5th November, 2019
By Benson Michael
The Lagos State Government has moved to halt cultism and other social vices in tertiary institutions across the state.
Officials of the Lagos State Office of Civic Engagement were at the Lagos State University, LASU on Tuesday on a sensitization programme on curbing social vices.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said there was need for all to address the issue of social vices in the State’s tertiary institutions with a view to jointly proffering solutions to the menace such vices constituted to the school and the society at large.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that our tertiary institutions have been bedeviled by cultism, drug abuse, rape, indecent dressing, and examination malpractices to mention just a few. Peer influence and pressure are excuses of students’ participation in these vices.
“Over the years, these vices particularly cultism, drug abuse and rape have been very rampant in our schools of higher learning, all sorts of acts that violate societal norms and values are being perpetrated brazenly. Safety of lives and property could no longer be guaranteed on the campuses as students engage in cult war, attacking and killing one another in the broad -day light, girls are being gang raped and drugs become a common phenomenon among students.
“These malaise is fast spreading to the larger society as we now witness cult-related killings in our communities. The resultant effect of these are the sorrow and anguish suffered by parents who may have lost their children, loss of valuable time as a result of school closure, development of mental related ailments due to drug abuse and disruption of economic and social activities in communities as cult related killings are now everywhere,” she said.
She said institutions of higher learning like any other world-wide were designed to prepare youths for positive contributions to the society in any capacity they might find themselves in the near future, but that what “we see today is in the breach of the societal expectations. Something must be done; and done urgently, if we will salvage our State and by extension this nation from this inglorious path. Hence, these attitudes will impact negatively on their future which they may end up regretting.”
According to her, the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was determined to halt the trend of cultism and reposition the state’s tertiary institutions to meet the desired standards.
Civil Rights and Institutional Reforms Advocate, Segun Awosanya during his presentation added that the students needed to have a focus, understand their virtues and be ready for a bigger future.