Emmanuel seeks partnership with church to end cultism in schoolIni

Billie, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel wants partnership with churches to fight cultism among youths in the state.

The governor, who decried the level of moral decadence among youths, noted that the trend of cultism in secondary schools could be checked with the support of the leadership of the church.

This follows the killing of an 18-year-old James Elija Adoke, an SS2 student of Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Aka Offot by an alleged cultist, one Samuel Effiong Archibong.

Archibong, an SS3 student was said to have stabbed Adoke to death, forcing the state government to close down the school.

Speaking on Sunday in Uyo during a courtesy visit on him by Pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Region 14, led by Pastor Idris Enoch, the governor said the preaching of God’s word, instilling godly morals and values in the youths would help stem the waves cultism.

Emmanuel frowned at persons recruiting youths into cultism, saying that most crime related activities in the state are connected to cult activities that have ravaged the secondary schools.

“I need the church to help me on this war against cultism if we don’t do something now. If we don’t arise to it now, it’s going to cause a problem.

“You can’t believe that this week an SS3 student used knife and stabbed an SS2 student because they are in rival cult groups in a secondary school, and how did he go to school with a knife used it to stab another student?“Unfortunately for us, we are running free and compulsory education, so these ones perpetuating nefarious activities don’t mine sewing a uniform as if they are joining secondary schools, actually they are on evangelism initiating other students.

“If you check every single problem and social vices I am having here stems out of cultism. If you arrest armed robbers, one hundred per cent of them are of different cult groups, get any of them they are attached to different cult groups.

“I often say if the indoctrination you are giving to these young men ends in violence, killings, in crime, in shedding of blood so you have to think that what you are doing is not right,” he stated.

Emmanuel appreciated the partnership between the leadership of the church and the state government, and welcomed Pastor Idris Enoch in charge of Region 14, to the state.In his response, Pastor Idris Enoch, commended Governor Emmanuel for the relative peace and security in the state, saying it is the bedrock of the development and achievements recorded by his administration.

“Since we came we have studied situation on ground and our record shows that since you became the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, there has been relative peace and security.

I want to thank God for your life; if there is anything a nation needs, the security of lives and property. This atmosphere explains some of the landmark development you are seeing on ground today in the state.

“We have also observed that very unusual and uncommonly, your administration has fully brought God into governance which has helped in security,” stated.