RELIGION, CULTISM AND INORDINATE QUEST FOR WEALTH: THE PHENOMENON OF EGO MBUTE AMONG IGBO YOUTHS

Work is integral to societal development. Christianity advocates for hard work and dignity of labour. The indigenous value of hard work permeates the lives of the Igbo people. An Igbo youth who imbibes this value will not be lazy but proactive, engaging in meaningful occupations to pursue a better life. Most Igbo youths are not lazy. This is because they engage in various work to make quick money. Becoming rich at a young age is not evil; the source of the wealth matters. Things have fallen apart as some Igbo youths embrace the ideology of Ego Mbute, which is the inordinate quest for wealth. This has made some of them involved in illegal activities such as cultism, money ritual (Igwo Ọgwụego), armed robbery, internet fraud (yahoo business), kidnapping, prostitution, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, amongst other ills which are against indigenous value system. The causes of the inordinate quest for wealth among youths include poverty, youth unemployment, and corruption, the decline in observance of indigenous values, materialism, cultural ideology, parental pressure, and so forth. The implications are death and neglect of the value of the sacredness of life, economic loss, imprisonment and so forth. Measures to curb the inordinate quest for wealth among youths include preaching morality, teaching hard work and dignity of labour, church and human capital development, and adequate agricultural investment. The research concludes that the church, in partnership with the government, civil societies and well meaning citizens, could ameliorate the situation.

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