It is the desire of every individual, society, and nation to develop. Nature abhors vacuum and any individual or nation that is static and stagnant is disobeying the law of nature. In every facets of individual and national life there is always the need and necessity to move forward.
There will be no history without development because history is all about the progress of humankind which is also the history of humanity. However, development does not come in a vacuum. There are necessary conditions that will make the development of individual and nation possible. These necessary conditions accounts for the uneven development of individuals and nations.
Some people and nations are poor and indigent while others are rich and affluent. In some situations, many individuals and nations with abundant talents and resources which ought to make them rich are poor.
This paradox and contradiction often raise the philosophical question “why”. Why should a country like Nigeria with abundant human and natural resources be regarded as a poorly developed country? Many commentators and international diplomats have often referred to Nigeria as a “failed state”. The former American secretary of 16 state, Hilary Clinton once referred to Nigeria as “a very rich nation but poverty stricken”.
Why should there be lack in midst of plenty? The place of value in both individual and national lives cannot be over emphasized.
Any individual or nation develops depending on its core value and the nature of such value. Where there is right value, there is development and vice versa. What is Value? Pepper (1958) defines Values to refer to interests, pleasures, likes, preferences, duties, moral obligations, desires, wants, needs, aversions and attractions and orientation. In a broad sense, Value refers to anything perceived as good or bad or anything of interest to man. According to Anyaehie, anything of interest to man has some values and its values depend on how it affects human welfare. It could be positive or negative value depending on how it promotes or hinders actualization of perceived end of man. 13 20 / 20 EDITION The Saviourites Magazine || <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< CHARITY: TOWARDS A REDISCOVERY OF WORLD PEACE <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< I n a restrict ed sense, value deals with what is desirable. In economics, value means the worth of a thing. Philosophically, value refers to such evaluative terms like good, end, right, obligation, virtue, moral and aesthetic judgments. It covers those things regarded as good or bad, desirable or undesirable, worthwhile or worthless, ideal or debased; hence we have good or bad values. The good values are those desired and the bad ones are those undesired. While good values ensure sustainable development the bad ones are inimical to the progress and development of any individual and nation. The thrust of this paper is to highlight the role of our value system in achieving sustainable development t hrough attitudinal change. Attitudinal change presupposes that our present value system is faulty hence the need for attitudinal change. It is my position that any individual or nation with bad values cannot develop positively. Value and the Nigerian Experience In Nigeria today, virtue is becoming vice and vice, virtue.
For one inordinate ambition, thousands of precious human lives are wasted yet the only thing government does is to send condolence messages to the families of the victims and condemn in a strong term the dastardly act. This is the only country where corruption is celebrated and honoured with national awards, presidential pardon, chieftaincy title and political appointment. The consequence of all these bad values is the static and stagnant position the nation has found itself. Nigeria cannot develop until we make a Uturn. This is the attitudinal change which is needed for sustainable development. How can this be achieved?ensure that the wheel of Nigeria is turning. Aristotle observed long ago that “man is a social and political animal”. The social nature of man makes him to reach out for one a nother. This creates a communitarian environment. Any value that will sustain the society should be a positive humanistic value which will recognize the unity of all humankind. A value centered on being your brother and your sister's keeper. This value must be based on the golden rule “do to others as you would like them do to you”. Conclusion One Nigeria, One People A step towards attitudinal change for sustainable development begins with the realization, acceptance of the fact person who is not a true Nigerian is the person who insists that virtue should be virtue and vice should be vice. Refusing bribe in Nigeria today seems like an aberration because such inglorious slogan like the “Nigerian way or sharp sharp” is the order of the day. There is need to state the obvious. Many Nigerians are monumentally corrupt. There is corruption in every facet of our national life. From the recruitment of workers to admission of candidates into schools of learning, mediocrity is enthroned and celebrated. Meritocracy has been sacrificed on the altar of “who you know” and how connected you are. The scam and shameless cases of looting and embezzlement of public fund is too nasty for our national development. Money which should be used to develop the nation is being spent in pursuing and prosecuting thieves wearing the garb of distinguished directors and national figures in the funding of EFCC and ICPC. The charade going on at the national assembly under the guide of law-making is not only embarrassing but laughable. The executive and the judiciary arms of the government are not left out in this competition of who becomes the most corrupt and most rotten. What of our security personnel, the officers and men of the customs and even the messengers in the office? It is the same story. Rob my back and I will rob your own. Today in Nigeria, there is little or no value for human life. Killers are daily on campaign. These murderers are not spirit and their sponsors are 17 that Nigeria is the only country we call our own such that building the project called Nigeria becomes the sincere responsibility of every individual and ethnic group. For Harold Laski, people that circumstances brought together have a cause in sharing and determining each other's destiny. Whether by accident or by design, we have been brought together as a people and as a nation. It is our collective duty to 13 Attitudinal change can be achieved in so many ways but one cardinal way is government determination to rid itself of corruption. If we should free ourselves from corruption and other vices, the sponsors of these murderers and kidnappers will be brought to book and punished accordingly. This will put a halt to these vices.The sanitization exercise must start from the top. This will be aided by the schools and churches and more importantly the determination of the citizens to change their attitude. It is only on this basis that we can achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.
History is full of evidences of nations who changed their attitude for better and became great,
Ghana is a typical example.
What propelled the Asian Tigers to development is nothing other than attitudinal change.
We can achieve this if we are sincerely determined or let divide.
