THE ROLES OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION IN CURBING CORRUPTION AMONG CHRISTIAN YOUTHS IN OLUYOLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IBADAN.

In exploring the roles of religious institution in curbing corruption among Christian youths, the researcher came across many resources with information on corruption. Corruption has been discussed widely with emphasis on its causes, effects and general impact in the society. As such many scholars and researchers have come to conclude that the causes of corruption can be analyzed at institutional and individual levels. At institutional level, the operation of societal systems is focused whereas at individual level, the behavior of persons and their choices under circumstances is considered. This research sought to understand how church is acting as an agent of change in influencing a corrupt Christian youths. The researcher, in an attempt to have a fair and unbiased result came up with the process of interviewing some youth of a total number of 100 Christian youths were interviewed from Christ Apostolic Church, Gospel Faith Mission International, The Redeemed Christian church of God, and the Assemblies of God. The churches were selected purposefully and through a nonprobability sampling method. After some weeks of fieldwork, the data was gathered and analyzed, and emerging feedback are presented and discussed. The results of the findings from those interviewed reveals that, some factors like unemployment, economic hardship, lack of effective law enforcement agencies, peer group are responsible for corruption among Christian youths. Majority of the youths interviewed also agreed that religious teaching, youth programmes as helped in fighting against corruption. Large number of the respondents echoed that corruption is seen as undercover act among youths. Respondents believed that there's a decrease of youth in attending religious seminars, conferences and symposium on matters that deals with corruption. In conclusion, the study found out that much work needs to be conducted by religious institution to find out ways of enabling the young people to evade corruption and so gradually eliminate the vice in the society. Majority of the youth value corruption and would easily give in citing the material benefits attached to it, seeing it as "the way". The moral benefit is valued by the minority. Indeed, the study concluded that extra-ordinary measures should be put in place to eliminate corruption in the society. This should be employed in the religious sector where religious teachings should be structured in a manner that it imparts strong values capable of resisting the vice of corruption.