THAT education is a  crucial factor in the socio-economic, political and technological development of a nation is not in doubt. And I strongly believe that “the greatest asset to any society is her citizenry and their various potentialities.”

These lantent abilities can be developed through quality education.

Unfortunately, despite all concerted efforts by the federal government to provide its citizenry  with quality education,a few have chosen to toe the line that leads to destruction through voluntary initiation into different cults. This is apart from other cancerous problems that beset the sector.

Undoubtedly, one of such social vices confronting Nigerian tertiary institutions today is cultism.

There is hardly no academic session without reported cases of cultism in most Nigerian tertiary institutions. In fact, there is hardly no Nigerian institutions of higher learning that has not experienced this menace of cultism.

Over a decade and a half, hundreds of souls have been sent to early grave through the nefarious and nocturnal activities of  cultists. From the University of Ibadan through University of Maiduguri, down to Port Harcourt where cultists were  holding sway, the length and breadth of the nation seem to be under the siege of cultism.

Various scholars have different interpretations to what a cult is and one of them is, cults are those organisations, whose activities are known to initiates only. They have signs and symbols for communication that may not make any meaning to non- initiates. They engage in nocturnal activities like initiation ceremonies and all manner of meetings that involve blood oath taking.

In a nutshell, cultism can be defined as a ritual practice by a group of people whose membership, admission, policy and initiation formalities as well as their mode of operations are done in secrecy with their activities having negative effects on both members and non-initiates alike.

Unfortunately, those who are initiates of  a particular cult in any tertiary institution are not only students but also lecturers, administrators, non-teaching staffs, the school authority personalities e.t.c.

It is no news that students join cults because of a pressing situation or the environment they find themselves and, this makes them to feel they are doing the right thing. Most students join cults because of the group of friends they move with,or out of frustration,  lack of money to finance their education, for protection in school and lot more excuses.

However, youths should resist any temptation of being lured into cultism by cousemates, roommates , under whatever  guise or promise.

Life they say is more precious than silver or gold, and so, youths must keep at arm’s length, anything capable of cutting short one’s life.

Dapo Adelani,
Bowen University, Iwo,
Osun State.

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