By Fatima TIjani, SS1
Cultism is the operation of a secret cult. It is the involvement in cult activities. Today, there are many secret cult groups in Nigeria, especially in tertiary institutions. Cultism has become a grave national issue. It has made campus life unbearable for those who ordinarily would love to go about their affairs peacefully and reasonably.
Cultism promotes violence because virtually all groups are violent. The different groups attack one another with various weapons in order to gain supremacy. Apart from violence, cult members are potential murderers because they kill members of rival groups and even innocent people.
There are occasions on which they shoot one another; even in examination halls. Cultism causes the breakdown of law and order as members disregard their school rules and enact theirs, which are at variance with the standards of the school.
Students join cultism for some reasons, which include family background, economic hardship, curiosity, lack of self-confidence, peer pressure, insecurity, exposure to violence and crime-related forms, unemployment and support from school staff etc.
Lastly, cultism can be prevented in so many ways. In the first place, parents should pay attention to their children’s upbringing and educate them properly on acceptable standards of behaviour. Students should also be encouraged to join religious groups and develop a fear of God because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Educational institutions and the government should enact very strict laws against cultism.
Fatima is of Sulaiman Shado College, Mushin, Lagos
