Cultism can be defined as a situation
whereby a group of persons holds or shares beliefs that is significantly
different from those of established religion as well as practice traditions
that are contrary to those regarded as normal and acceptable.
This implies that cultism is
an activity carried out by a secret cult/confraternity. A secret cult is simply
an organization of a few persons with a view to actualizing a sinister or
ulterior motive.
Cultism could be attributable to
various factors such as hunger, frustration, vulnerability, insecurity,
ignorance, inferiority complex, quest for power, peer influence, oppression,
youth restiveness, intimidation, loneliness, or family/parental background, as
the case may be. Among all the factors that could make someone to join a secret
confraternity, the most dominant one is peer influence.
Someone is confirmed a member of a secret cult group after passing
through a certain rigorous ritual, which is invariably cruel and inhumane.
Sometimes, the prospective cult member passes away in the process if he or she
lacks a strong resistance to pressure or tension.
An individual may willingly wish to join a certain secret cult owing to
his/her interest. On the contrary, one might be subjected to join a cult group
through the effort of some of the members of the group due to a certain quality
or idiosyncrasy they observed in the person such as academic excellence,
financial security, influence, and/or physical stamina.
It is obvious that cult
activities have been on rampage in recent times. There are various forms or
levels of cultism; ab initio, secret society was found among people of advanced
age bracket until it was introduced to the students of tertiary institutions of
learning. And lately, the latter seemed to be of higher effrontery as a result
of youthful exuberance.
Currently, it appears cultism has taken a different dimension, which
makes it more worrisome. Apparently, the drumbeat is no longer observed only on
our campuses or in wider societies but also by the students of the various
secondary schools in Nigeria and beyond.
Surely, taking a walk to any neighbouring secondary school will convince one that teenage cultism has come to stay among our teeming young ones. The most painful part remains that most of the teenagers involved are yet to know that they are practising evil or something prohibited by the law thereby making them constitute enormous nuisance among their contemporaries.
Some of them don’t even stop at their fellow students while carrying out
their activities or observing their norms; in most cases, they end up
threatening their teachers or a staff of the school. It is pathetic to notice
that most of the affected parents or guardians are yet to acknowledge that
their children or wards are cultists, which implies that the so called parents
cannot give adequate account of their teens.
Unequivocally, extension of this ugly and dastardly trend to our
secondary schools is no doubt an indication that the future of the country’s
educational sector is not just in shambles but has been placed in an unimaginable
danger zone that if severe measure is not taken towards its eradication, the
country is liable to experience a colossal socio-economic waste soonest.
We must understand that all hands
ranging from the parents, to teachers, counsellors, school managements,
government at all levels, religious bodies, the media, civil society, and what
have you, are expected to be on deck toward stemming this societal menace that
is telling on as well as ravaging our national development.
We ought to make our young ones realize that one who indulges in cultism
has sold his or her soul to the devil and could die prematurely. Among all,
they should be meant to comprehend that anyone caught in the act will surely
face the wrath of the law, which attracts a capital punishment to include life
imprisonment among others.
There is no need reiterating the fact that a teenage cultist is likely to possess a poor mental coordination and may abandon his/her studies or educational pursuits at the long run. Indeed, any cultist is perpetually in bondage to fear, and has no regards for social and moral values. Above all, he/she is often destructive, merciless, unreasonably stubborn and extremely wicked. Suffice it to say that cultists have no regard for one’s life, even theirs.
Against this backdrop, there’s a
compelling need to save our young ones from this irrational and blasphemous
practice that will cost them not only their future but their lives as well, so
that, the country can boast of leaders tomorrow. In regard to this, the
parents/guardians ought to endeavour to keep every record of the activities of
their wards, and endeavour from time-to-time to pay unscheduled visit to those
residing in the school dormitory. The various school managements on their part
should not hesitate to report to the concerned parent whenever they observe any
strange behaviour in any student.
Most importantly, the various security agencies including the community
based ones like the vigilante group are meant to variously mount their stations
close to the secondary schools within their respective places of operation or
even inside the schools’ premises. This measure, no doubt, will go a long way
to checkmate the day-to-day activity of the students and also keep them away
from any form of vulnerability that is likely to befall them. Obviously, the
time to act is now. Think about it!
COMR
FRED D.N NWAOZOR
(The Media Ambassador)
_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056Follow: @fdnnwaozor / @fred_nwaozor
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