Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has raised the alarm over cultism in the nation's educational sector, saying that it has become the most potent cause of insecurity in the institutions of learning in the country.
He added that it had elevated the challenge facing the average students to new and dangerous dimensions, noting that it has become worrisome and prevalent in the primary schools across the state.
Amosun stated this while addressing participants at the maiden edition of Ogun Education Summit tagged "Affordable Qualitative Education: Pursuit Of Excellence", held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
He said that reports reaching him indicated that cultism was now thriving in many primary schools in Ogun State, which some teachers were not left out of the mess, with some unscrupulous elements making diabolical incisions on the lips of pupils.
He said his administration had invested over N2billion in the provision of required textbooks and educational materials, such as exercise books, pens, pencils, mathematical sets and files which were freely distributed to students in the primary and secondary schools across the state, saying that he sees no reason why primary pupils would be joining secret cults.
He urged the parents, guardians to rise up to the challenges of nation building by intensifying their efforts in raising their children and enjoining them to desist from joining any secret cults in their various schools of learning.
"As a parent, we need to instill the right discipline and morals in our children, so that once they are well nurtured at home, it will have a ripple effect on the society, making it a better one to live in", Amosun said.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota said the summit would afford the state the opportunity to delve and deliberate on the success of the past years, review the outcome and also propose the next step beyond this present administration.
She said it would also granted the parents, guardians and stakeholder on educational sector to brainstorm on how to end cultism in the higher institution of learning which was also rampant in the primary schools across the state.
She said that Governor Amosun-led administration had over the past 6 years expended N60billion in the provision of free and qualitative education for the pupils across the state, enjoining the parents and guardians to make use of this opportunity in inculcating good habit and behavior on their children.
