The nature of cultism in tertiary institution and the fall in standard of education in the university of jos.

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Abstract

This study investigated the nature of cultism in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria and the fall in standard of education in the Universitof Jos Nigeria. Six research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. The study also reviewed related literature. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 10,249 academic and administrative staff in the University of Jos. A sample of 1,025 (485 academic and 540 administrative) staff were selected for the study. The proportionate stratified random sampling technique of balloting without replacement was used to select the respondents for the study. A 42-item four point rating scale structured questionnaire titled “Nature of cultism in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria and the fall in standard of education in the university of Jos” and an “Interview Schedule” was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by five experts, three in Educational Management, one in Measurement and Evaluation and one in Guidance and Counseling. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained through a trial survey and testing which yielded a Cronbach Alpha correlation co-efficient of 0.91 which was considered high enough and reliable to use for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while frequency, percentages and charts were used to test the responses from the interview schedule. Chi-square (χ2) test of goodness of-fit was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that cultism significantly influenced examination integrity, academic calendar, image of Tertiary institutions, loss of lives and properties, brain drain and discipline in  Tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It was recommended among others, that the management of various Tertiary institutions should endeavour to be consistent with their policies that would help to enhance conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning in the Tertiary institutions and minimize issues that may spur students to involving themselves in cult activities. The university management should work in corroboration with the efforts of law enforcement agencies in fishing out cultists among students. In addition, the university management should as much as possible be very strict on the policy of rustication or expulsion of students found guilty practising cult-related activities. 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

         1.1     Background to the Study

All over the world, Tertiary institutions have often been regarded as “citadels of learning”. They are regarded as institutions where students pursue and acquire intellectual, technological, character, moral and virtuous skills. As a result, Tertiary institutions in certifying their graduates, indicate that they have groomed them both in character and in learning.The main objective of the university is to provide high quality, comprehensive educational and training opportunities that are compatible to changing needs of the students.Through its academic programmes, the university prepares its students for the challenges of the 21st Century and empowers them to meet the task of a rapidly changing world. The university is dedicated to providing staff and students with the environment and infrastructure that help them develop potential for scholarship, creative work, professional realization and service. However, this tradition does not seem to stand the test of time any more in Nigeria as students in Tertiary institutions appear to have different agenda (Anadi, Egboka and Anierobi, 2011).

There are observable multiplicities of distractions such as cultism, fashion, watching pornographic films on the internet, prostitution among others that exist today in  Tertiary institutions that many students strive to pursue rather than academic excellence. In line with the above observation, Uzokwe (2008) states that some Tertiary institutions have become citadels for cultists, cheats, armed robbers and even prostitutes. To make matters worse, some students see these vices as a way of life in many Tertiary institutions. The situation seems to be terrible particularly in  Tertiary institutions in University of Jos Nigeria as students’ behaviours seem not to conform to the norms and values of the Tertiary institutions and the entire society as a whole. For instance, in July 10, 1999, two undergraduates of  university of Jos were shot dead early Sunday morning by gunmen suspected to be cult members.A University examination and record block was also burnt down to ashes to prevent the graduation of students because some cult members could not graduate because of poor performance in their examinations (Usman, 2015). Similarly, on the of 5th June, 2016,  University of Agriculture, Makurdi, was shut down indefinitely following cult activities which led to the death of four students and a security guard. These among others are evidence of different activities of cultism exhibit which contravene the rules and regulations of the Tertiary institutions. The Tertiary institutions which ought to be ideal place for the training of minds have become war zones where cult groups unleash their terror on the community (Mallium, 2007).

As maintained by Epkenyong (2010), in the early days of formal education in Nigeria, it was an honour and achievement for any young person to be offered admission into one of the few Tertiary institutions in the country; an occasion that everyone including their parents looked forward to. These were the glory days of Nigerian tertiary education. Today, things are much different. It is now common knowledge that studying at university or any other higher education institution in Nigeria is a nightmare. Today, cultism is one of the disciplinary problems which seem to be facing Tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Cultism is defined as any form of organisation whose activities are exclusively kept away from the knowledge of others (Ogunbameru, 2004). Such activities according to Ogunbameru are carried out at odd hours of the day and they often clash with the accepted norms and values of everyday life. Ogunbameru, further states that cult activities have been made illegal but the practices continue due to loopholes in the system. This makes it difficult for university authorities to prove allegations of membership in secret cults and the danger posed by returning cultists to campus after serving their punishment. Cults operate underground with members not using their real names. Government legislation seems to be ineffective in stamping the practice out of Tertiary institutions. This issue needs sustained attention by both government and individual institutions because it seems to impact negatively on the quality of the education offered.

Ogunade (2002) asserts that secret cults in Nigerian Tertiary institutions started as fraternities at the University of Ibadan in 1952 by Wole Soyinka and members of his group with the sole aim of maintaining law and order in the campuses. This is a role performed by secret societies in the adult communities. The cults at that time were in existence with the aim of addressing acts of injustice, victimization and other issues capable of disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of students and institutions. One of the ways by which they achieve their aims was through their various publications where they expose various vices in the campuses. According to Akpabio (2003), cultism started mainly as a lobby group of students in order to be heard by the university authorities concerning issues of their interest. Besides, one of the objectives of the groups was to inspire patriotic sentiments and to check the neo-colonialist mentality spreading among the nation’s educated class due to western education.

In 1952, the Pirates Confraternity (also known as Seadogs) was formed at the University of Ibadan as a protest student group (Adigwu (2009). Adigwu further observes that the students’ protests were against the attitude of stigma. The Pirate, being the first known social club in any Nigerian university saw their mode of dressing as typical example of colonial mentality and therefore adopted a motto “sworn enemies of convention” a position which portrayed them as a radical students’ group. The group also acted as a corrective organ of students’ union. In this regard, being disciplinary in nature, they fought against all forms of injustice perpetuated either by the University authority or by the student union government.

The history of the university of Ibadan, according to Adigwu (2009) shows that the bulk of the first class and second class upper honours students are usually found among these groups of students. Adigwu, claims that the first seven founders of Buccaneers were all PhD holders. Researches by Ogunade (2002) and Fajana (2006) showed that the Confraternity has about 24 PhD holders, 250 Masters Degree holders and about 790 First Degree holders with about 78 lawyers (Adigwu. 2009). In the opinions of Fajana (2006, p.18),

the incidence of secret cults activities in Tertiary institutions in Nigeria is that of 1997, at the University of Benin, the Secretary General of the Students Union was killed by cult members invited by the school authority when the students gathered to discuss on commercialization and rationalization of courses.   

 

As observed by Abdu (2003), the activities of secret cult groups create an atmosphere of indiscipline, deviance, lawlessness and insecurity of lives and properties in institutions of learning (Abdu, 2003). Abdu further observes that cultists use intimidation, terrorism, violence and blackmail to force lecturers to compromise standards by awarding marks or grades that they do not deserve. In the same vein, Eneji (2006) observes that almost every passing day, there are new stories of devilish acts perpetrated by secret cults on university campuses. In describing the situation of cultism Eneji (2006, p.79), asserts, “from the Tertiary institutions to the polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions and some secondary schools, come stories of violence, torture and unwarranted intimidation executed by members of secret cults”. Observation by the researcher reveals that many Nigerian newspapers and magazines have become “bulletin boards” for reporting the daily exploits of members of secret cults. Unfortunately, despite all efforts to tackle the problem, secret cult activities in  Tertiary institutions in particular seem to have defied all solutions which seem to negatively influence the effective management of  Tertiary institutions.

Amao-Kehinde (2003) observes that in the past few years, most Nigerian campuses have experienced series of bloody confrontations between rival secret cults and groups, leaving behind a trail of murr, rape, arson, assault, armed robbery, intimidation and extortion. The year 1997, according to Amao-Kehinde (2003) witnessed a wave of blood bath on campuses. It was the year when secret cults terrorized the academic communities to the extent that the Registrar of University of Calabar had to call on the  Government to grant principal officers in the nation’s Tertiary institutions permission to carry firearms for selfdefence. It was a year characterized by bloodbath all over the campuses, a year when children of highly placed persons in the society were implicated in cult activities and a year when it was discovered that this social menace had spread from tertiary institutions to secondary and primary schools (Ador, 2007).

Cultism as observed by the researcher in the University of Jos Nigeria could have negative consequences on the effective and efficient management of Tertiary institutions in the area. This can be observed from their activities which seem to influence the examination integrity of Tertiary institutions. Examination integrity entails the process whereby examinations are conducted by university authorities without any unlawful act or interference (Jimoh, 2009). Such examinations are conducted with moral soundness. As observed by Jimoh, cult-related activities of students tend to hamper effective conduct of examinations as the cultist are fond of causing distraction in an ongoing examinations which pave way for them to cheat or intimidate lecturers to have examination questions before conduct of examinations or meet them after examinations to pass them with good grades whether they like it or not.

Moreover, another area of concern expressed by educational stakeholders in the study area is the issue of academic calendar of the Tertiary institutions which seems to be disrupted by frequent cult clashes in the university. School calendar according to Oyemwinmina and Aibieyi (2015) is an official list of dates and deadlines found at the beginning of the undergraduate catalogue of public university which specifies the dates for semesters and terms, enrolment periods, examination periods, holidays, period’s classes are not in session. The academic calendar of the Tertiary institutions in Nigeria is always disrupted as a result of the affected campus peace whenever there is cult invasion. This is because during cult clashes, there is high tension created on campus which scares other students away from the school, thereby compelling the university authorities to close down the university till further notice.  This scenario seems to bring set back to the implementation of academic programmes of Tertiary institutions.

Another area speculated by teachers, school administrators, parents and members of the public in education sector in the study area is the likely influence of cult-related activities on security of human lives and properties in Tertiary institutions. Human security and properties is about assuring priority freedoms so that ‘people can exercise choices safely and freely’ and can be confident that their lives, the opportunities they have and their properties are protected (Human Development Report, 2004, p.23).  There seem to be expression of the feelings fear and social insecurity among lecturers, non-academic staff and students including university properties. Students and lecturers hardly hold lectures with full concentration of students and the lecturers because of anticipation of sudden cult invasion. This seems to negatively influence the stability of the university system.

There is also speculation in the area by the relevant stakeholders like the teachers, students and parents on the issue of frequent cult activities and clashes which seem to have dented the image of Tertiary institutions. Many parents/guardians have removed or transferred their children/wards from such Tertiary institutions to either state or private Tertiary institutions that are more peaceful and conducive as well as devoid of cult-activities. This appears to have seemingly influenced student population in the university. University properties such as buildings like classrooms, library, laboratory, staff offices, vice-chancellors’ office and other learning facilities have also been destroyed. Students and lecturers have been maimed, harassed and killed during cult-related activities as speculated by relevant educational stakeholders such as Vice-Chancellors, some academic and non-academic staff of the Tertiary institutions particularly in the University of Jos Nigeria. In confirmation of the above scenario, Orukpe (2008) maintains that cultism contaminates the university environment as well as causes destruction to university properties thereby resulting to unnecessary expenses on the management. In a similar vein, Opaluwa (2009) states that the gravity of the impact and consequences of intra and inter cult clashes in Tertiary institutions have resulted to destruction of university properties worth millions of naira.

Another area cult-activities seem to negatively influence university management is the area of brain drain. This is the mass exodus of highly trained and experienced academics from university with frequent issues of cult-invasion to other Tertiary institutions that are peaceful and conducive for teaching and learning (Ige, 2014). In most  Tertiary institutions in the Nigeria, cultists seem to invade the university, intimidate, molest, maim and kill students and lecturers. Such happenings seem to scare lecturers and make some of them agitate to leave for other peaceful Tertiary institutions or for other better government jobs. Teaching and learning activities also seem to be negatively influenced by cult-activities as there is mass killings and riot in the Tertiary institutions. There is the likelihood of increased disciplinary problems in the university such as stealing, fighting, gangsterism, rape, smoking, disobedience to university rules and regulations, vandalism, truancy among others where there are frequent cases of cult activities. Such developments seem to have been witnessed in many Tertiary institutions in the area of study. It is against this background that the researcher deemed it necessary to investigate the influence of cultism on the management of  Tertiary institutions in the University of Jos Nigeria with particular focus on examination integrity, academic calendar, security, image of the school, human lives and properties, brain drain and teaching and learning.

         1.2   Statement of the Problem

The activities of cultists on campuses are quite worrisome. They seem to have generated a daily public discussion on the menace of cult related activities in Tertiary institutions particularly the  Tertiary institutions in the University of Jos Nigeria. This seems to have bordered many stakeholders of university education in the area, especially staff and students of Tertiary institutions, parents, government and the community over the likely influence of cultism on the management of  Tertiary institutions. The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor T. Vincent in 1997 was quoted as saying that “Cultism worries”, while he was still in office. Cultism seems to pose a stigma to all Tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Never before, has there seems to be a high rate of examination malpractice, disruption of academic calendar, high level of insecurity, brain drain, loss of lives and property and increased indiscipline among students on campuses. There is hardly any academic session without reported cases of cultism in most  Tertiary institutions inNiigeria.

Personal observation by the researcher revealed that most  university in the study area seem to have experience the menace of cultism. Lives of promising young lecturers and students seem to have been cut short by the bloody hands of murderous gangs on campuses. This scenario can be related to the recent happenings in  university of Agriculture, Makurdi in March 2016 where three students were shot dead in the university campus by cult members. There was fear everywhere around the university community and the university was closed down for two weeks before it was reopened for normal academic activities.

Stakeholders of university education are therefore worried over the increased incidence and activities of cultism in the study area and their likely influence on the management of  Tertiary institutions in the areas of loss of human lives and properties, increase in examination malpractice, disruption of academic calendar, creation of social tension and insecurity, denting of school image, brain drain of teachers and the likelihood of increased disciplinary problems. Observation from relevant university stakeholders in the study area has revealed that examinations conducted in most  Tertiary institutions in the study area seem to be questionable because of the way cultists intimidate invigilators who allow them to cheat and pass their examinations. This situation seems to be the case in  Tertiary institutions in the study area.

The researcher observed that the influence of cultism on the management of  Tertiary institutions in the study area has not been well investigated by scholars in the study area. This motivated the researcher to investigate further into the influence of cultism on the management of  Tertiary institutions in the study area. The problem of this study stated in a question form therefore is: In what ways does cultism influence the management of  Tertiary institutions in the University of Jos Nigeria?

1.3      Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine the nature of cultism in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria and the fall in standard of education  in the University of Jos Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to:

  1. determine the influence of cultism on examination integrity in Tertiary institutions in Nigeria particularly the University of Jos Nigeria.
  2. ascertain the influence of cultism on academic calendar in Tertiary institutions.
  3. establish the influence of cultism on the image of Tertiary institutions.
  4. ascertain the influence of cultism on loss of human lives and properties in Tertiary institutions.
  5. determine the influence of cultism on brain drain in Tertiary institutions.
  6. ascertain the influence of cultism on discipline in Tertiary institutions.

         1.4    Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

  1. How does cultism influence examination integrity in Tertiary institutions in the Nigeria?
  2. What is the influence of cultism on academic calendar in Tertiary institutions?
  3. What is the influence of cultism on the image of Tertiary institutions?
  4. How does cultism influence loss of human lives and properties in

Tertiary institutions?

  1. What is the influence of cultism on brain drain in Tertiary institutions?
  2. What is the influence of cultism on discipline in Tertiary institutions?

1.5     Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance:

  1. Cultism has no significant influence on examination integrity in Tertiary institutions   in the University of Jos Nigeria.
  2. Cultism has no significant influence on academic calendar in Tertiary institutions.
  3. Cultism has no significant influence on the image of Tertiary institutions.
  4. Cultism has no significant influence on loss of human lives and properties in Tertiary institutions.
  5. Cultism has no significant influence on brain drain in Tertiary institutions.
  6. Cultism has no significant influence on discipline in Tertiary institutions.

         1.6    Significance of the Study

The findings of this study would be beneficial to educational stakeholders such as students, lecturers, parents, university administrators and government.

Theoretically, the theory of planned behaviour may help by informing university authorities that most students who join cultism are influenced by the attitude about the likelihood that their behaviour will have the expected outcome and the subjective evaluation of the risks and benefits of that outcome. Thus, university authorities would see the need to involve the services of guidance counsellors in assisting students to have positive thinking and attitude which would make them stay away from cultism and enhance effective and efficient management of Tertiary institutions.

It would also expose certain unknown negative implications of cultism especially to newly admitted students of various Tertiary institutions in Nigeria so that they could easily reverse their earlier decision before it becomes too late for them to do so. The findings of this study may also inject good values and practices into the minds of those students who might be supporting cultism on university campuses so that the issue of indiscipline among the students will be minimised and the school will enjoy a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning.

The findings of this study would help in providing information on the dangerous activities of cultists and its influence on the image of the Tertiary institutions which would spur the minds of lecturers in helping the university authorities in observing the behaviours of their students in lectures and fishing out those students suspected to be cultists so that the university authority would deal decisively with them. This would help to avoid brutality and breach of peace and creation of social tension and insecurity in the university campuses by such students. This would also go a long way in reducing the increase in cult activities and help to stabilise academic calendar of the university that is always disrupted as a result of cult violence on campus. The outcome of this study would also be an eye opener to parents as they would be reminded of their responsibility to ensure proper upbringing of their children and wards so as to save the lives of their children/ wards and their involvement in the destruction of university properties as a result of their cult-related activities which sometimes compel their parents to pay for the damaged properties.

The recommendations of this study may help to provide information to university administrators on the solutions to eradicating cultism on their university campuses. This would help in providing a conducive environment for the conduct of examinations devoid of malpractices. The result of this study may also create awareness in the minds of appropriate university authorities in the need to maintain an open door policy in dealing with matters concerning students. This would help to guarantee peace and security on campuses so that competent, experienced and professional teachers would be retained on their jobs in the Tertiary institutions and never think of leaving to other Tertiary institutions. The findings of this study would pass a message to the government on the negative implications of cultism on the students, the school and the society as a whole so that they would enact additional laws to the already existing ones as regard students who engage in cultism and violence in schools and outside the school. The laws would be monitored and implemented so that the issue of frequent tarnishing the image of university would be minimized.

Moreover, government and university authorities would benefit from the theory ofmaladaptive behaviour or self-limiting behavioural theory in the sense that they would be informed that sometimes students tend to choose behaviours that limit their success which is an inherent characteristics called maladaptive behaviour. This would compel government and university authorities to set up standing committees in the Tertiary institutions that would be looking into such issues and encourage students improve in their weakness. This may probably give them hope and confidence in themselves and retrogress their steps by involving in cultism to cover their weakness.

The university authorities would also see the need to eliminate the illogical thought of the students by frequently organizing talks with students to help them set more realistic goals, and use encouragement to help them develop positive feelings about their achievements. Doing this may enable students to make wise choices and stay away from misbehaviours like indulging in cultism. The results of this study would likely be of importance to students, teachers and school authorities and other people that would intend to carry out further research on a related topic and make better and improved recommendations that would help to curb this social malady that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our educational system.

         1.7     Scope of the Study

The study was limited to the nature of cultism in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria and the fall in standard of education in the University of Jos Nigeria. The variables of the contribution of cultism to the fall in the standard of education in the university of Jos in this study were; examination integrity, academic calendar, image of the university, loss of lives and properties, brain drain and discipline. The choice of these variables was based on assumption by the researcher that they are common management variables that the relevant stakeholders expressed their concern on their likely influence on the management of  Tertiary institutions. Academic and administrative staff of  Tertiary institutions were used as respondents for the study. The choice of these categories of respondents was based on the assumption that they were better informed and willing to give detail and accurate information on cult activities and how they influence the management of the  Tertiary institutions. The study covered all the  Tertiary institutions in the study area other than state, private or mission Tertiary institutions because of the assumption based on the speculation by the relevant stakeholders in the study area that the activities of cult-groups and practice seem more notorious and pronounced in  Tertiary institutions.

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