Patrick U. Akongwale|14 August 2017
Fans of the Harry Potter series would remember the stage when the wizard community stopped calling Lord Voldemort by any of his names out of fear; but, only by the phrase; ”He who must not be named”. That is the level Cultism have gotten to in the Southern Part of Nigeria, in fact, cultism is our own Boko Haram and one that has come to stay with us for eternity because we don’t want to call it the right name and admit the fact that it's an ongoing epidemic. Luckily for the North, Boko Haram has a name and is receiving some form of treatment even if it's not sufficient. Cultism is rarely discussed here, only ”Jew Men” does, but in a way all of us are Cultist and I commend the Cross River State Commissioner For Youths & Sport, Mr. Asu Okang for telling Adolescent inside the University of Calabar that ”Personally, He Sees Nothing Wrong With Cultism”.
The Commissioner should be celebrated for his boldness and uprightness; I apologized for condemning him on my Facebook wall some days ago. I was leaving in my regular fantasy world. The Commissioner is a realist and understands what sells in our society; watched the video and you will notice that the highest encore was reserved for the point when he made that statement; that is our society and what we value. Parents don’t have a problem that a serving Public Office holder walked into the University and told kids (Mostly Teenagers) that for him, Cultism is normal.
I stopped listening to anti-cult campaigns by politicians in 2003 after Donald Duke’s reelection -I was a teenager and was seeking knowledge like a man in a new Metropolis. Donald Duke & his PDP machinery went on a massive rigging, that involved ballot snatching, gun-running and maiming of anti-PDP agents. By the end of that elections, Donald Duke got reelected and Cross River State that was evenly divided between PDP & ANPP became homogenously PDP. Snatching of ballot papers in my village in Obanliku was carried out by cult boys I had seen in UNICAL, adults were beaten and our traditional structured died during that election. Why? When these guys were done, they move into our mountains to celebrate the outcome of the election, my community’s’ boys being very sensitive about their lands raided their camps and arrested some of them with guns and other weapons. They were handed over to the local police command, but retuned some days later because the political bigwigs that gave them the job simply asked them to tell the Police that they were celebrating Donald Duke’s Victory – that they are part of his fan club. After 2003, Peace was established in Cross River Politics because opposition died. The politicians didn’t really need cult boys again during general elections – their role was now limited to Party Primaries which on most occasion are settled internally via intricacies like zoning and manipulation of ad-hoc delegate elections. Most of the guys that coordinated Donald Duke’s rigging in 2003, have risen and now hold prominent position in our society. Their path to the top is being studied by youths across the state, a kid told me last year; ”Broz, I need belong or else I won’t make it in my desired field; Politics”.
Mr Asu has an alibi; the good old days when Campus Cultism started – but, Asu can’t escape here. Even the blind and deaf know that those golden years of Campus Confraternity died in the early 90’s; the military did their job well (Topic for another day). The Commissioner and his supporters may have joined Cult to make friends as he claimed, most of us felt that way as teenagers and quickly realized that we could have great buddies without sharing something sinister in common. Asu is a legacy of the political era when rigging and ballot snatching was the order of the day; when politicians needed a boy whose soul has been shredded – that can shoot a gun in his own village to disperse crowd and move ballot papers away even if his father and uncles are hanging around; they needed a boy that can assassinate their opponents; they needed a guy that can kidnap their opponent or his love ones. Asu, has observed the terrain and understands what is needed to get to the top. Asu and his likes are good students.
My worries are; is Asu aware of the numerous cult clashes in Calabar South; is he aware of the Chieftaincy Crisis in New Netim that is being escalated by rival cult groups; is he aware of the Ugep Cult Crisis that has dragged the revered Obol Lopon’s stool into the picture; is he aware of the crisis in Ikom(his backyard); is he aware of the cult inspired ticketing problem in Abakpa(Ogoja)? These crisis are mostly unresolved, in addition to the associated robberies that come with them as these guys rob soft target to bail their members picked by police from jail or treatment of injured gang members.
These stories show the level that Cultism has infiltrated our lives in Cross River; from Politics, to Education, to Traditional Stools and of recent; religious institutions. As a private citizen, I study this trend and understands that ”He who must not be name” must be condemned. But, the Number One Youth in Cross thinks otherwise. In his words, ”Personally, I See Nothing Wrong With Cultism”, meaning he sees nothing wrong with the events from Calabar South to Ogoja. For him and his supporters, this is normality and how a society should exist. Now, I am understanding why there have been a steady rise in crime since 2015, for most of us even if I have only a single vote; Senator Professor Ben Ayade must take a stand here, in sane climes Asu Okang is supposed to have resigned by now. Recalled that Asu Okang & other members of Ben Ayade’s cabinet took an anti-cult oath back when they came into office in 2015 – if this was not a play to the gallery; then, the Governor must fire the Commissioner! Because the Commissioner’s statement contradicts the supposedly position of Ben Ayade on Cultism.
Whether Asu Okang stays or go, I always thank him for the boldness he exhibited by exposing the links between our political class and criminals – something most of us only whisper in private conversations. Thanks Asu!
Patrick Unimagbebia Akongwale
Is a Social Commentator
