMOS AND QUEST FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Yusuf DOGARA Abstract Nigeria is grossly on the wheel of decay, looking at tribalism, nepotism, corruption, discrimination and as signalling the level of unhappiness amongst the people. And the original message of prophet Amos stresses the divine demand for social justice and concern for the oppressed in 8th century Israel. A lot of Israel's wealthy people of the society at the time of Amos chose to be unfair and to treat the poor as they wished. Amos connects the injustice he sees around him to a society bent on wealth and prosperity while being forgetful of the true worship of God. As justice was denied in Amos' time, so also it is being denied in contemporary Nigerian society. The paper set to examine some of the social injustices that are pulling the country (Nigeria) down such as socio- economic injustice, socio-political injustice, socio-religious injustice and socio-judicial injustice. It is the conclusion of this paper that for a meaningful way forward in Nigerian society to regain her stature, Nigerians should learn to apply social justice as exactly in the book of Amos. Key Words: Justice, Injustice, Social Injustice, and Social Justice INTRODUCTION The level of social injustice currently prevalent in Nigeria is reaching alarming proportion, The overwhelming upsurge of resistant groups in Nigeria these days such as the tribalism, nepotism, corruption, discrimination and other similar movements are commonly interpreted as demonstrations against the State resulting from the strains of injustice in the system and showing the level of discontent amongst the people. A distinctive feature of Israelite religion was the interconnection between the relationships to one's neighbour and to God as established by the covenant. The quality of one's relationship to God depended to some extent on how one related to fellow members of the covenant community. At the time of prophet Amos, many among Israel's powerful people had chosen to ignore this aspect of Israelite religion and to treat the disadvantaged as they wished. Wealthy landowners oppressed the less fortunate, taking over the land holdings of many impoverished Israelites. Ivory places were built, and businessmen became impatient with Sabbath restrictions. The rich were oppressive and corrupt; the courts were unjust; the righteous services were either a sham or consisted of idolatry. Superstition and immorality were the order of the day. Amos saw that such Dogara Nigeria On The Wheel Of Decay 2 dreadful conditions could not bring God's blessings rather than judgement and punishment. The prophet expresses Gods distress at the maltreatment of the less privileged people (Amos 2:7; 4:1; 5:7, 11, 24; 8:4-6). Just like the society of northern Israel to which Amos delivered his message, in the contemporary Nigerian society, social injustice has been the order of the day. Social justice which was the subject matter of Amos' message is one major thing which Nigerians are lacking. This could be practical from various forms of social injustice taking place in contemporary Nigerian society. This ugly trend brought so many challenges in all sectors of Nigerian society. In view of the high level of religiosity in the country, instead of development, Nigeria as a religious society is fast decaying of injustices. Many Nigerians pretend to be religious while virtually a lot of injustice and immorality are being committed by the same people. Some of the Nigerian religious activities and prayers are like those of the Israelites of Amos' time. They are yet to make impact on our society. In the light of this one wonders the essence of religion in Nigeria. This research surfaces from Amos' Theology of social justice to point of looking at various forms of social injustices in Nigerian society today. The justices in the present day Nigeria are viewed in the context of the injustices that existed in the Northern Israel to which Amos delivered his message. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS Justice: The word justice is a good quality that has been defined as rights and duties of people to each other. Tugwa (2020:32) says Justice implies giving a person what he deserves, the equitable and fair judgment and punishment to the offenders, in the light of existing laws morals and customs. According to Iwe cited by Ikenna define “Justice as an ethical concept with immense social significance that implies the notion of fairness, fair deal, moral integrity and righteousness in the dealings of men with one another and in the affairs and transaction of social life” ( Ikena2018:235). Injustice: Is the opposite of justice which comprises Man's inhumanity to man, unfair distribution of natural gifts and breach of fundamental human rights. These prompted the radical teaching of Prophet Amos in Israel (Ikenna 2018: 62). Social Injustice: "Social Injustice" and "Social justice" are unstructured terms that have no codified meaning in the law. Social injustice is any point at which society at large is letting any kind of oppression go by unlocked, they are things that desperately need to be dealt with for human rights purpose. As offered by Babalola, James Adeyemi Oluwatoyin, Social injustice is a concept relating to the denied unfairness or injustice of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities. The concept is distinct from those of justice in Law, which may or may not be regarded Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1(3), 2021 ISSN: 2786-9792 3 moral in practice, or from the concept of justice within a coherent ideological system, which focuses on just process rather than on incidental inequalities. Social injustice arises when the distribution of advantages and disadvantages in society are not equal. "Social injustice is moral unfairness or inequality in the division of a society's reward or burdens. Differing perceptions of the presence and inevitability of social injustice lie at the root of many of the world's political conflicts (Babalola and Adeyemi, 2015: 87).It is not wrong for the researcher to affirmed that, Social injustice is the unfair distribution of resources, opportunities, and responsibilities, oppression of any form and anything that prevents people from exercising self-determination and realizing their full potential, Social Justice: Refers to more equitable distribution of the social resources and more equitable access to the various social institutions by all members of the society” (Obiajulu1996:18). To Iwe “Social justice has its direct object as the common good of the members of the society. Social Justice recognizes and assumes the fact that we are all members of the same human family (Iwe 1985:24). Ikenna L. Umeanolue cited in Ojiakor and Unachukwu added that: Social justice means above all working to build a society that is intrinsically balanced, a society in which the structures are fair to everybody without exception. For instance, constructing a society in which the minorities, the homeless, women and the poor are not discriminated against either in law or in practice (Umeanolue 2018:174). Furthermore, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action treat social justice as a purpose of the human rights education.' The term and modem concept of "social justice" was coined by the Jesuit Luigi Taparelli in 1840 based on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and given further exposure in 1848 by Antonio Rosmini -Serbati. The word has taken on a very controversial and variable meaning, depending on who is using it. The idea was elaborated by the moral theologian John A. Ryan, who initiated the concept of a living wage. Father Coughlin also used the term in his publications in the 1930s and the 1940s. It is a part of Catholic social teaching, the Protestants' Social Gospel, and is one of the Four Pillars of the Green Party upheld by green parties worldwide. Social justice as a secular concept, distinct from religious teachings, emerged mainly in the late twentieth century influenced primarily by philosopher John Rawls. Some tenets of social justice have been adopted by those on the left of the political spectrum. 'Concurring with these clarities, Social Justice can then be said to be a process, not an outcome, which seeks fair redistribution of resources, opportunities, and responsibilities; challenges the roots of oppression and injustice; empowers all people to exercise self-determination and realize their full potential; and builds social solidarity and community capacity for working together. On the basis of the above clarities, social justice demands that each member and each sector of the society should contribute its own part for the attainment of the common good of the whole. Social justice in this context is based on human rights and equality which social injustice does not guarantee. Dogara Nigeria On The Wheel Of Decay 4 BACKGROUND TO THE BOOK OF AMOS The book of Amos is one of the twelve shorter prophetic works of the Old Testament gathered into a collection known as the Book of the Twelve or the Minor Prophets. The book contains nine chapters and is divided as follows: Oracle against the nations (1-2); oracles against Israel (3-6); collection of visions about the end of Israel (7:1-9:10); promise of restoration (9:11-15). All that is known about Amos (the author) is found in the book which bears his name. Amos had lived at Tekoa, a small town in Judah near Bethlehem (Amos 1:1, 7:12). He introduces himself as neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees called by God to prophesy to the people of Israel. Amos came from his farming work to be a prophet to the people of Israel (MacDonald 1990:113). According to MacDonald “Amos ministered during the reigns of Uzziah in Judah (790739 B.C.) and Jeroboam II in Israel (739- 753 B.C), an age of affluence, luxury, and moral laxity, especially in the Northern kingdom” (1113). Because Amos came from the countryside, where everyone had to work had for a living, he was shocked to see the wealth, the laziness and the unjust behaviour of some of the town dwellers in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The subject matter of his message was social justice. He was a stern prophet of righteousness and uncompromising justice(1990:134). Much of the prophecy of Amos is directed at the heartlessness of wealthy merchants who ignore the predicament of the poor, the lack of justice for the righteous, and the emptiness of religious ritual apart from true faith. In the words of Boad, “The basic message of Amos stresses God's moral rule over the entire world and the divine demands for justice and concern for the outcast or oppressed” (1990:316). He is a classical prophet concerned with the well-being of the people and the purity of the faith. The Message of Amos According to Harper, 2003:313 notes that the message of Amos was against social injustice such as, corruption, greed and false worship, which prevailed in surrounding nations especially in Israel. This is expressed in Amos 5:24 where Amos cautions the people to let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. This particular verse in the book of Amos captures the core message of this great writing prophet who truly believes that life-giving worship of God and social justice are inseparable. The significance of the book of Amos lies in the fact that Amos has been universally commended as the prophet of social justice. For him covenant loyalty to God can be shown only by being fair to the members of the covenant, who are considered as brothers and sisters. No wonder has become the source of inspiration for liberation theology and for anyone who is working to defend the rights of the poor and the marginalized against any sort of oppressors (Ceresko, 1992:22, Menezes, 2003:44). Amos exposes the utter Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1(3), 2021 ISSN: 2786-9792 5 meaninglessness of a cult that is formalistic. God is not a tribal or a national God who can be placated by sacrifice and incense. He condemns social injustices and demands moral uprightness of an individual, and concern for the rights of the neighbour. He brings to book anyone who tramples upon the rights of another whether it is a powerful nation or an individual. God had promised to care for the Israelites and save them from their enemies if they would follow the way of life which he laid down for them. Thorogood says “This special relationship with God had given the people of Israel special opportunities for understanding what God is like and how people ought to serve him” (1992:12). But when Amos looked at his fellow Israelites, he saw the Israelites breaking their promise to God, and behaving as though the law which he had laid down for them did not exist (Amos 2.4). Prophet Amos urge them in his message that if they continued to behave in this way, then they would not expect to receive the great blessings which God had promised in his covenant with them (Exodus 34). Amos saw that the Kingdom of Israel was in no condition to resist attack by Assyria, and would be destroyed; yet he pleaded for a change of heart. He ends his message with a proclamation and restoration of hope for the people of Israel if they mend their ways (Amos 9:13-15 NIV). THE SITUATION IN AMOS' TIME AND NIGERIAN SOCIETY The situation of Amos' time in Israel is very much like that of Nigeria today. Comparing Nigeria with Israel in the time of Amos, one would observe that Nigeria has become a place where the land, money and wealth are shared among the nobles at the detriment of the poor. The poor suffer in the hands of the rich. Oppression has become the food of the populace. Ikenna L. Umeanolue also noted that, Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, tribalism, nepotism, corruption, discrimination, rigging of elections and gross injustice has dominated the economic, political, judicial, cultural, religious and ethnic lives and minds of many Nigerians. So, that speaks the volume of various forms of social injustice like (i) socio-economic injustice, (ii) socio-political injustices, (iii) socio-religious injustice, and (iv) socio-judicial injustice. As justice was denied at the time of Amos, so it is also being denied in the contemporary Nigerian today. This is clear as talk about below. a. Socio-Economic Injustice: The socio-economic situation of Amos time in Israel is very much like that of Nigeria today. Just like in Amos' time, the signs of economic prosperity in Nigeria could be seen in so many things. Nigeria is naturally blessed with a lot of mineral resources. In Amos' time, the people had winter and summer houses, houses of ivory and hewn stone houses. In Nigeria, some people have houses in almost every part of the country. While some of these houses are built with ordinary block cement, some are built with baked clay while others are made also of hewn stone. The fleet of cars being paraded Dogara Nigeria On The Wheel Of Decay 6 in Nigeria is also a sign of this economic prosperity. The interior decoration of these houses and cars simply denote extravagance (Umeanolue 2018: 32). The economic prosperity could also be seen in the extravagant way some Nigerians eat and dress, just like in Amos' time. Amos called only the women of Samaria cows of Bashan (Amos 3:4) because of their extra size, gained through excessive eating and drinking, but here in Nigeria both men and women have this extra size, gained through corruption or ill-gotten wealth. Many Nigerians display a lot of wealth in the way they dress. They usually put on expensive clothes. The expensive jewelleries and perfumes they wear speak of affluence. The pair of shoes and wristwatches cannot be left out for they are very costly too. This sign of affluence could also be seen in the way wealthy Nigerians display money during social functions such as wedding, traditional marriage, funeral ceremonies, birthday parties and so on. In the full glare of the public these wealthy ones spray money like water on the celebrants. Sometimes bundles of money are sprayed one after the other to the excitement of the masses. Most unluckily, the prosperity or wealth of the Nigerian nation, which is confined to few groups of people, has brought with it all kinds of economic hardship, social disintegration and moral decay in Nigeria. In Nigeria, money is the measure for all things because of the inestimable value attached to it; everyone itches to get it through hook or crook. At Amos? time, Amos relates how the businessmen of his time get impatient for the termination of the holy and work free periods of new moon and Sabbath so that they can engage in their corrupt business practices. The same situation is applicable to Nigeria. According to Ugwueye Nigerians who are engaged in what may be called the real business of buying, selling and supplying of goods and services for money are the real deceits. They, of course, make the shekel and the ephaph small as Amos said. The cups, tins and bags used in measuring grains are below their sizes and still the grains measured with them are sold at the same price as the ones measured with full sized measures (2001:54). The above situations show that traders in Nigeria do not have the interest of the buyers at heart and therefore, they cheat the buyers in order to enrich their own purse. Amos pointed out that the business of his time also sold the refuse of wheat to the people. This is equivalent to the rampant adulteration of goods in Nigeria just to make money. In fact, the rate at which adulterated drugs, fake and poor quality products are produced in Nigerian is very serious worry to the good citizens because these have sent many to their grave. Despite these difficult situations, Nigerian government has not been serious in alleviating the problem of injustice in the economic sector of the country. b. Socio-Political Injustice: Just like in Amos' time, the situations of the time of Amos and that of the contemporary Nigerian society are similar politically; in the sense that the oppression of the poor and the righteous, corruption, and Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1(3), 2021 ISSN: 2786-9792 7 idolatry are the order of the day. Leadership at all levels are characterized by lack of integrity and dishonesty (Oladotun 2019:5). In view of this, the researcher now sees the nation Nigeria as a direct recipient of the prophets' message. The prosperity or wealth of the Nigerian nation, which is confined to some few group of people, has brought with it all kinds of political decay in Nigeria. The quickest way of amassing wealth in Nigeria today is to occupy a political office or position. During elections people who win are not the real winners, but the cleverest riggers. Unemployed youths are paid and used as thugs to manipulate elections. Human life is valued less than political goals just as the poor were equated with a pair of shoes in Amos? time. Embezzlement of public funds by those in authority has been given the appearance of legality in Nigeria. Schools, roads, hospitals and other social facilities are poorly maintained. The poor masses bear the direct brunt for they are the ones to be hospitalized in the public hospitals where there are no adequate drugs. Their children are the ones to attend the public schools where the teachers are not devoted to their work because of the epileptic payment of salaries. The wealthy ones can afford to pay for the bills in private hospitals and schools. Most times their children attend schools in overseas countries. The poor parents who spend their fortunes to train their children in school cannot reap the benefit of their effort because government cannot provide jobs. It is no longer graduate unemployment, but post-graduate unemployment. Many Masters and PhD degree holders are jobless. Nigeria as a nation is rich but those in authority embezzle and mismanage the wealth to the detriment of the poor masses (Ikenna 2018: 66). Clearly, the prevalence of injustice in Nigeria is largely traceable to the type of leadership we have been experiencing since independence. Many Nigerian leaders have not been able to rise above the situation they met on the ground, because they came into office without just vision or with corrupt vision. Many past Nigerian leaders since independence often thought there was no corruptions in Nigerian politics while some others who acknowledged it, for one reason or the other failed to muster adequate forces against it. This is the reason why Achebe (1983) earlier said: The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to challenge personal example which are the hall marks of true leadership (4). It does appear that injustice in Nigeria is part of what are handed over from one government to the other. This is why corruption seems to be institutionalized in Nigeria. c. Socio-Religious Injustice: The overwhelming Socio-Religious injustice situation captured that Prophets Amos were corruption, immorality, rejection of divine messages, pretentious religiosity in the 8th century Israel. The situation where the righteous will be declared wanted and the guilty discharged and acquainted. The poor are becoming poorer and the rich richer, in that the race is Dogara Nigeria On The Wheel Of Decay 8 not for the swift but for those who know who to pay their way in (Oladotun 2019:6). Amos made us know that the people meticulously observed their religion. The same is true of Nigerians. Despite all the corruption and immorality in Nigerian society, people are pretending to be religious, observing their religious duties as a matter of life and death. This is observable from the life of many Christians and Moslems. Obiora (1998:23) rightly observes that religion in Nigeria today is being used for selfish ends. He sees religion as a fast business that people are embarking on. Looking at Christianity in Nigeria, the numerous churches in Nigeria today are not born out for pure motive of serving God but for self-aggrandizement. With a close study and interaction, most Christians do not know what they believe in, whether money or God. Because they have more concern for their business than God, they always strive after the way to accumulate more wealth for themselves, forgetting the demands of their relationship with God who is the foundation of all beings. They do not even have time for studying God's word. Today, we can hardly distinguish between a Christian and a non-Christian, because of the craved for wealth and pleasure. This culminates the above fact to mean that, Nigeria Christians make regular visits to worship centres. The regularity with which these centres are visited by Christians is alarming. Apart from this, the Christians organize religious crusades everywhere and every time in this country. There was constant performance of rituals at the sanctuaries during Amos' time. Nigerians as well show diligently these external forms of religion without any spiritual commitment. Various sacrifices and tithes, of stolen money, are offered daily in the church. Bribes are offered before one goes on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This is committing sin under the cloak of religion. Religious feasts, which are very many in Christianity, are observed meticulously by Nigerian Christians. Offerings, especially thanksgiving offerings, by those who succeed in their improper business are regularly given in the churches. Amos was talking of the noise of songs and the melody of harps during his own time, today in Nigeria, it is the noise of the musical equipment that is heard in religious centres. Both the offering and the music are all religious formalism and external rites unrelated to interior morality. d. Socio-Judicial Injustice: The central socio-judicial injustice that calls for Amos in the 8th century Israel is the continues inequity which is so apt and direct. Justice and righteousness are perverted (Amos 5:7). The truthful men are despised and scorned but those who are full of lies are praised. Kolawole Oladotun Paul 2019:6 affirmed that traditionally, the city gate was a seat of justice not only the judicial place for process but was also the legal hall of the society. The poor were exploited by the rich who take away the meager food that they love. This is done in form of task, rents and interests on loans. This appears to be the case in the Nigerian experience. Justice appears in most cases to have been perverted. Corruption has stigmatized the national judicial disciplined nine judges for Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1(3), 2021 ISSN: 2786-9792 9 indiscriminate granting of ex-parte motion. This action taken by the national judicial council is sequel to the campaign by the judiciary to sanitize the judicial system which is already bedevilled within all for a sharp practice both at the bench and the bar. No wander The rape on justice in Nigeria even by the judiciary which is the last hope for the common man is an open secret. The judiciary is the branch of government invested with judicial powers to interpret, construct and apply the law so as to produce justice by discovering the truth. The whole process of adjudication is thus a human attempt at the discovering of truth. It is the end which ought to be reached in a case by the administration of the principles of the law involved as applied to the facts. The court should therefore be a temple of justice. “It is a common knowledge that the courts are infested by the virus of bribery and corruption”(Oputa1996:6). This has made justice in our courts a marketable commodity with the hammer falling for the highest bidder. Ugwueye Adrian rightly says: Venal judges and all other people that settle disputes at all levels of the society deny poor people justice, because of bribe from the rich. The rich are constantly claiming poor people's acres of land, yet the court always rules in favour of the rich, because of bribery (Ugwueye2002:56). It is very unfortunate that Nigerian courts have turned into war zones by greed, avarice, selfishness, and various unspeakable deeds of judges who prepare two contradictory verdicts (judgements), one for the plaintiff and the other for defendant; these judges wait anxiously to sell the verdict to the highest bidder (Muojekwu 2002:55). In the light of the above quotations by Ugwueye and Muojekwu, what happens in judicial sector in Nigeria should not surprise any right thinking and honest Nigerian. This is to say that in Nigeria, judiciary as an organ of government is no longer the hope of the common man, rather the grave of common man. The equality before the law seems to be a statement in mass deceit. Our police cells and prisons are filled with inmates whose only crime was that they could not pay their way through the modern criminal justice system. Human rights are abused daily under obnoxious decrees. Political opponents are sometimes clamped into detention centers in the name of state security. The Nigerian judiciary is indeed lousy with corrupt institution as some alleged miscreants rot in cells and prisons in the name of awaiting trial. Justice delayed is justice denied. The biblical assertion that the love of money is the source of all evils cannot be over-emphasized. In our world today one is constantly told that there is nothing money cannot buy from life. This follows that money can buy justice. Importance of Amos' Message to the Growth in Nigeria Amos' message of social justice to the Israelites of his time teaches Nigerians a lot of lessons, which can positively affect the life of the nation today. Amos emphasizes the importance of social justice in human society. Therefore, development cannot be achieved without a determined effort at good moral and spiritual human living within Dogara Nigeria On The Wheel Of Decay 10 the society. It means using the things that God has created to improve the lives of all people according to the will of God. Nigerians are known for being religious andbeing religious signifies being in a covenant relationship with God which means that we must be righteous and our behaviour must reflect the fact that we are God's people. Since God is just, righteous and loving, Nigerians should learn to demonstrate these virtues in relationship and dealing with our fellow human beings for the sustenance of development in the Nigeria. We may ask ourselves if we expect God to share our allegiance to him as religious people with some equivalent of „religiosity without religion? as the Israelites did. We may worship God in theory, but in practice place our selfish priority in money, business, fame, politics, charms, secret cults, etc. If any of these things or anything else, replaces God or even is placed more important, then we are not better than Israelites of Amos' time. Our understanding of Amos' review of social injustice is bound to affect our relationships with our fellow human beings. Amos sees justice and ethical conduct as the foundation of society. He maintains that worship by a people whose lives are characterized by selfishness, greed, immorality and oppression is an abomination to God. Many Nigerians practise religion as a matter of life and death without spiritual attachment. Prophet Amos was God's messenger who insisted that if the Israelites would like to maintain a relationship of love with him they had to make sure that they treated their fellow Israelites like covenanted sisters and brothers. For him, injustice and oppression in the society is not a mere evil but sin. Accordingly, it is not worship or religious matters that occupy an important place and more space but rather social justice, love and concern for the poor, the underprivileged, the marginalized, and sincerity in one's dealings with the neighbour (cf. Exodus 20:22-23:33). In the same manner, Nigerians should be just in relating with one another bearing in mind that they are members of the same nation. This clarion call to social justice by Amos is a challenge to Christianity, Islam and African traditional religion, three major religions professed by the Nigerian population. The problems and prospects of our socio-religious realities touch on the tenets of these religions. The underprivileged and the downtrodden in our villages and city slums are Nigerians and adherents of these faiths. At the same time the oppressors who collude with trans-national Corporation to exploit Nigerians, the pen-robbers in the banks and financial institutions and the fraudulent men and women in our establishments are people who claim allegiance to either religion. To combat social injustice and wrong- doing in our contemporary society is a task to be religiously pursued by Christianity, Islam and African traditional religion. Adherents of these religions must come to recognize the need for dialogue and collaboration. This move must be practically evident in our behaviour for national development (Ikenna 2018:54). Conclusion Aquino Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 1(3), 2021 ISSN: 2786-9792 11 As discussed in this paper, Amos' perspective of social injustice in Israel is equivalent to Nigerian society owing to the fact that social injustices that occurred in Israel at Amos' period are also observed in Nigeria today and there will be no meaningful development in Nigeria when there are injustices in all the sectors of the country. Unless Nigerian nation undergoes serious administrative and behavioural changes, the country shall remain permanently decayed. Every human person is entitled to justice irrespective of any position and social status. Nigerians should internalize the message of Amos on social justice by discouraging injustice for where there is justice there is peace. 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