WRITTEN BY EMEKA ARINZE
Nigerian society seems to be rotting nowadays. Things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold.

There is no doubt that there is a general decline in discipline and morality. Every day, there are reported cases of indiscipline, corruption and deviation in our socio-economic and political lifestyle. In fact, it has reached a frightening proportion. Added to these are the mindless killings and maiming that could be mistaken for a jihad.
Thus, without sounding like a prophet of doom, Nigerians are sitting on keg of gunpowder that may explode anytime. The youths disrespect the elders, while some elders do not live by example.  One also often hears of students beating up their teachers. Cultism and other immoral acts are now common in our society.  Bribery, embezzlement and corruption are now rampant among government officials and even some security agencies.
The causes of all these are not far-fetched-greed.  The seed of indiscipline is sown at home when youths begin to disrespect their parents. This is because from there; they grow to disobeying constituted authorities.  The high point is when they begin to behave immorally at home and in the public.  In other words, indiscipline and immorality start from the home.
Nowadays, parents have no time for their children’s upbringing. Parents go out early in the morning and come back late at night. Some parents even drink to stupor and often quarrel with their spouses in the presence of their children. They exhibit much other bad character not worthy of emulation, including wife battering, telling lies, cheating and other social vices.
Societal influence is another strong factor causing a decline in the level of discipline. Any society that is immoral and encourages indiscipline cannot produce disciplined citizens. Nowadays, citizens hail people that acquire wealth by crooked means.  And that is why public officials, more often than not, embezzle public funds, while it is a common sight to see some of them collecting bribe publicly.  In the same vein, many citizens aid and abet armed robbery, kidnapping, killing for ritual or religious purposes, child trafficking and smuggling, among other vices; all in the name of making money.
Thus, all hands must be on desk to reverse this ugly trend.  Since indiscipline and immorality begin from the home, parents have a lot of work to do.  They should consider it a priority to train their children, while government should do the needful, no matter whose ox is gored,
In addition, the religious bodies should be ready to do a lot. Our preachers should concentrate less on materialism and focus more on ways of living righteous lifestyle as a means of making heaven. Our religious leaders should bemoan corruption, fanatism and unbridled quest to amass wealth at all means. They can help the society by preaching against ill gotten wealth instead of celebrating it. They should educate the youth and the elderly alike on the evil menace of crimes and immorality. Our people must be encouraged to be disciplined and of good morals in their dealings. Their members who relent should be cajoled.
The leaders and the elders should live lives worthy of emulation and set good moral standards. Bad moral begat corruption and corruption destroys the society. These attributes, however, are the major pre-occupation of greater percentage of Nigerians. Immorality and corruption are commonly routed in the civil service and politics. That is why your file cannot move from one table to the other without greasing the palm of the personnel involved in the act. This bad attribute trickles from bottom to top echelon in both public and private service n Nigeria.
Thus, the political class capitalizes on this to mess up the economy. In fact, it is the corrupt officials that tailor, educate and initiate the willing politicians into the nitty-gritty of corrupt practices in their domain. They show the politician the way to loopholes that facilitate corrupt and immoral tendencies. Therefore, if the war against moral decadence and corruption must be won, we start from the base. 
The society can change for the better, if our public officials in government could be disciplined and upright.  If the change starts from the top to the bottom, the level of discipline and morality will be raised.

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