What Is The Definition Of Cultism

Today I am so pained, I want to bring an "introduction to cultism" to your screen today. Yes its still on the same topic that’s caused a lot of mayhem in our society, campuses and learning institutions. The English word calls it Cultism but I have decided to call it the Evil World.

In Nigeria, Cultism has become a very serious menace whose roots has gone deeper than imagined into the solidly laid foundation of our institutions. 

This menace is however, standing, staring at out very faces in search of a very solid measure to curb or eradicate its effects in our society.

What Is Cultism?

By way of definition, I have been made to understand a cult as a form of secret organization or group whose activities are hidden from the eyes of the public. This is the simplest you’ll ever get about the word “Cult” and this is coming from no other but Nwachukwu Richard, The MD, CEO NortonConcepts Limited.

I may not be so serious about this post but you have to believe when I say that members of these cult groups are trained to carry out their illegal activities during the night when everybody is asleep. They also do these things in secret places where no body except themselves will see what they do. Today, cultism and violence has gradually taken over the very existence of our institutions and higher places of learning. Violence as I understand is a product of cultism.

Cultism, which started in tertiary institutions, has over time, spread its wings in virtually all institutions in Nigeria, including secondary and primary schools, drastically affecting the standard of education. Lecturers are constantly under threat from the cultists to give them the pass grade, regardless of their performance in examinations, failing which violence would be visited on the. Consequently, some lecturers are compelled to award good grades to students who do not perform well in assessment tests or examinations.

Cultism in Nigerian institutions can be traced back to 1953 at the University College Ibadan. It was formed by Professor Wole Soyinka, Ralph Opara, Ikhehare Aig-Imokhuede, Sylvanus Egbuchie, Nathaniel Oyelola, Pius Oleghe and Prof. Olumuyiwa Awe. Theirs was aimed at protecting the interest of students, to fight against injustice placed on them by lecturers and the school authorities and to maintain good behaviour among students of different demography.

Their idea was based on patriotism and as altruistic as it was, it not regarded as a secret cult, it was known as the Pirates Confraternity or the National Association of Seadogs. However, in our institutions today, the reasons for the establishment of confraternities are different. Cult members now kill, rape, endanger the lives of poor students and lecturers as well as destroy school property worth millions.

The entrenchment of cultism in Nigeria’s educational institutions has completely made life unsafe for both staff and students. Not a few female students have been harassed and molested by cultists, whose advances they turned down. Some have even had to withdraw from such institutions in extreme cases.

Also, Lecturers are attacked openly and disgracefully beaten or killed when they insist on merit for passing exams.

Cult clashes on campuses usually result in loss of infrastructure and other resources, and the funds that would have been expended on the provision of other facilities and infrastructure on campus are used in the replacement of the damaged ones. The associated result of the waste of capital is reduction in the standard of education as there will not be enough money to purchase good learning facilities.

Thus, both intra-cult and inter-cult clashes negatively affect students in so many ways. These have led to great violence on campus which often leaves many students wounded or killed. It sometimes leads to expulsion or rustication, incarceration of both innocent and guilty students. When any of these occur, the learning process, psyche of students and the peace of the campus are adversely affected.

To this regard, the authorities and management of Federal Polytechnic Bida have called on students across the nation to shun cult activities and stay away from any violent act that would endanger the lives of students, which may lead to closure of the school for months or years.

In the words of the deputy governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, at the 66th Regular Meeting of Conference of Registrars (COREG) at the Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State, “we all know that today, the most expensive item to purchase is peace. The youths have become soft targets for the perpetration of violence not only in our polytechnics but also in the society.”

This lends credence to the fact that youths (students) are the major agents of violence and cultism instigates violence.

In this light also, the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Bida, Dr. Abubakar Dzukogi, has advised all students in Nigerian institutions to shun cultism and other social vices and to pay attention to their studies as that is the primary reason of coming to school.

He gave the advice during the matriculation of newly admitted students of ND1 and HND1 at the Waziri Bagudu Auditorium, Bida, recently.

“Matriculation ground is the best avenue to address new students on how to comport themselves because they are usually the targets for cult members. Most times on the matriculation ground, many new students are persuaded or lured to join different clubs which turn out to be secret cults, so there is a need for students to be careful in all ramifications of their lives.”