CULTISM - A GROWING CANCER IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTION

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Cultism a continous problem in nigerian universities. This is a giant problem that stands as a continous threat to life and peaceful social co-existence in higher institutions , recently the federal government has put together some measures to try and tame the situation by handing out a five year jail term for members of campus cult groups, from the inception cultism in higher institutions did not pose a threat as large as they do now, they have now developed into a more destructive and violent problem as time passed on. its negetive effects includes disruption of academic activities, programmes, loss of lives and properties, destruction of infracstructural facilities e.t.c.

Cult activities have proved to be a major stumbling block for student as it pushes them away from their studies. during periods of cult clashes, members have to abscond from school in other to find safety, due to this they incure extra years and low grades in their examinations.

Before the mid seventies , gaining admission into any tertiary institution was a great thing of joy , it was a Priviledge as it was not an easy task for any student or family to achieve . today this is obviously no more a difficult task as the number of universities in the country has multiplied , and the criteria for gaining admission has been brought down drastically. according to study it is estimated that the violence, suppression and killing in the higher institutions has extended down into secondary and primary level of education. this stands as an everlasting problem that cannot easily be solved.

The concept of secret cults in Nigerian societies did not always have a bloody look.

According to Itedjere (2006), the phenomenon of secret cult is not necessarily new in the Nigerian society. What is new perhaps is their character and methods of operation. Their origins, activities and character are determined by the contemporary social problems and the prevailing social economic exigencies of the time.
many students join or get initiated into cults ignorantly, they do not know the effect it has on both their mental and academic performance.

CULTISM AND ITS ORIGIN

The concept of cultism started a long time ago( About 50 years ago) in Nigerian universities, Although it did not always have a violent look to it , until recently (two decades ago). the existence of all this secret groups on campus has proved to be a threat against the lives and properties of both students and teachers. cult members tend to harass female and male students who refuse to join their respective cult groups, they also harass lecturers and non academic staff of the university for grades which they do not merit. one of the most earliest cult clashes happened in the University Of Nigeria Nsukka in the year 1985, the incident was instigated when a non member of a cult group made an attempt to snatch a notorious cult leaders girlfriend. On the 5th of august in the university of Delta Abraka , cult activities led to the killing of the then assistant registrar and his wife.

Echekwube (1999) traces the origin of the term cultism to the Latin word "cultus" , which means worship and is actually associated with the worship of one God or Supreme Being. The word 'cultism' originated from the Latin word 'Occukre' which denotes something hidden, occulted, concealed, enigmatical, mysterious, mystical, etc. Orukpe (1998: 1) notes that “Cults are a group of people who share and propagate peculiar secret beliefs divulged only to members”.

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CULTISIM may be defined as a process or system whereby a particular group of people are joined together by beliefs and common interest for the main purpose of promoting and defending the common pursuit.

ORIGIN OF CULTISM IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

The origin and beginning of cultism in the Nigerian tertiary institutions started all the way back in 1953, at the university college Ibadan. it all started with the pirates Confratanity which was founded by WOLE SOYINKA and other students at the now university of Ibadan, this secret group was also known as the National association of Sea Dogs. it was symbolized by a skull and two cross bones , though its activities where not hidden or secret, it was set up with the prime purpose to engage in non violent fights against the impositions of foreign conventions and to dish out lasting solutions to the problem of tribalism and elitism.

According to Ekeanyanwu and Igbinoba (2007), reliable sources reveal that no less than 53 cult groups exist in the Nigerian higher educational system today. Such groups include: Air Lord, Black-Axe, Black Beret Fraternity, Black Bra, Black Cats, Black Mamba, Buccaneers, Cappa Vendetta, Daughters of Jezebel, Eiye Confraternity, Green Beret Fraternity, Hard Candies, Jurist, KKK Confraternity, Knight Cadet, King Cobra, Lucifer Knights, Mafians, Maphites, Mgba Mgba Brothers, Musketeers Fraternity, Neo-Black Movement, Oasis of the Silhouette; Ostrich Fraternity, Panama, Pirates Confraternity, Red Berets, Red Sea Horses, Royal Queens, Sea Dogs, Soko, Sun Men, Temple of Eden Fraternity, Ten Angels, The Amazons, The Apostles, The Barracudas, The Canary, The Dragons, The Frigates, The Himalayas, The Lynx, The Mafioso Fraternity, The Scorpion Fraternity, The Soires Fraternity, The Vikings, The Walrus, Third· Eye Confraternity, Trojan Horse, Vipers, Viqueens, West End, White Angels arid a host of others.

NEGETIVE IMPACT OF CULTISM ON ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES IN NIGERIAN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS.

Its an obvious fact that cultism has a lot of negetive effects on students, According to study it has been concluded that learning processes are affected by violent and unstable environments. it is almost impossible to attain any educational and academic goal in an environment where there is constant fear of killings, and destructions. During cult clashes, cult members tend to destroy major school infrastructural facilities ,causing disruption in social , recreactional and lerning activities.

MAJOR CAUSES OF CULTISM IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.

In 1996 langone gave three models regarding peoples chioces for joining different cult groups. they may include:

1. DELIBERATIVE MODEL
2. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL
3. THOUGHT REFORM MODEL

• Under the DELIBERATIVE MODEL he emphasized that people joined secret groups according to their own opinions or personal view of the group. according to his findings he noted that this view prevails more amonst sociologists and religious scholars.

• For the PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL he suggested that people join cults through different forms of psychological manipulations, he said that people do not join cult groups because of their own psychological need.

Chambers (1998) argued that cults are groups that often exploit members psychologically or financially, typically by making members comply with leadership’s demands through certain types of psychological manipulation, popularly known as mind control, and through the inclusion of deep-seated anxious dependency on the group and its leaders.

On the causes of cultism in nigerian universities, the major factors leading students into cult groups may include

1. Peer pressure

2. A sense of belonging

3. Political affiliation

4. For financial purposes

5. For job and recruitment opportunities

6. Parental background

7. societal decadence

8. Erosion of educational system

• PEER PRESSURE
  Its an obvious fact that peer group influence is one of the main reasons why young people join cult groups in higher institutions, there is a period in every childs life when he/she wants to explore and feel accepted by his/her pairs, during this period a child shifts his interest from the values he/she learnt at home to embrace other new values and opinions of any group they join in school.

• PARENTAL BACKGROUND
  Children who come from households where orderliness and codes of good conducts are strictly observed are more likely to join cult groups in school later in the future, the way a child is brought up plays a vital role in his/her decision to join a cult group, too much control by parents and too many rules and regulation in a family, over protectiveness can lead to a child becoming insecure , anxious and nervous, this is an active factor that leads to young people joining cults in the university.

parents should learn not to be too over protective and controlling towards their children, but at the same time limit their freedom to a reasonable extent , they should make sure to instill good values in other to raise children of integrity and substance.

• SOCIETAL DECADENCE
  In a developing country like Nigeria where bad values are constantly mistaken for good ones, youths tend to accept bad values instead of inculcating moral and good ones. this accounts for why youths see no reason or big deal in joining secret groups or cults in higher institution.

• EROSION OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Due to the economic down turn in the past, the standard of education in the country has taken a wrong turn . this has lead to more cases of corruption and injustice in the country. most admission slots given out to youths now a days are not based on merit but dubious activities like bribery and use of fake credentials. when this youths get into school they see it as a fight of the fittest, they are willing to do and participate in any activity to survive and progress.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

In the year 2019 , i lost my room mate to a deadly cult clash in The University of Nigeria Nsukka, he was shot in my presence in the early hours of 18th August , the whole experience threw me off balance and i almost gave up on my academics if not for the intervention of friends and families. it was an ugly and scaring experience but it also taught me a lot of things , it taught me to me more careful and selective of my friends.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we are meant to understand that the existence of cult activities in our tertiary institutions poses a continuous and never ending threat to our peaceful living and social coexistence. the impact of cultism is not just limited to academic activities . it stretches out its negative effects to both individual, economic, developmental, academic and social factors ,there by limiting the growth of the nation . more effective efforts should be put in place to find long lasting solutions to curb, reduce and eliminate this growing cancer in our tertiary institutions.

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