Assessment Of Religious Practices In Selected Banks

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The Nigeria banking industry has witnessed several transformations, ranging from the consolidation of banks by mergers & acquisition, the N25bn recapitalization exercise in 2004, the sack of CEO’s & directors of various banks and the N620B injected funds for intervention by Sanusi Lamido in 2010, (National mirror, 2015). These are in a bit to increase customer confidence and service delivery, since it is the financial hub store of the economy, providing employment, income and significantly contributing about 5% to GDP (Adewoye, 2007).
Similarly, Choba as a town was found in the USA in 1920. There was a Choba family living in Pennsylvania and the name represents clan affiliation, patronage, parentage and adoption. Also, Rumuokoro is a town in the heart of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. It is the meeting point of five major roads in Nigeria economy and the gateway to and from the city of Port Harcourt. It consists of five communities and these town host major banks considering the busy nature of the towns.
Furthermore, Religion which is a matter of belief and practice is a universal social phenomenon which seriously concerns almost every living man (Agbikimi, 2014). Generally, religion is understood by many as a belief in the Supernatural power or the Supreme Being and their relationship with the nature that surrounds them. Man, being a social animal, is also, therefore, considered a religious being. Religion is also accepted as one of the strongest sources and means of social control. It is considered as one of the earliest institutions of mankind and is found in all the societies of the past and present. Scholars from the different disciplines of Sociology, Anthropology, Ethnology, Theology and Philosophy conceptualize the elements of religion in their own context; as a result there is no single uniform theory or definition on religion. Besides, religion being one of the earliest institutions is also one of the oldest subjects in human history that is taught and is most widely spread and universally discussed at many levels. Numerous scholars have explained the origin of religion from different perspectives and some of the approaches are discussed below, but let us first look into the definitions given by these scholars (Agha, 1999).
The term religion carries a different meaning for different people. Ronald (1961) puts it in this way, “The English word „Religion‟ has a Latin root, i.e. „Religare‟ meaning to bind together‟ (suggesting the concept of a group or fellowship)”.
Therefore, because of the richness and variety of the subject matter, opinion and understanding differ in theoretical conceptualization. The ElementaryForms of the Religious Life conceptualized religion as a dichotomy on the basis of social facts by studying of the indigenous Aborigines of Australia and arrives saying that religious phenomena are naturally arranged in two fundamental categories of beliefs and practices, the first being the states of opinion in the representation of the mind; the second „determined modes of action which is the practical side of life (Durkheim, 1915).
Despite such changes in religious life, it is still essential to understand the phenomenon, for it touches almost every facet of life, from themes in popular culture to perceptions of wellbeing and motivations for global terrorism. It is also important to understand the history of religions and their spread across the world. Christianity, for example, began as an obscure movement in a tiny place outside Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. It then spread to the Roman Empire, where it was adopted as the state religion in 380. This accelerated its growth, and it extended throughout Europe, eventually following European movement into the New World. Christianity has now spread to virtually every part of the earth. By the late 20th century, reform movements, such as that of the Korean evangelist Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012), had emerged in countries outside Christianity’s traditional homes, challenging conventional Christian ideas and practices. Meanwhile, Christians in emerging countries were urging Western nations to push back at secular influences and become religious once again.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Religion as a belief can affects every phase of human lives (Hodson, 2004). People tend to be skeptical about new religion especially to ascertain the source and origin. Some practices of religion has in one way or the other affected the banking system as most people would not want to patronize a bank they know has a religious affiliation with a total different religious source beside theirs. Although religious practices has a gained momentum in Port Harcourt and other parts of Nigeria. Most tend to criticize the religion even before have a good knowledge about it. For instance, lack of proper religious education has impedes the understanding of individuals and prevents them from patronizing most especially the Christians against the Islamic bank; choosing the right religious path and also made most individuals to fall into the wrong doctrine in the quest of searching for a true religion. This keep yielding low submission to a prospective believer and yet most religious leaders careless as to salvage the situation.
Attempts to solve the above problems have been left unattended to because while it lingers it can cause a religious conflict. Therefore, this among other reasons informed the creation of religious practices in selected banks in Choba and Rumuokoro towns in Rivers State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of this study is to examine religious practices in selected banks in Choba and Rumuokoro towns in Rivers State. The specific objectives are to:
i. Examine the different religious practices in Rivers State.
ii. Ascertain the challenges of religious practices in Rivers State.
iii. Ascertain the effect of religious practices on some selected banks in Choba and Rumuokoro towns of Rivers State.
iv. Proffer possible solutions to the challenges of religious practices as it affects some selected banks in Choba and Rumuokoro towns of Rivers State.

1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were answered in the course of the study.
i. What are the different religious practices?
ii. What are the challenges of some religious practices in Rivers State?
iii. What are the effects of religious practices on some selected banks in Choba and Rumuokro towns of Rivers State?
iv. What are the possible solutions to the challenges of religious practices as it affects some selected banks in Choba and Rumuokoro towns of Rivers State?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This work can be used for s tool for enlightenment against misconception of the general public. Also, it can be used by religious leader in order to justify and falsify their religious belief. Finally, it can also be used as a reference to the students and lecturers of the department of Religious and Cultural Studies.

1.6 Scope of the Study
In the light of broad coverage, the study is restricted on constraints to religious practices in selected banks in Choba and Rumuokoro towns in Rivers State. Religious leaders and students will be studied to ascertain the extent to which religious practices affect some selected banks in Choba and rumuokro towns in Rivers State.

1.7 Limitations of the Study
This study is limited by lots of variables which include
Respondent’s bias: respondents are not being sincere with their response because of their emotional attachment to their belief and religion.
Respondents Corporation: the level of cooperation by some respondents was poor because of fear of being victimized for giving information.
Inability to access the major respondents: The handicap of this work was also on the collection of data and my inability to access some of the religious leaders in Rivers State.

1.8 Definition of Terms
Religious Practices: The activities of worshippers with regard to their spiritual being
Religion: The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
Bank: A safe house where money and other valuable items are kept
Choba and Rumuokoro: A town in Rivers State where people reside and major industrial activities are carried out.