- By Press Council
Alabi was a final year student of a renowned tertiary institution in South West , Nigeria. All his dreams and aspirations was to become an engineer in life but this dream became shattered as a result of an untimely death that struck his life. On a fateful, sorrowful and a day to never forget , after he had finished his final exam, some men dressed in uninformed apparel invaded his domain and machete the breath out of his mouth. Hence, after the thorough investigation by the Nigeria Police, it was revealed that he secretly belong to a group known as “Cultist Group”.
A secret cult can be defined as an organization of which people aggregate to pledge their allegiances, under an oath and have a strong social bond of commitment and dedication for the good of such organization. Their activities are kept secret, thus the name “secret cult”, and kept away from other members of the society or non-members of the group. This act is cultism and someone who practices it is a cultist.
Secret cults are rampant in schools all over the world. It was known to be at its peak in tertiary institutions but it is no more news that has expanded their territories to secondary and even primary schools. This social vice is eating up the educational and moral standard of students. Innocent ones are being lured into vices such as drug abuse, armed robbery, murder etc.
Cultism remain an opposing force on campus which jeopardize the lives of average youths. The secret cult is an antagonistic group because of the evil and illicit acts perpetrated by it.
Before cultism spilt into the streets, its base of operation lay in the secret corners in Nigerian universities and polytechnics.
It should be stated that confraternities should not be mistaken for secret cults. In the 50s, confraternities were created with noble ideas and objectives.
A generation later, Nigerian campuses begin to see violent activities from secret cults. By the time the 90s hit, secret cults in tertiary institutions has been a scourge. They became a threat to school authorities.
We are far from the dark days in the 1990s but secret cults still persist in our contemporary world.
Therefore, what are the reasons Why People Join Secret Cults?
Firstly, Quest for Power and Revenge. Many youths or students become members of secret cults because of the thirst for power and authority. This is common among those with the aim of fighting for their rights. In Nigeria schools, the main reason why people become cultist is to fight those who oppress them, the wicked lecturer, school authorities and the opposite cult members. No wonder, the countless cases of murder, bloodshed, revenge in schools with high cultism rate.
More so, the urge for popularity and wealth some youths are found in this group so as to become famous, dreaded and wealthy. The cult members are believed to have rich and influential sponsors. Becoming a member serves as a ladder to meet the rich people in the country and also to become affluent.Also, the opinion of seeking Protection. Every association has something it promises its members. Protection is the foremost promise cult groups offer their “Jews” as one of the campus cult groups would call their new catches.
Of course, no student would like to be on campus to suffer. And getting protection from friends is an idea innocent student would gladly embrace.
Meanwhile, where naive students walk into such groups not knowing the meaning of protection the group is offering them, others walk into the group knowing fully well that being a cult member covers them under a protective umbrella of a secret association.
Moreover, the rationale behind it is also struggle for Power. This gives you wings. Wings that can make you fly above everyone else on campus and lord your presence over everyone. This is the kind of narrative some cult groups deploy to lure innocent students into their midst.
And any student who feels having such power would make him cut corners, escape lecturers punishments and feel like a lord among his peers, would buy the rhetoric and get initiated in no time. Going further, Revenge is another inexplicable reason. By this, the distasteful sweet feeling that comes with harming someone in return for an injury is what propelled some students to join cult gang. The need to exert revenge on a campus bully, lecturer, or a fellow student who wronged another is a prominent reason for joining among cult members.
This explains why there is always a reprisal attack each time a cult group strikes another. In fact, revenge among cult groups is a horrible game of numbers.
Also, Low Self-esteem, The quest to find a way to express oneself could lead a student with low self-esteem to join cult group to feel important. Cultism offers a fertile ground for such students to find ugly confidence in violence and dastardly acts.
More so, Peer Influence , has been identified as one of the reasons why undergraduates joint cults. Once a students is initiated it is incumbent on him to persuade his friends to see reasons why being a campus big boy is tied to being a cult member.
However, in order to deter from influence of cultism, these five tips will help you to avoid being lured into cultism.
Campus cult groups depend on taking advantage of naivety and innocence of the new students on campus. Just like every other group like Press ouncil, Christian students association and Muslim students association etc try to get the attention of the freshers same way the cult group look out for new entrants to increase their followership.
A lot of students were coerced to join the cult group under duress because they were too naive to recognise cult group movement around them.
For young minds, congratulations if you just gained admission into a higher instittution. This piece forms part of the series of orientation programs you’ll attend in your first month on campus.
Avoid bad company:
Freshers are quick to make friends amongst themselves. It is fine to make friends and socialise but beware of bad company. Do not be carried away by the sense of freedom that usually sweeps the minds of new polytes entrants and lose sight on your primary assignment in the institution.
And when you suspect your campus friend is moving with some strange faces, keeps late night and become secretive, it is better you keep away rather than getting curious to know what your friend is up to.
Mind what you wear. Your choice of colour might endear you to cult members. You might be seen as a potential member if you don’t know what colour is an identity of what group. Your love for a particular colour may drag you in. So watch it.
Avoid attending parties of people you don’t know :
As a new entrant, attending parties in your few days on campus might be too early and might expose you to being studied by cult groups before they eventually approach you to join them.
If you don’t know the celebrant, there is no point attending such parties.
Give your studies more attention; Your primary assignment is not to make many friends and become the popular student everyone knows on campus. Neither is it to spend your time engaging in activities that do not have any direct effect on your academics.
If you cut the look of a serious student who will not play with his studies, no cult member would be bold enough to distract you from your studies to invite you to join them.
Channel your exuberance to good courses; One of the qualities cult groups look out for in freshers is their exuberance. Your display of energy and excitement could endear you to them. When you are exuding your good qualities, make sure you are channelling them to good courses that are inimical to secret cult activities.
Therefore, what are the Effects of Cultism on Education and Academic Performance of Youths
Disruption of Academic Calendar
An institution with high cultism rate will always be closed down because of the frequent fights, clashes, unrest, and bloodshed. The school authority will be forced to close down the school and students will not have a choice but to flee for their lives and safety. A school can be closed for days, months and even years. Students are prone to spend more years in school. This is a serious effect of cultism.
Loss of Lives and Properties
There is an adage that says “when two elephant fight, the grass suffers”. When a crisis associated with cultism arises, properties, lives of victims and innocent people will be lost. Cultists are known to be violent, merciless and always high on drugs. When they fight against the school authorities, buildings, structures, equipment, and properties may be burnt or destroyed. Life and property loss is a serious effect of cultism on the society.
Fall in Education Standard and Academic Performance
Frequent closure of schools, damages of properties, loss of lives and all other consequences associated with cultism result to the fall in education standard in Nigeria( read an interesting article about falling education standard here). Parents will find it hard to send their wards to such schools; good and experienced lecturers will prefer to be transferred to another school where their safety will be secured.
Fear and Insecurity
Students and youths will always be in fear in schools with this menace. They will not be totally focused on their studies as they will not have peace of mind. Students will always be cautioned and will restrict their movement so as not to fall victims of rape, assaults, and death.
In conclusion, the Possible Solutions To Cultism will categorised into
Discipline
Parents should enforce discipline on their children. They adopt good parenting styles, have time for their children, visit them at schools and monitor their children. Also, parents should live exemplary lives and desists from secret organizations. School authorities should have high discipline and have stringent punishments for cultism, this will serve as a solution to cultism as a whole.
Hence, Public Campaigns against Cultism Schools, religious houses, Parents, Students, government, nongovernmental organization and the society as a whole should as a solution wage against cultism through seminars, workshops, campaigns, and talks. The dangers associated with it should be preached to the students so that they will shun the illicit and illegal act in the society. Shun Cultism because it kills
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