The NYSC Osun State Coordinator, Mrs. Winifred Shokpeka has implored relevant societal stakeholders to help put rehabilitative structures in place to reorient youths whose activities disrupt peace and development.
Shokpeka made this known during her remark at the Ede launch and summit of the Police Campaign Against Cultism And Other Vices (POCACOV) held at Western Sun Hotel and Event Centre, Ede, Osun State on Thursday 19th May.
The high-powered awareness event had in attendance the Timi of Ede Land, Oba Dr. Munirudeen Adesola Lawal; Hon. Bamidele Salam representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo federal constituencies; Chief Mrs. Modupe Adeleke-Sanni; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Taoheed Olawale represented by ACP Yahaya Hassan; the Commissioner of Education represented by Mr. Adekunle Osunnusi; amongst others.
Mrs Shokpeka affirmed her lifelong mission to be moulding youthful lives for societal development – a mission her position is helping to actualise. She thus urged participants and speakers alike at the well-attended event not to leave any stone unturned in actualizing a violence-free society.
“During orientation at our camp here in Ede, I make my corps members say self-love affirmations on a daily basis to assuage the pains of those whom life has dealt emotional trauma. This activity re-orients and gives them a sense of belonging as marshals of societal peace and development”, she said
While giving her kudos to POCACOV for the initiative in collaboration with a token donation, she urged everyone to be their brother’s keeper and keep the flag of good values flying across board.
“I make corps members pledge not to make anybody go to bed miserably on their account and believe you me, this has been working wonders. We have been able to ensure 100% peaceful co-existence whenever we hold our orientation camps despite the varying backgrounds and lifestyles of the corps members”, she said.
According to her, this mantra of not letting anyone feel bad due to one’s action or inaction should be actively imbibed by everyone as it would go a long way in making excesses and vices such as cultism and bullying a thing of the past.
While welcoming the teeming crowd, the Timi of Ede, Oba Dr. Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, appreciated the Nigerian Police Force for the wonderful initiative geared towards educating the youth on dangers of social vices and criminality.
He appreciated supporting organisations and encouraged more of such from foreign and home-based Ede indigenes. Earlier, the keynote lecturer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan (VC, Bowen University) represented by Dr. A. A. Aderibigbe, traced the history of today’s cultism activities to the days of Pirate Confraternity started by Prof. Wole Soyinka.
“The erstwhile Pirate Confraternity was recognized as an harmless pressure group at the time. Today’s blood-spilling and destructive confraternities have spiralled down due mainly to uncurbed societal ills”, he said.
For him, the spread and growth of cult membership can be attributed to several factors including corruption, poor institutional oversights, dearth of reward for academic excellence, loss of national values, teeming unemployment, immorality, and a host of others.
The way out, the academic said, is to double down on public awareness initiatives such as this, synergies between religious leaders and media houses, as well as putting buffing structures in place to care for the homeless and orphaned youths.
