Reasons Why Cultism Thrives At The Center Of Excellence -By Kareem Itunu Azeez

The number third city worst to live in, in the world, after Dakar and Damascus, according to the 2018, global livability index, as released by the economist unit and world bank, of the cities fit to live in, there were so many bad reasons why Lagos have been adjudged to be among this horrendous statistics of livability, even amidst it’s robust economic resources and industrial investment far and wide.

It is globally known that security is part of the troubling issues faced even by the most advanced countries in the world, this article therefore is challenging and hoping to create the best possible solution to one of the disasters challenging Lagos, interms of safety of lives and properties, which is further streamlined, to cultism, rising at the center of excellence.

Lack of access to the social and basic amenities of life, is a known reason why many negative vices crop out of our country, the ever growing teenagers and youths are challenged to fight for survival, in the deadly midst of penury, But apart of the stifling economic growth, this Lagos youths are more than a willing tool, in the hands of self centered politicians, who are therefore used to hijack violently the necessary prevalence in the society, however, this only means there may never be a light at the tunnel anytime from now.
Cultism grows everyday, but there is a glimmer of hope, even though the high level of poverty will continuously employ more hands idle to the system, who are hungry, homeless, and desperately searching for territories and Willing to gain any form of power, of which political power seems the closest, as history seems to narrates. Here in one of Africa’s megacity. The glimmer of hope therefore is that, there are very much of good people much more than the handfuls of cultist, judging by the Lagos state population.

Delving into the major institutions in Lagos State, which used to harbour more and more, of this community, cultism has always been rooted to tertiary institutions, and although, till current time, they still have their threshold, but just that, reduction has hit their population, but their popularity lingers on, and this time to our streets and walks of life thereon…..
Some popular cultist stories where, the Badoo, the black axe, the black bra ladies, which even reminded me of a research carried out at the united kingdom, last year, about 30,000 ladies randomly screened, they were already in a group, this further span my narration to Nigeria, and even Lagos where the population is almost twice that of the united kingdom, and yet structure which aid social life, seems absent. What then shall the Lagos story be, if such research is been carried out?

As we condemned the negative impact of cultism in Lagos, let us not forget the attraction of this wicked act, for example, hunger has been the theme in your apartment at home, and there’s this neighbour whose aroma alwas floes through yout nostril, and who also automatically leaves his door open. The truth is, no matter how you scold your children they will always find a way to go play at the neighbors house. That is just the way cultism attract it’s prey, everyone born wants to feel important, they also want to be the center of attraction, so they desperately go where they are loved, and unfortunately they never return.

This able youths, talented university drop outs, the innocent and agile secondary school children, divert their energy into negative stuffs, this happens as a result of absence of recreation center’s, parents with no functional relationship with their wards or children, proper education system and teachers who understand the psycho-social factor of a child, definitely this children have every tendencies to look into places where they feel important, simply because, everyone born have the tendencies to be gregarious, this is even further flamed with the ever ballooning population in Lagos.

Considering the enabling environment we have in Lagos, it is true that the average earner, the low level incommers who occupies the ghetto and slums of Lagos, are usually those closest to this kind of tragic occurrences. And this unfortunately has traveled so very fast that it has become a mainstay in our tertiary institutions, across Nigeria and mostly Lagos.

The government in theory keep advising the youths against cultism, and even tertiary institutions with their signboards indicating “Say no to cultism” but in reality have they made provisions on how to eschew cultism.

The reason why people create some form of group, or the major reason why youths join cultism is that the proper support group, are absent, when I say support group i mean, Parents, Teachers, and even religious bodies, don’t have any help available, and then they proceed to where it is available however way or manner, and often time this youths don’t know the sad end it entails.

Lagos, Nigeria’s center of excellence, now posses various criminal gangs and violent perpetrators, youths dominating about, 51%, according to the demographic statistics of the later part of 2018, it is of critical essence that the state government do something very quickly, to avert the tragic narrative of cultism in Lagos, which has led to different gangs, who steals, rape, commit Various atrocities, due to the lack of enterprising structures.

It will be more, encouraging if the powerhouses quicky step into the frame, and change the game, away from their cabal crews, the politicians Should stop using of thugs to enhance their political ambitions, which I coin as selfish interest, this only motivates this helpless and hungry youths towards a demoralising journey where the state is headed. Lagos as the center of excellence, here signifies Nigeria, those who understand knows better.

Kareem Itunu Azeez is a campus journalist, he writes from Lagos State University,
ikareemazeez@yahoo.com