The Spread of Cultism in Tertiary Institution, the Causes, Effect and Solutions
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the causes of cultism in tertiary institution
- To examine the effect of cultism on academic performance of student
- To ascertain whether threat from peer group or outside world lead people into cultism
- To ascertain whether cultism empower people to go into criminal act
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
HISTORY OF CULTISM IN NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
Cultism in Nigeria dates back to precolonization when a group of people with the main aim of seeking protection from their ancestors conducted rituals. Secret cults have always existed in many parts of the country. The Ogboni secret cult is notable among the Yorubas, Ekpe secret cult among the Efiks, Ekine cult in the Delta region and Owegbe cult among the Edos (Adelola 1997). Almost everywhere in the world, different types of secret rituals groupings are manipulated in the articulation of organisation functions for a variety of social and political purposes. These societies differ in what is kept secret and what is made public. In some, membership is secret, but the rituals are not, while in some others, membership is made public but rituals are secret According to Opaluwah (2009), one positive thing about these societies is that they do not harm unless provoked and they could serve as an instrument for cleansing the society of any cultural debris. The author argued that some even serve as socialization groups that initiate men and women into adulthood as in Poro and Mende societies in Sierra Leone and the Oviaosese in Ogoniland. Today, cult groups in tertiary institutions are violent, maim, kill and carry out many anti-social activities on campuses. This calls for various efforts to outlaw them in the institutions. Nigerian educational institutions were not associated with secret cults until 1952 when Wole Soyinka (now Professor) and six others (Olumuyiwa Awe, Ralph Opara, Tunji Tubi, Daign Imokhuede, Pius Olegbe and Olu Agunloye) formed the Seadogs confraternity (a.k.a Pyrates). The ideas behind the formation of the confraternity were both patriotic and altruistic as it was not imagined as a secret cult. The main objectives of the seadogs as summarized by Orintusin (1990) were: to fight non-violently but intellectually and effectively against the imposition of foreign conventions; to revive the age of chivalry; and to find a lasting solution to the problems of tribalism and elitism. Today, there are about forty-five (45) secret cults in Nigerian institutions of learning and are all equipped with an elaborate hierarchy, insignia and distinct attire. Some of the most notable of these secret cults include the Black axe, Eiye confraternity, Vickings, Amazons, Buccaneer, Mafia, and Dragons. The female students are not left as they have their own groups among which are Temple of Eden, Frigrates, Barracudas, Daughters of Jezebel among others (Adewale 2005).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought the spread of cultism in tertiary institution, the causes, effect and solutions
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
]ntroduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
Question 1
Gender distribution of the respondents.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was on the spread of cultism in tertiary institution, the causes, effect and the solutions. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of the spread of cultism in tertiary institution, the causes, effect and the solutions
Summary
This study was on the spread of cultism in tertiary institution, the causes, effect and the solutions. Four objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the causes of cultism in tertiary institution, to examine the effect of cultism on academic performance of student, to ascertain whether threat from peer group or outside world lead people into cultism, to ascertain whether cultism empower people to go into criminal act. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 students of College of Education, Ekiadolor-Benin. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up final year students, year four students, year three students and year three student was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
It has been established in the course of this study that the problem of cultism, among others, is a symptom of society, which is embroiled in moral decadence and where institutionalized and personal violence has become a way of life. Realizing the havoc which cultism has wrecked on both members and non-members of the academic community, all hands must be on deck to combat the menace. Besides, if the tertiary institutions’ administration would come back to its glorious past as well as prepare the nation for the better days, there is the need to rediscover and teach the people concerned the goals of university education.
Recommendation
It is therefore imperative on the part of the stakeholders in the university education (the churches, the mosques, parents, school administrators and the society at large) to fuse effort to eradicate the menace before it destroys the whole educational system. Besides, government should be more aggressive in her quest to eradicate cultism in the tertiary institutions.
REFERENCES
- Adelola IOA 1997. Secret cults in Nigerian institutions of learning: A periscopal appraisal. In: OA Ogunbameru (Ed.): Reading on Campus Secret Cults. IleIfe: Obafemi Awolowo University Press Ltd., pp. 51-69.
- Adewale R 2005. Violence in the citadel: The menace of secret cults in the Nigerian universities. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 14(1): 79-98.
- Akinfolarin WA 2003. Combating cultism in Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning: The roles of the library, Educational Thought, 3(1): 297-304.
- Ajayi IA, Ayodele JB 2002. History and Development of Education. Ado-Ekiti: Petoa Educational Publishers.
- Akor A 1994. A malignant cult epidemic. Guardian on Sunday 20th March, pp. A8 – A9.
- Fasanmi JI 2006. Management of cultism in Nigerian institutions of higher learning. In: AA Owoseni, WB Ajayi, S Ajiboye, BO Omoyajowo (Eds.): A Book of Readings on Cultism and Its Attendant Effects on Nigerian Institutions of Higher Learning. A publication of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, pp. 115- 123.
- Ibeh AE 2005. The Psycho-sociological imperatives of cultism in Nigerian institutions of higher learning. Being a Paper presented at a Seminar on Cultism and Its Effects on Nigerian Institutions of Higher Learning. Nov. 23 and 24.
