News on Top, Curbing
the Menace of Cultism in Our University Campuses Today
Student crises on campus are becoming more ferocious and dangerous than
hitherto. The intrusion of secret cults into student unionism and campus
life has brought this change. Although public expectations from our
universities have altered significantly over decades in response to
those changes that have taken place in society itself. The proliferation
of secret societies and cultism has remained a most powerful instrument
of retrogression. In recent times, the university community and indeed,
a great number of the Nigerian society no longer live on total oblivion
of the nature and activities of cult groups in Nigerian universities and
other institutions of learning. The havoc being caused by these violent
cultist activities in our universities and other tertiary institutions
has become a source of worry and concern to so many students, lecturers,
parents, guardians and the government at large. There are now incidents
of cultist activities on our campuses with oath-taking and Blood sucking
ceremonies, cases of Burglary and House breaking, raping involving sons
and daughters of lightly placed members of the society under the
influence of drugs, such as cocaine. Indian hemp and so on, dangerous
weapons such as guns, swords, spear, axes, knives, explosives, are
reported to be freely used by these secret cults member.
Thus, there
existed in the universities now a legion of these ocultic groups such as
the Pyrate Confraternity, Eiye Fraternity, Buccaneers, the Black
Nationalist of Ife, the Black Cobra of Ife, Axe Black Night, Black
Berret, Green Berret, Vikings and so on. A university environment which
should thrive through exchange of intellectual and moral ideas suddenly
becomes a battle field where violent cultism looms large.
It is generally accepted that campus cultism is a social
problem and as such needs the corporate action of all and sundry in the
society to curb its menace. However, a publicity campaign launched by
some university authorities against cultism is already working as they
have been reports of open confessions and renunciation by cult members.
S uch pious declarations and call for forgiveness by erstwhile cult
members however is not the magic wand to vanish this cankerwam. The
activities of non-governmental organizations like the natural Anti-cult
movement, the evolution of federation of parent against campus cult (FEPAC)
and the United Network of Institutions and Schools Against Campus Cults
(UNISACC) are all recoding success in promoting anti-cultism in tertiary
institutions, what is required, in addition is the determination of
purpose and sincerity of the collective will of the society to address
the issue. There is the need for a total re-evaluation of roles and
values and indeed an over haul of the curricular of our tertiary
institutions. For instance in 1994, a high powered federal government
officials, University administration and law enforcement agents met,
examined the problem of secret cults in all its ramifications, and came
out with what were believed to be far-reaching recommendations for
stamping out cul tism in the tertiary institutions, some of these
include the RE-EXAMINATION OF JAMB ADMISSISION procedure to enable
individual universities to further screen students. This policy has been
implemented by all universities, as result introduction of the post Jamb
entrance examination by the federal ministry of education. Other
remedies proffered for the eradication of cultism in our university
campuses includes: that government should improve the deplorable social
and infrastructural conditions in the campuses of higher institutions in
the country that, there is high need for adequate funding of higher
institutions in the country to ensure effective teaching and learning.
That there is need to improve recreational facilities in tertiary
institutions so as to enable students channel their energy to useful and
creative purposes. Tertiary institutions should evolve a “reward system”
for both academic and good social behaviour for both staffs and
students.
It also recommended that sports activities should be made
compulsory for all students of high institution in the country.
According to the late minister of sports and social development, (Mr.
Steve Akiga) if sporting programmes are well designed and religiously
implemented, students will have less time to engage in anti-social
behaviour. He noted that positive engagement of youth in schools sports
competitions is another way/solution to ripping cultism in the bud.
The school authority should maintain open door policy in dealing with
matters concerning students, they should guarantee peace and security in
our campuses. From the above points therefore, the student must play
their roles effectively. They must report all cases of suspected cultist
to high authorities, the authority should reciprocate such magnanimity
and courage by showing the villains the way out, possible prosecution
against such apprehended cultist will act as deterrence to other.
Organizations of public lectures, drama, enlightenment posters
should be embarked u pon by the school authorities to create awareness
to curb this social problem in our campuses. The authorities must raise
standard of morality of our campuses; endeavour to regain the high
ground of spiritual values and standard of morality among students and
staffs. Our nation citadel of learning must not be breeding ground for
bandits and killers. There should be no “sacred cows” or “Cover ups”
over this phenomenon. This war we cannot afford to loss “the war against
cultism”.
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