It is considered a detrimental practice. It is a
subject with much controversy and deemed
inappropriate, unnatural by the laid down
principles and tradition of higher institution. Yet
today it is very much practiced in virtually all
long existing institutions. The issue of cultism is the most widespread
problems facing tertiary institutions in the
country. People believe in the idea that campus
cultism originated from the wider society. The
truth remains that most of our adults belong to
different confraternities and sororities like “Ogboni”, “Agba Osugbo”, “Awofunfun” and
many others. It has come to the magnitude that there is no
institution of higher learning in the country that
has not experienced the menace of cultism at
one time or another. In the same vain, cultism
can also be referred to as secret cult which
simply means a group of people who share a common cause and whose mode of meeting
and agenda are not open to the public. In other
words, students cultism is a secret association
backed up with the spirit of criminal opposition
to the laid down principle/tradition of the
institution. The first cult activity in history was reportedly
perceived during the colonial era. This
morphed to the formation of , aimed
at fighting for the interest of blacks. The entire
story has changed. Cultism, as adopted in the various higher
institutions, is used in doing something
different from what it was established for. It is
true that many students indulged in cultism for
different reasons like fighting for perceived
injustice in their campuses against their members. Some engage in cultism in order to
satisfy their desires, aspirations and need. Some students, most especially the female
students join cultism to protect themselves
against any lecturer or student which may like
to victimise them, while some male students
join to secure their female friends. Also, some
students join cult for popularity or status symbol. They want to make name and to be
regarded as influential people. They believe
once they join a cult group, they will be able to
achieve greatness and influence decisions on
campus as well as dictate during the student
union and students’ representative elections. Some students also join cultism for reasons
based on past negative experiences at the
family level. Some to ‘diffuse frustrations’ from
the family, school and society. Yet, some for
financial assistance, while other do so to hide
their weaknesses in academic field. Other reasons why students engage in cultism might
be triggered by parental and family
background, because parents who are
member of secret cult or once a member may
not see anything wrong in their children’s
involvement in cultism. Unfavourable learning facilities, environment
and inadequate welfare programmes for
students can also encourage students to
engage in cultism. Inadequate religious and
moral instructions and education can
encourage students to embrace cultism. The menace and the aggressiveness of cult
involvement in violent cult activities can lead to
arrest by the police, rustication or expulsion of
students and at a wider level, it can lead to
closure of the institution for some time. On the
measures to redress this ugly trend on Nigerian campuses, awareness and
sensitisation campaigns should be embarked
upon by the government at all levels, non-
Governmental Organisations (NGOs). School authorities should show their readiness
and determination to eradicate cultism.
Seminars should be organised regularly on the
ills of cultism by various stakeholders. Parents should pass on moral instructions to
their children and wards, while religious and
moral institutions like mosques and churches
should live up to the responsibilities.......Say no
to CULTISIM! for it is indeed a detrimental
practice, not just in higher institutions but in society at large.