What Is Cultism In Civic Education And Its Effects

In this article, I will define cultism in civic education and the general definition, types, and it effects. Cultism has become a major social problem in the Nigerian tertiary institutions as its activities and mode of operation are usually shrouded in secrecy.

What is Cultism in Civic Education

Cultism can be defined as a ritual practice by a group of people whose membership, initiation, policies, and activities are done secretly.

It can also be define as a form of organization whose activities are not only exclusively kept away from the knowledge of others but such activities are carried out at odd hours of the day and they often clash with the accepted norms and values of everyday life.

General definition according to Ajayi (2015): 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 secret and kept secret with their activities having negative effects on both members and non-members alike.

Effects and Disadvantages of Cultism

• Poor academic Performance: They experience poor academic performance in school. Cultists are also prone to longer years on Campus. They always occupied themselves with nocturnal activities at the detriment of the academic which result in the basket of carry-overs usually prolong their stay on campus. Also cults abandon their examinations for the fear of being attacked by members of rival cults or picked up by law enforcement agents. Thereby end up with automatic spill-over (final year) and beg of carry-overs. Almost all the cult clashes recorded occur during examination periods.

• Expulsion from School: Tertiary institutions have a very low tolerance for cult activities and so any student found belonging to a cult is usually expelled from the school.
• Life of Insecurity: A cultist lives a life of insecurity. He is not sure of the next momentous clashes can erupt any moment, time and place.
• Threat to Family: Cult clashes have actually gone beyond the perimeter fence of the Campuses to rival cult members home. A lot of the cult family members have been killed at their home for the escape of the son by their own cult group in course of leadership tussle and rival cut group in the case of clash.
• Mortgage of Liberty: The oath taken during the initiation implies that you have sold your liberty, freedom and everything about yourself to the cult organization. The allegiance to the cult authority is total. This means a cultist doesn’t have control over his or her life and to a reasonable extend the cult authority dictate or determine activities of their member.
• Disrupted Academic Programme: The violent activities of the cultist on campus have affected the educational development in the country. In most times the academic activities in the institutions are brought to a standstill as a result of the activities of these nocturnal groups.
• Threat to Cultist Academic: Every cultist stands the risk of being rusticated or expelled from school, so many cultists in the past have either been rusticated or expelled from various higher institutions across the country due to their involvement in cult activities.
• The Threat of Law Enforcement Agents: Cultists are living in perpetual fear of being arrested during and after cult clashes. A lot of cultist have abandon the education for their fear of being arrested after been named against cult operation.

Read: Why you should shun cultism

Types of Cultism

According to Obamwonyi (2004), these are the types of cultism that exist in Nigeria.

1. Black Axe
2. Black beret fraternity
3. Black Bra
4. Buccaneers
5. Black Cats
6. Cappa Vendetto
7. Daughters of Jazebel
8. Eiye confraternity
9. Green Beret Fraternity
10. Klu Klux kan (kk) confraternity
11. Knight Cadet
12. Maphites
13. Mgba Mgbo Brothers
14. Musketeers fraternity
15. Neo-Black Movement
16. Ostrich fraternity
17. Panama
18. Pyrates confraternity
19. Red Sea Horses
20. Royal Queens
21. Sea Dogs
22. Temple of Eden Fraternity
23. Sun men
24. The Amazons
25. The Barracudas
26. The Canary
27. The Frigates
28. The Dragons
29. Himalayas
30. The Mafioso fraternity
31. The Scorpion Fraternity
32. The Soires fraternity
33. The Vikings
34. The Wairus
35. Third Eye Confraternity
36. Trojan Horse
37. Oasis of the silhouette
38. Vipers
39. White Angels
40. Lucifer knights
41. Mafians

Reference

• Ayayi I. A., et al (2010). Menace of cultism in Nigeria tertiary institution: The way out
• Obamwonyi, S. E. (2004). Evaluation of security activities in tertiary institution in Nigeria: A case study of university of Benin. (Project paper Unpublished): Pp. 53-58.