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It is 4.30 a.m., Feb 6th and I have not been able to sleep; my eyes are simultaneously moving between CNN and CNNPOLITICS.COM. The main focus is the logger-head battle between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hilary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination. I have never been as engrossed in the US politics as I am with the 2008 primaries. It’s a complex political process with yesterday tagged “Super Duper Tuesday” comprising 24 states voting which is a huge determinant to who will clinch his/her party nomination especially for the Republicans.

 

 

The excitement for this election year is the presence of the underdogs: Huckabee – evangelical pastor, Clinton – female senator and Obama – African American Senator. The three of them have done extremely well and they have been inspirational. The truth about the whole democratic process is that politics is not about who wins but about the people of America. The people are clamoring for economic revival and change and for this to happen, a very important point was raised in a very expository article written by Bolaji Osinuga on economical development. Please, kindly read and meditate: 

 

 The prophet Isaiah once declared when “the spirit is poured upon us from on high; the wilderness becomes a fruitful vine.” Isaiah had hit upon a powerful idea: spiritual revival leads to socio-economic recovery. This is a concept that has been established in the annals of history and in the scriptures. Whenever Israel fell on hard times her prophets consistently linked her economic recession to her spiritual health. Whenever the Jewish nation violated her covenant with God by turning to idolatry, her economy would suffer a slide as her vines withered away and a famine set in. The ancient seers understood their country’s economic misfortunes to be a consequence of divine judgment.  

 

 
The link between spirituality and economic reality is a fundamental one. When God created man he gave him the economic task of working the land. One of the cardinal expressions of the human spirit is through economic activity. In the same vein, when Adam fell, his economy suffered as God declared the earth cursed for his sake.
The fall of man in a sense was from a dimension of entrepreneurship, productivity and prosperity to a plane of non-productivity and poverty. Nations tend to rise or fall in much the same terms as they embrace or forsake divine standards. Biblical principles have fuelled the economic advance of nations historically. America, the world’s wealthiest nations was built on the foundation of the protestant values of free enterprise. The protestant reformation spearheaded by Martin Luther led to the recovery of principles that had been lost during the dark ages. The value of the individual, the blessedness of secular vocations, dignity of labour and free enterprise are all biblical ideas that drove America’s growth.  

 

 
The same values propelled the ascendancy of South Korea which some years ago was voted the most Christian nation on earth. The recovery of South Korea after a costly war on the Korean peninsula in the 1950s is attributed to the charismatic revival that featured the rise of the world famous pastor David Yonggi Cho. Even in the orient, which is largely non-Christian, nations have benefited from the application of biblical principles. Asian economies place much stock on trust, family honour, relationship, reputation and integrity. They recognize that ‘a good name (or a good brand) is better than riches.’ The rise of the Asian tiger economies during the seventies is attributed to the famed hard work ethic of Asians. This hard work ethic is none other than the biblical ideal of dignity of labour. India is being cited as one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world because of their pursuit of knowledge. Prizing knowledge and wisdom is a trait that is commended throughout the bible. What these instances tell us is that even non-Christian nations can benefit when they adopt Christian values into their culture and allow an infusion of morality and righteousness into their economies.  

 

 
One of the Nigeria’s problems is her inability to attract foreign investments due to issues of trust and integrity. Our reputation has gone before us. The incidence of fraud or 419 has tainted our national image badly. For example, Nigerian entrepreneurs cannot fully maximize the benefits of online trade because a reputation for online fraud has gone ahead of them. Sharp practices are issues in the banking sector just as other areas of the economy suffer from their own ethical challenges.  Regulatory agencies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and NAFDAC under the direction of visionary leaders like Professors Charles Soludo and Dora Akunyili have done a lot to sanitize the market place.   

 

Trust and integrity are very important currencies in the realm of business. They constitute what is called ethical capital. The most prosperous economies in the world today are those that are set within ethical mainframes. We need rules and regulations as well as an ethical consciousness in our marketplace. 

 

 

 
The Federal Government’s National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) document recognizes the important need for a moral and spiritual rebirth of the society before the economy can be transformed. It is significant that a government policy document identifies the necessity of a moral revitalization of the market place in order to effect economic recovery. 

 

The church has a lot to offer in this regard. She can weigh in by raising a new generation of entrepreneurs for whom trust and integrity are core values. Christians should also be at the forefront of building the ethical capital stock of our marketplace. Ultimately, it is the church that possesses the keys to redeeming the Nigerian economy.