The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cultism

  • …As AOCOED Provost urges students to renounce cultism

    …As AOCOED Provost urges students to renounce cultism

    Provost, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, Bashorun Olalekan, has called on students who are members of cult societies to renounce it.

    He spoke at the matriculation of 1,600 students of the School of Part-Time Studies.

    He said: “Do not take up membership of any secret cult, illegal/unregistered society throughout your studentship. If you are already a member of any cult, go and renounce it.

    “It is also fundamental that you do not engage in conduct that could implicate you in examination malpractices. You are not being asked to do what is impossible. Thousands of students before you have been given this same charge, they have obeyed and today are better off it.

    “Such former students have built on the solid professional, moral and professional disciplines received in the college and are today successful academics, leading technocrats, eminent politicians, outstanding entrepreneurs, in fact a former deputy governor of Lagos State.”

    He said the matriculation is an opportunity for the institution to appraise its activities, reiterate common vision and indicate directions for collective growth and development in the years ahead.

    He said the institution’s major challenge is funding. “Education is capital intensive, however, education is still very cheap when put side by side ignorance. I appeal to our proprietor and other proprietors in tertiary institutions in the country to provide the funds needed to run these institutions. The return on investment on education is forever. With good education, we can be sure that those matriculating today would be assured of a worthy future,” he said.

    He said the college is currently working things out with the Lagos State Pensions Commission to ensure that the latter discharges its obligations to retiring staff as at when due.

    “We are working with our staff unions who have been most reasonable and constructive in recent times as well as with the Lagos State government to ensure payment of the balance of 18 months arrears. College would also make good its promise to pay its own part shortly.

     

  • Suspect sues IG, police over shooting in custody

    Suspect sues IG, police over shooting in custody

    A suspect, Mr. Ikedideke Theophilus, has dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to the High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, alleging that he was shot in custody by the police.

    The suspect was said to have been arrested by the police over offences bordering on cultism.

    But Theophilus in a copy of the suit asked the court to award him N50m as general damages to enable him get “proper medical treatment such as orthopedic surgery and cardiology.

    He appealed to the court to make a declaration that he is “entitled to the general damages for his unlawful torture, shooting and inhuman treatment he received from the police while in custody”.

    Theophilus also included the Commissioner of Police and an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Chris Nwogu, as defendants.

    The claimant described himself as a 17-year old from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and 300 level Mechanical Engineering student of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma.

    He alleged that the police in their desperate bid to extract information from him “hanged and tortured him severally and in the process shot his two legs.”

    He said the shooting occurred on January 13 this year.

    He said the police denied him proper medical treatment of the injuries they inflicted on him.

     

  • Amaechi’s aide cautions against cultism

    The Special Adviser on National Economic Affairs to Governor Chibuike Amaechi, Hon. Alex Wele, has advised students and former student union leaders in the state to shun violence and cultism if they desire to excel in life.

    Wele who is also the President of Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation (RIVLEAF) stated this in Port Harcourt, while inaugurating members of RIVLEAF Aluu community chapter in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State.

    RIVLEAF is a registered organisation made up of vibrant students and ex-student leaders in Rivers State.

    Speaking after the inauguration, Wele, who was a union leader in his school days, like Amaechi, said the group will not allow vibrant youths to ruin their lives through cultism and violent activities.

    Wele said: “We didn’t establish RIVLEAF for political thuggery. Our members are students and ex-student leaders. You know Governor Amaechi was also a student leader and our objective is that if these people will contribute to the service of humanity while in school why not create a forum where they could come together for the good of all.

    “I am advising them to shun violence and cultism if they wish to excel in their various discipline in life, why I was a student leader, including Governor Chibuike Amaechi we were not involve in cultism and that is the major reason of our sources and achievement today.”

    He charged the newly inaugurated members of RIVLEAF Aluu not to allow desperate politician to use them negatively. He urged them to be role models.

    Responding on behalf of the new members, Comrade Owhorkire Rhino, coordinator of RIVLEAF Aluu said, “As vibrant youths we will ensure that we live good lives as future leaders. The Governor’s life as ex student leader is a testimony to us. We are ready to work with him as an Aluta conscious and Aluta tested being.”

     

  • Rector urges students to shun cultism

    None of the 4,800 new students of the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin-Ladi, will join a cult group unless he or she wants to leave the institution.

    The Rector, Mr Dauda Gyemang, has listed cultism among the no-go areas for the students.

    He has also named groups or associations they should not join.

    Speaking at the matriculation of the students, Gyemang said they should be wary of associations with seemingly harmless names as they could be dangerous.

    “Be wary of students’ association like the Amazons, Temple of Eden, Gentlemen’s Club, Sea Dogs, The Jurist, National Association of Air Loads, Daughters of Jezebel and the Black braziers, among others. These names may sound funny and harmless, but they are very dangerous and deadly,“ he said.

    He urged them to be serious with their studies given that only 40 per cent of the 12,000 candidates who applied were admitted to study Arts, Social Science and Pure Sciences courses, only 4,510 were admitted.

    “It may interest you to note that the institution received a total of 12,000 applications for the 2012/2013 academic session. However, only 4, 800 students were offered admission based on the school’s carrying capacity.

    “You should, therefore,count yourselves lucky to have scaled through the rigorous process of our admission exercise. You were able to make it because you are the most qualified,” he said.

    Gyemang assured the students that the institution would groom the students academically and mould their character to excel in various endeavours.

    To this end, he said that the institution is committed to providing the necessary infrastructure, and has entered into partnership with the Waterfall Institution of Technology, Ireland and ICT University Louisiana, United States, for transfer and exchange programmes.

    “Such partnership would in no distant time transform this 35-year old Polytechnic into a centre of excellence and would also enable us meet up with the global challenge in the 21st century,” he said.

    Gyemang urged the students to be focused on their academics, shun cultism, examination malpractice and other forms of lawlessness.

    The Plateau State Commissioner for Education, Mr Nanle Dashen, who was represented by the Director for Higher Education in the ministry, Mrs Sarah Ramadan, urged the students to work hard.

    He restated the state govern-ment’s commitment to transform the education sector.

    The commissioner said the government is making efforts to provide more funds for the construction of additional hostels, laboratories and recruitment of workers.

  • Fashola cautions children against drugs, cultism

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) yesterday urged children in the state to stay off drugs, shun cultism and other social vices that can derail their future.

    The governor inspected the children’s parade at the Police College, Ikeja, during this year’s Children’s Day celebration.

    He emphasised the need for children to avoid social vices as well as cult groups but to remain focused on their studies.

    Fashola recommended the Boys Scout, the Red Cross, the Traffic Club and Power Kids Club for children, adding that his administration has endorsed and empowered them for youths to join.

    The governor recalled that there had been some unpleasant reports of kidnapping in the state.

    He cautioned the children to be vigilant.

    Fashola said: “To avoid those (bad) people and remain safe, you must desist from boarding any unregistered vehicle or vehicles that is not painted in the state yellow and black colours.

    “You should also be wary of the type of company you keep and be careful about how you associate with strangers by refusing to be tempted with gifts and money.

    “When you are confronted with any issue, seek your parents’ guidance and teachers’ advice; never shun their warnings.”

     

  • Don’t associate with cultism, freshers told

    Don’t associate with cultism, freshers told

    The secret of the success of Ekiti State University (EKSU) lies on the strong desire to always keep up high academic standards and moral probity, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Patrick Aina, has said.

    He made the statement during the matriculation ceremony held for freshers admitted into the institution through an affiliate programme with Adeniran Ogunsaya College of Education, Otto-Ijanikin, Lagos State, last Saturday. According to the VC, the freshers must maintain such high academic standards and moral probity.

    Prof Aina, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof Olugbenga Aribisala, warned that under no circumstance should any student be involved in examination malpractice, cultism, drug abuse and vices that could jeopardise their academic pursuit in the university.

    The Provost of the College, Bashorun Wasiu Olalekan, echoed the Vice-Chancellor’s warning in his address. He said students must behave well on campus according to the matriculation oath they had taken.

    He, however, called on governments to increase funding for tertiary institutions to promote excellence.

    At another ceremony held in Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Noforija, Epe, Prof Aina, who was represented by Prof Olugbenga Aribisala, urged the students to maintain the culture and tradition of EKSU, stressing that any violation of the matriculation oath would be met with serious sanctions.

  • 18 pupils held for ‘cultism’ in Ogun

    Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ogun State yesterday arrested 18 pupils for alleged cultism and breach of peace in schools.

    NSCDC spokesman Mr. Kareem Olanrewaju said seven of the pupils were arrested at the Nazareth High School, Imeko, while allegedly initiating recruits into cultism.

    Olanrewaju said 11 pupils were arrested at Lisabi High School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, for allegedly disturbing the peace in the school.

    He said: “Seven pupils of Nazareth High School were arrested on the school premises while initiating new members into cultism by making incisions on their bodies.

    “We also arrested 11 pupils of Lisabi High School for conducting themselves in a way that breached peace in the school.

    “We will not charge them to court because of their age. They are minors and cannot be prosecuted. The command will meet with the Ministry of Education to decide what to do to the students.

    “We observed that they have been misguided and there is need to guide them on the right path. We want the government to introduce civic education in secondary schools to reduce immorality amongst our children.

    “We discovered in our investigation that parents are not contributing enough to better the future of their children. They devote most of their time to other things.”

  • Cultism: A scourge of tertiary education

    What is known as cultism in our Nigerian tertiary institution today started at the University College, Ibadan in 1953 when Wole Soyinka, then studying for his Bachelor’s degree in the institution, formed the pirate confraternity with the objective to ending tribalism and elitism.

    The activities of the society were not shrouded in secrecy; most of its members were Law students. The group only belonged to the most brilliant students on campus.

    However, cultism has assumed different meaning in contemporary society. It has turned to a deadly and secret organisation. Its objectives have been defeated from what it was established for. Thousands of lives have been lost and properties worth millions have been destroyed due to the activities of cult groups in our tertiary institutions effective from the 1980s.

    Despite concerted effort by the government and concerned stakeholders to provide Nigerians with qualitative education, a few have chosen to toe the path of destruction through voluntary initiation into different cultist groups, which anti-social vices have eaten deep into the Nigerian educational system.

    It is highly unfortunate that our secondary schools have also become veritable grounds for breeding cultists, making one to wonder if we are civilising the right way. The expulsion of 26 secondary school students for involving in cult activities in 2002 in Cross River State, the beating of a secondary school typist to death in Eket, Akwa Ibom State in 2004 and attack of a school principal by a group of secondary school pupils in Premier Grammar School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, in 2012 have all confirmed the existence of deadly groups in secondary schools.

    Of course, we don’t need soothsayer to tell us that the pupils will graduate to become hardened criminals when they are admitted into tertiary institutions.

    When some of them, who engage in cult activities, are asked the reason for joining the group, some may say it is for protection, some may say it is for fame, while some can attribute it to an avenue to accrue wealth to gain ladies’ attention.

    During the recently-held matriculation in the Kwara State Polytechnic, two cult members were killed. The ceremony, which ought to be a jamboree, turned out to be bloody. Many students and parents, who lost properties and injured in the mayhem would not forget the day in a hurry. Many parents, who would have been joyous to witness their wards’ admission, would have purchased another UTME forms for their children to rewrite another exam into another institutions.

    How long are we going to continue to be indifferent to this menace in our society? Shall we allow cultism to destroy our education system? Eradication of cultism, if I may suggest, can only be feasible if proper orientation is held to change the mindset of students in our various institutions. Also, proper upbringing of child by parents, public enlightenment by education stakeholders would help in stopping the activities of secret clubs on our campuses.

  • Productivity reduced cultism in Auchi Poly

    The rector of the Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Dr Philipa Idogho, has attributed the near eradication of cultism in the school in the last three years to the continuous productive engagement of its students.

    In an interview with journalists, Dr Idogho said: “Students want to learn and that is why we are exploiting that avenue. We keep them busy with academic and entrepreneurial activities, leadership training and all of that; that is why we have experienced this phenomenal reduction on the issues of cultism in this school.

    Mrs Idogho, who answered questions on a variety of issues, appealed to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to increase the carrying capacity of the institution so it can admit more students.

    “Every year, we see up to 24,000 students coming to do the post-UTME screening but many of them are not admitted because of our carrying capacity. That is why we are building more facilities. We are asking the NBTE to give us additional carrying capacity to enable us to admit more students into the school,” she said.

    Besides, she said the school has established a Centre for Flexible Skills that would enable primary school leaving certificate holders and its equivalents to develop themselves in their pace through the use of radio, face-to-face learning and lecture notes.

    She said the programme was important because the students would graduate from one level to another based on their ability to comprehend what they are taught.

     

  • Don’t associate with cultism, VC tells freshers

    Don’t associate with cultism, VC tells freshers

    Students have been charged to take their studies serious in order to achieve academic excellence. The charge was made by the Registrar of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Mrs G.O. Ogboghodor, during the matriculation ceremony held for freshers admitted for the 2012/2013 academic session.

    The school auditorium, the venue of the ceremony, was filled to capacity.

    Declaring the occasion open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Osayuki Oshodin, welcomed the freshers into the university, urging them to consider their admission as a “golden opportunity” to achieve their heart desires.

    The Registrar administered the oath of matriculation on the students, after which Prof Oshodin charged the students to be of good behaviour and shun acts that may terminate their studentship in the institution.

    “As people who are undergoing training to become responsible members of the society and for leadership positions, effort should be made to resort to dialogue and consultation rather than mass demonstration, which, at time, degenerates into violence. Therefore, do not allow yourself to be lured into any form of demonstration even when you are told that it is going to be peaceful,” the VC told the freshers.

    Some of the matriculating students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, expressed happiness after the oath ceremony. Joan Chukwudifo, 100-Level Theatre Arts, said: “I feel good because I am now a bonafide student of the University of Benin. I hope to give my best to achieve my academic goals.”

    Another fresher, Perpetual Okojie, who was admitted into the department of English and Literature, said she was on the campus to learn and not to play, adding that she hoped to graduate within the period stipulated for her course.

    Over 6,066 students were admitted but 5,915 were present at the matriculation ceremony.