By Olamide Iwala

Education stakeholders have reiterated the need for all hands to be on deck towards curbing the menace of cultism which has bedeviled Nigerian schools for decades.

The stakeholders who spoke with The Hope during the week included Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Adebola, a sociologist; Dr (Mrs.) Omolara Fashina, a proprietress; and Mr Odun Ofere, a teacher.

Adebola traced cultism in schools to the loss of morals and values in the society, saying that in a bid to have a sense of belonging among their peers students go into cultism.

Adebola emphasised that in order to combat cultism, there should be constant media campaigns in schools against the menace, saying, “The only way out is to continue to talk about it; we can’t be quiet. I’m sure that we’ve not been quiet; the schools are talking, the media talk everytime. We will keep talking until we are able to give them the needed orientation.”

Ofere noted that some students join cults to feel more powerful and feared, especially if they have been bullied or they feel unsafe, adding that students believe cults can help them intimidate others, escape punishment or settle scores.

Ofere said that students who are lured into cults due to emotional weakness or peer pressure should be equipped with the confidence to say no, urging school owners to invite reformed cultists to schools to educate students on the need to flee cultism.

Fashina a Proprietress suggested that to curb cultism, spiritual and moral education must be emplaced, stressing that that the united efforts of schools, homes, communities and the government would be required to achieve that.