Does The Father Of Cultism In Nigeria Deserve A Nobel?
According to Alfred Nobel (1833 - 1896) last will and testament, his fortune should be used to create a series of prizes for those who confer the "greatest benefit on mankind""Cultism in Nigeria began as far back as 1952. It started out as fraternities, and they were confined within universities campuses with the motive of maintaining law and order on campuses. ... The Pyrates Confraternity was started by seven students among which was the popular Nigerian Nobel Laurette, Wole Soyinka.Following from above and based on historical facts, Professor Wole Soyinka formed the Pyrates Confaternity. A student cult group from whence the following campus cults like the , Aiye, Aye, Buckaneers, etc came to be. Today, the list is uncountable. In our campuses, even now in some secondary schools, and even in open streets, cultists rein with deaths, intimidation, avoidable fatalities that are too numerous to count. Infact as reported on Page 6 Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, "The menace of campus cultism obviating safe campus for learning and research in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions was operationalized with three groups of sub-constructs: extortion/hijack of valuable personal effects; cultists' physical assault/maiming; and cult ..."Infact, there are more than a dozen women campus cults, some of which are Abiona (2016) and Adoga (2017), Black Berets, Woman Brassier, Daughters of Jezebel, Pink Lady, The Amazons, White Angels, Lady of Rose, Sisterhood of Darkness, Golden Daughters, The Ten Wonderful Girls, White Ladies, The Royal Queens, Daughters of the Night, Viqueens, etc.With this phenomenal, our campuses became dangerous and a living hell especially for those who do not share these life style. The evil has not just become institionalized but have since crept into the public space, including government. What do you know, our is now a society where cults of different shades and configuration decide, albeit, forcefully and barbarically, what obtains.All thank, but NO Thanks to the erudite professor of literature. As late as few weeks back, TVC reported that the Ogun Institute of Technology Declares One-Week Break For Students over cult matters. In Abia, the Government says it has commenced an investigation into the death of a student of Abia State University (ABSU), who lost his life in a clash between rival cult groups. In Ogun, the state government recently lifted the curfew imposed on Sagamu town following deadly clashes between rival cult groups. This is contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, in Abeokuta.The stories are all over the place. Cultism has done more harm than good to Nigeria and Nigerians.As earlier indicated, the Nobel Prize is specifically meant for those who have contributed to the "b]greatest benefit on mankind"[/b]. If those ideals were and still form the fulcrum of awarding a Nobel Prize, I dare say that our "reverred" professor, Wole Soyinka does not merit that award, and perhaps the board of Nobel did not know about his antecedents. It is on record that responsible governments and institutions all around the world are pulling down statues and monuments erected in honor of some leaders, whose works and activities supported slavery, apartheid, discrimination, social injustice, cultism, etc. Some streets, roads, universities have been renamed to take out the names of these wickedness and ensure societal healing.Perhaps it is high time that the Board of the highly esteemed NOBEL PRIZE recuse and extricate themselves from the social-economics adversities and general destruction caused by campus and street cultism in Nigeria. All thanks to Professor Wole Soyinka.