Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over what he described as the growing normalisation of insecurity, killings, and violence in Nigeria, warning that the country is gradually losing its moral values and sense of humanity.
Speaking on Saturday at the Anglican Diocese of Abuja’s first session of the 13th Synod, Jonathan called for national reflection, spiritual renewal, and responsible leadership amid worsening social and security challenges.
He noted that many Nigerians have become desensitised to bloodshed and destruction, unlike in the past when tragic incidents provoked national outrage and collective grief.
The former President said that while looking at the challenges confronting the country, it is easy to become discouraged.
He pointed out that violence, insecurity, moral decline, and the loss of human values have become deeply troubling realities.
He added that what is even more painful is how society sometimes appears to normalise tragedies as though they are ordinary occurrences. He recalled that in times past, such incidents would shake the nation’s conscience.
Jonathan said that today, people are killed, communities are destroyed, and life seems to continue as though nothing has happened. He stressed that this ought not to be so, adding that it is a reminder that society desperately needs moral direction, spiritual guidance, and a restoration of values.
The former President emphasised that the Church remains crucial in shaping society and upholding moral standards, and urged religious leaders to continue speaking the truth and defending righteousness.
He also warned about the growing influence of negative values through technology and modern information systems, noting that many harmful behaviours are now glorified in society.
Jonathan further stated that leadership matters greatly in moments like this, adding that society progresses when men and women of integrity, courage, and vision stand in the right places and speak the truth.
Also speaking at the event, former Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, described the conference as symbolic and strategic. He expressed satisfaction that foreign delegates who attended left Nigeria with a positive impression of the country, contrary to negative narratives often projected by sections of the foreign media.
