REHABILITATION OF EX-CULTISTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
Cultism and its attendant problems have assumed a threatening dimension in recent times in the Nigerian society. More disturbing is the fact that cultism cuts across all facets of the society, including the educational institutions in the country. The immediate consequence is that the Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and secondary schools have become centres of violence, instead of centres of learning that they were hitherto known for. Indeed, some scholars like Gimba Abubakar (2002) commenting on the deteriorating standards of tertiary education referred to cult activities in the universities as offering Bachelor of Science in violence and Master of Administration in cultism.
This situation prompted Eneji (1996) to have remarked that almost every passing day, there are new stories of devilish acts perpetuated by secret cults on campuses. He added further that from the universities to polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions of learning come stories of violence, torture and unwarranted intimidation executed by members of secret cults.
It is common place to see that most Nigerian newspapers and magazines have become bulletin boards for reporting the daily exploits of members of secret cults. In fact, tertiary institutions are now breeding ground for cultists operations. Within the framework of cultism, justice is replaced with Jungle Justice, peace by tales of horror, love by brutality. Intimidation, tortures and extortions abound and morality seems to have been driven into outright decadence. In the same way, academic excellence has been relegated to the background. Unfortunately, all efforts to tackle the social menace, cultism in Nigerian tertiary institutions, especially in Delta State have defied all solutions. The efforts of the Government and the managements of this citadel of learning are like putting off the fire without identifying the sources of the fire.
Cult clashes in Delta State tertiary institutions have often led to the destruction of lives and property, brutal rapes, maiming and kidnapping. They have been a major threat to the effective pursuit of academics in the institutions of higher learning in Delta State and beyond.
The ravaging problem posed by cultism brings to the fore the numerous social problems that characterize modern and traditional societies like ours and this culminate to efforts by sociologists and other related professionals coming up to proffer solutions to the unpleasant socio-cultural conditions which tend to have unpleasant consequences for humanity.
Taking a clue from the above analysis, cultism could be well described as a social menace due to its associated morally questionable conducts murder, prostitution, rape and sexual harassment, armed robbery, etc.
Cultism as manifested in secret cults is a set of practices, beliefs or ideas whose essence is known only to members and exclusively admired and dependent upon by many, even to the extent that members would want to lay down their lives. It is this doggedness of members that reinforces the importance of and awe of the group, especially among non-members.
