Why Cultism Must Be Eradicated Immediately From Our Institutions And Society.

By: Divinelove Udorji

The issue of cultism has been emphasised but can never be over emphasised. Cultism is one word that has eaten deep, ruining and crippling our academic system and even the society at large. Campus cultism in Nigeria began with emergence of Pyrate Confraternity AKA Ahoi-Seadog in 1952 at the University College, Ibadan by the renowned professor and literary icon Wole Soyinka and a group of six friends, who were reffered to as the "Magnificent Seven" (Ralph Opara, Ikhehare Aig-Imokhuede, Sylvanus Egbuchie, Nathaniel Oyelola, Pius Oleghe, Olumuyiwa Awe) though established as a social organisation aimed at fighting for human rights and social justice in the university, with tribalism, corruption, and religious differences cited as threats to society and to also eradicate all forms of oppression.

It is imminent to note that the Pyrate Confraternity was not created to kill, destroy, harm or maim, as their cohesiveness and absolute allegiance to rules made it become an elite club, as membership into the Pyrates Confraternity was offered to intellectually promising, cleanest, brightest and the politically conscious students, with no discrimination as to race, color or tribe, as they pledged to a doctrine of non-violence. The Pyrates have been known to do extremely well in academics. Apart from having the first Nobel Laurete from Africa, they produced distinguished academicians all around the globe.

However in 1972 Bolaji Carew (Code-named “Late Ahoy Rica Ricardo”) and several others were expelled from the Pyrates Confraternity for failing to meet expected standards and not following the teaching and rules of the Pyrate Confraternity. This subsequently led to the creation of other rival confraternities, with Bolaji Carew founding the Buccaneers Association of Nigeria (BAN) AKA Alora—Sealords in 1972. This new founded confraternity copied the Pyrates Confraternity's structure, symbols and ceremonies. Still in University of Ibadan in 1962 Goke Adeniji, Dele Nwakpele, Bayo Adenubi, Bode Fadase, Tunde Aluko, Kayode Oke, and Bode Sowunmi and others formed the Supreme Eiye Confraternity (SEC) styled and also affiliated to the Eiye Secret Societ in Nigeria. It was established to make positive impact on the social-political mind, social cultural, physical and mental development of its members, and where indifferent to other conventional cult group. Another confraternity sprang up from the University of Benin in 1976 called The Neo-Black Movement of Africa (NBM) Aka Aye-Axemen. In 1982 three young men decamped from the Buccaneers Confraternity for unknown reasons creating the Supreme Vikings Confraternity (SVC) AKA Aro-Mates in the University of Port Harcourt.

The Genesis Of Confraternity Violence..

Cultism in the Nigerian higher institutions started as fraternities with the sole aim and purpose of maintaining law and order in the campuses. However this institutions of higher learning which ought to be ideal places for the training of minds have become war zones where cult groups unleash their terror in the community. As this new cult groups emerged, inter-group tensions led to fighting, though these were initially limited to fistfights. As the quest for superiority grew, cult groups began fighting each other with firearms in order to maintain supremacy over territories.

Cultism in the Society..

Until recently, cult activities were an exclusive feature of Nigeria tertiary institutions and were limited with the campus and the four walls of the institution. Frequent fracas broke erupted between rival cult groups on university and polytechnic campuses but hardly spilled to the streets. Campus cults also offer opportunities to members after graduation. As confraternities have extensive connections with political and military figures, they offer excellent alumni networking opportunities. The Supreme Vikings Confraternity, for example, boasts that twelve members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are cult members. Many political figures openly recruit and arm violent confraternity groups to unleash terror upon their opponents and ordinary members of the public. The Black Axe for instance, despite its, touted goal of promoting black consciousness and fighting for the dignity of Africans and their freedom from neo-colonialism has deteriorated into self-serving behaviour that is notoriously and brutally violent in the society.

Remedies and ways to curtail cultism in our institution and society.

No doubt, better control of ammunition imports will assist to combat light weapon proliferation. The illicit weapons trade in West Africa is increasingly trans-national and it requires regional and international cooperation and support to combat it. Also, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) must be encouraged to channel their energies into virile students activism, the type that encourages healthy intellectual debate and argument on issues that affect them and the society at large. The student union must be incubators of civilized values, decency and cultural larvae. More emphasis must be placed on character building, responsible leadership and citizenship.

It is also hoped that the government will improve the funding of the education sector so that the universities again could return to their former glory, where they will remain centres of excellence. For all these to occur, the Nigerian government needs to have a moratorium on education. This will include a very thorough and objective examination of funding, admission policy and the general welfare of students and staff. The sooner these measures are employed, the better for the African continent and the safer Nigeria might be.

Parents should also take time to understand their children, give enough time to listen to them at home and satisfy their emotional, psychological and physical needs. Parents should watch the friends their wards are keeping in the institutions and take time to watch any misbehavior put up by their wards and correct such behaviours immediately. Further more, religious groups should engage in aggressive evangelism of wagging war against cultism in all tertiary institutions should be allowed by all religious groups in the country.