CHAPTER ONE

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The term cultism is a way of life, an attitude, an idea that has become popular and also it can be said to be a small group of people who have extreme religion. The genesis of secret cult activities in Nigeria tertiary institution can be described as a nefarious one. In the beginning when cultism was introduced in early 1980’s they have motive of intellectual responsibility these group was harmless with good intention in some universities. It has recently grown into a monstrous element threatening to tear our campus. In recent time, campus has turned into an abattoir of some sort where gun toting miscreant’s hoodlums, mostly teenager’s bedded with identify crisis.

The first Nigeria cult group was formed and led by Wole Soyinka, Tunji, Tobi, Ralph opera, Aigmokluide and Olamuyiwa while they were students of the premier university (University of Ibadan) they founded the “National Association of sea Dog” (NAS) which was later change to pirate confraternity (PC) the entering into pirate confraternity was restricted to those who are serious in their academic pursuit and ready to defend their integrity and name on campus.

One of the objectives of this group is to fight against colonialism, ensure the dignity of man and rid of then Nigeria society of elitism of man and tribalism, the pirate confraternity began as an anti-colonial pressure group among the early youths, the pirate confraternity strictly mentioned disciples at “no friend no foe” their regalia was red while their symbol was a skull with two crossed bones with blood dropping.

When Wole Soyinka and the founding fathers graduated, the pirate confraternity where still roling, during the process of selecting the new leaders in the pirate leadership are tribally bias “BolagiCaew” aka Rica Richard and some twenty wives as a result of ethical bias in the leadership formed another group called “the buccaneers confraternity in the same university, college (University of Ibadan).

The pirate confraternity saw this as a challenge by the buccaneers confraternity. However, the struggle for supremacy started and now become completive when all effort to pirate confraternity become unreliable, the buccaneers started employing violent means to achieve their objectives which was the monopoly violence, the regalia of the buccaneer is yellow why the buccaneer confraternity became buccaneering association of Nigeria (BAN) it is also know as silurd assembly. The gods of the buccaneers is grand pa. These are some cult group that exist, Eiye confraternity (Air Good), NEO Black movement (Black Axe), Vikings, the Black Scorpion, Royal Queen, the Green Berets, Black Berets, Red Sea Horse, Red Devils, Red Rose, Blue Angels, Black.

In the polytechnic Ibadan in the afternoon at the roundabout of the north campus of the polytechnic Ibadan.At about 3: 11 pm. On the day of March 2002, suddenly there was a pandemonium from the opposite side-sound of gunshots also rented the air Jubril, students of business administration had just been handed down. Another studentsAjisafeIbraheem of the department of financial studies was also pursued and matched to death also in OlabisiOnabanjo University. The month of February 2002, the campus witnessed another as it cash. At exactly 12 noon some member of Eiye confraternity attacked the chairman of a pressure group on campus, anti-cult alliance movement (ACAM). He was sleeping when the assailments came. The orgy of cult violence was also exacted in the same month at the university when a 300 level medical students was abducted and killed, his head was later found three days after the atrocious murder in a nearby bush.

The term cult possessed a problem as to why Nigeria youths take delight in joining cult in institution hence the researcher will look to investigate the factors influencing cultism in primary, effect of cultism in the society and the effect of cultism on the individual.

The Oxford concise dictionary of sociology (2006) gives the sociological definition of cult as a small group or religious activities whose beliefs are typically secrete, esoteric and individualistic. Lexican Webster’s dictionary defines secret cult as a group of people who share a common cause and whose mode of meetings and agenda are unknown to the public and where initiation into rank and file is usually done in secret. Ogunbameru (2004) defined secret cult as any 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.

In summary, 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 member and none members alike.It is basic that only an responsible child will become the good leader tomorrow and not a cultist who will drag the name of his family into a mud. Hence the researcher came up with the idea of conducting a research on the factors influencing cultism in primary school in Odeda local government of OgunState.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There is no doubt that school of learning has now become a ground of cultism. Cultism has now grown it tentacle into the primary schools. Primary schools involving in cult group has pose problems on the education of students in primary schools and has great effect on the educational performance of students. Hence the researcher came up with the idea of conducting a research on the factors influencing cultism in primary schools and it’s effect on their academic performance n Odeda Local Government of Ogun State.

1.3       PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to examine the factors influencing cultism and its effects on academic performance of students in Odeda Local Government.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study attempt to find answers to the following research questions;

What are the causes of students involvement in cultism? What effect has cultism on the students academic performance? What forms of behaviours do the cultist manifest that effects the societies? What should be done to curb cultism in our primary schools?

1.5        SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is hoped that, the findings of this study will be of great importance to both educators and the students in general. The study will be of benefit to the educational administrators, policy maker and studentsin particular to identify the causes and effect, of cult activities on educational standard of primary schools in the country.

The study can also lead to other researchable variables with a view to find better solution to cultism, in our schools i.e. primary, primary and our higher institutions. If the findings and recommendations are utilized as supposed, it will create mush awareness among the parents educators and government functionaries to ameliorate problems of cultism in the country.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is limited to the factors influencing cultism in primary schools and it’s effect on academic performances of students. The work is also limited to some selected primary school in Odeda Local Government of Ogun State.

1.7       DEFINITION OF TERMS

From the oxford advance learners dictionary the following terms were briefly defined as it was stated in the body of the work.

Plauguing: (Torturing, Harassing, Tormenting and etc) it means an action done deberately for no good reason.

Exasperation: It means getting extremely annoyed or irritated of solution that one can do nothing to improve.

Incessantclosure: It means the process of closing an act of continuing without stopping.

Curb the menace: it means to limits threatening or action.

Canker worm: it means contemptible evil or dangerous influence that spreads and affects the human behaviours.

Cultism: It is a small group of people who have extreme religion.

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