Cultism

Cultism is the devotion to the doctrines or practices of a cult, it is belonging to a cult.

The secret cult is an exclusive group of people that is often united by blood covenant. It is common in tertiary institutions such as colleges of education, polytechnics and universities.

According to Adewale Rotimi (2005) a secret cult is a group of people whose activities are carried out in exclusive location and at an unusual time without been exposed to the initiated.

Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary describes it as small group of people who have extreme religious beliefs and who are not part of any established religion.

Different cult groups and symbols

1. Pirates Confraternity: (National Association of Seadogs or Seadoff) formed in 1952 at University of Ibadan by Proffesors Wole Soyinka, Olumuyiwa Awe, Ralph Opara, Pius Oleigbe, Olu Agunloye, Daig Imokuede and Tunji Tubi.

The aims of forming this group are;

1. To elevate social life in the University where orderliness and discipline could be instiled in the mind of the youths
2. To defend humanistic ideas.
3. To fight neo – colonialism.

To fight tribalism and elitism.

Buccaneer Association of Nigeria or Sea lords: it was found in 1972 Bolaji Carew, Tunde Jawando, Kunle Adigun all of whom where formerly in pirates but became uncomfortable with them consequentially they formed Buccaneers. Members are also known as fine boys, lords, ban boys.

1. Supreme Eye Confraternity: this was formed in 1966 at the University of Ibadan. Its founders were Adegoke Adeniyi, Dele Nwakpele, Bode Falase, Tunde Aluko, Kayode Oke, Bode Sowunmi etc.

Some of its aims were to make positive impact of the social political mind, social cultural, physical and mental development of members.

Members are referred to as flyers, air force.

Supreme Vikings Confraternity: formed in 1982 by three young men who pulled out of Buccaneer at University of Port Harcourt. Members are called Aromates, adventures, vultures.

1. Black Axe Confraternity (Black men movement in Africa): it was formed to fight operation against Black men (students). In the university of

Benin in 1976 with the following aim.

1. Promoting black consciousness
2. Fighting for Africans’ dignity and freedom for neo – colonialism.

                  Members are referred to as axe man.

       Other cult groups include the Trojan Horse, Red Devils, Black Beret, the Amazons, the black Cats, Temple of Eden, the yea Black movement etc.

History of cultism on Nigerian campuses

The aim was quite good and progressive contrary to what obtains among cultists in Nigerian schools today.

They set high academic and moral standards for their members. Among the founders were Proffesor Wole Soyinka the first democratically elected president ‘’Captain’’ with the name captain blood (Rotimi Adewale,2005). Others were Proffesor Muyiwa Awe, Ralph Opara, Pius Oleigbe, Daid Imokuede,

Later on black eye, Vikings, Mafia, Black Beret, daughters of jezebel.                  Most of these groups that emerged after Pirates were known for violence and killings on Nigerian campuses.

Reasons why youths join cults

The following are some reasons why youth join;

1. Search for powers: people seeking powers to make life difficult for fellow student around them. Some also join cults as a place of refuge from intimidation and oppression from their colleagues.
2. Support from school leaders: students who find themselves on campuses where lecturers and officials are cult members tend to join cults so as to be more comfortable and get good marks from such lecturers. School leadership also recruits students into cult so that they could help in fighting other groups that will not allow them carry out their policies in the institution.
3. To secure protection:  students especially female join refuge from intimidation and oppression from their colleagues.
4. For popularity reasons: they believe that membership will give them greatness, honor and prestige in school community makes some disappointment in life tend to reduce psychological effects such problems by cult groups.
5. To get attention; Neglected children from homes intend to join cult in order to get love, comfort and receive direction in life. Unfortunately they get disappointed as their woes increase.
6. To get financial assistance: many students from poor homes falls prey easily to cultists who throw baits of financial assistance to them.

7Majority of the people who join new-age cults are between 18 – 24 years old at the time of first contact i.e. the immediate post-high school period. Though persons as young as 14 years have become victims because of various reasons which include:
8. Some young students in cults have experienced very unstable or non-existent family relationship, but they do not constitute the norm.
9. Many students have experienced varying degrees of communication problems with their parents.
10. A number of students have known the pains and deprivation of a single-parent home and perhaps for this
reason, some have strongly identified with older students who provide a parental image.
11. Some young people who have problem backgrounds and have experienced varying degrees of “failure.” Those people that come from broken homes or have a history of emotional problems and unresolved personal conflicts.
12. More than anything else, the young people pursuing cults today are involved in search for identity and a quest for spiritual reality that provides clear-cut answers to questions.
13. The chief target of the cults are the children of affluence, these ones may be suffering from identity confusion or identity crisis and they want to be identified with re-known group and so, they are easily carried away by the activities of the cult.

• HOW TO ERADICATE CULTISM IN THE CAMPUSES
Cultism is a social crime and the activities of cultists are sometimes laden with blood. Through the cultist’s activities, many lives have been lost, many people maimed and many students have been rusticated. There is the urgent need to put an end to it. Some people have openly declared that cultism is as worst as armed robbery. So, in order to curb cultism, there should be:
1. A definite legislation that will give a death sentence to anybody found guilty of cult activities in the campuses.
2. Moral education should be made compulsory in the primary and secondary schools in the country.
3. Cultism and its consequences should be treated in the General Studies courses in all tertiary institutions in the Nigeria.
4. Parents should take time to understand their children, give enough time to listen to them at home and satisfy their emotional, psychological and physical needs.
5. Parents should watch the friends their wards are keeping in the institutions. Take time to watch any misbehavior put up by their wards and correct immediately.
6. Aggressive evangelism of wagging war against cultism in all tertiary institutions should be allowed by all religious groups in the country

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Explain the term “Cultism”
2. Explain five causes of cultism in our campus today

Consequences of cultism in schools

1. Breakdown of law and order: cultism brings chaos and fighting as violence erupts whenever cult member attacked themselves for whatever reason. This disturbs the peace of the students.
2. Fall in standard of education:  lecturers award unmerited marks to cultists/students for the fear of been attacked.
3. Condones bullying and abuse of people rights:  cult members bully and offend non – cult members as well as infringe on others rights.
4. Expulsion from school: cultists when discovered by school authority are rusticated.
5. Problem of indiscipline: lecturers and some member of the authority for the fear of being attacked cannot discipline cult members as a result encourage all sorts of lawlessness and indiscipline in our schools.

Preventive measures against cultism

1. More enlightenment campaigns on the evils of cultism.
2. Upbringing of any children in their youthful age should be done properly by parents.
3. Introduction of cultism, its ills etc. should be introduced into secondary schools curriculum in subjects like civic education.
4. School authorities must establish effective and viable outfits to identify cult members and their activities within the campuses.
5. Orientation and warning about the problems and consequences and the need to dissociate from such groups.

Government efforts in preventing cultism

1. Government must provide adequate funding and modern educational facilities, recreational activities and sporting equipment.
2. Government must identify, expose and punish any member of the society giving financial support to the cult this will serve as a difference to other members of the society having similar ideas.
3. NGOs, religious bodies and parents should work hand in hand to terminate cultism in higher institutions.

ASSIGNMENT

1. State three consequences of cultism
2. Briefly explain three preventive measures against cultism