Ekiti students hold rally in support of anti-cultism law

Students of tertiary institutions in Ekiti State yesterday shut down Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while holding a rally in support of the state government’s anti-cultism law.

The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Ayodele Fayose on Monday, prescribes death sentence for students involved in cultism on campus.The governor had, in reaction to recent killing of two students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), sponsored a bill for death penalty to cultists in the state.

The students of EKSU, College of Education, Ikere, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti and Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, among others, staged the rally to identify with Fayose and declare their support for the law.

They had trooped out in their hundreds, carrying placards with several inscriptions that expressed their support for the enactment of the anti-cultism law.
About noon, they marched from the Fajuyi Park in Ado-Ekiti towards the Deputy Governor’s office chanting solidarity songs in praise of governor Fayose, while displaying their placards.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: We Commend Governor Fayose’s Anti-Cultism Law, Thanks For Saving Our lives, Cultism Is Evil, Let Us Stop It In Ekiti, and Governor Fayose, We Love You, among others.

National President, Federation of Ekiti State Students (FESS), Comrade Adewunmi Idowu, who spoke on behalf of the students and their leaders from the respective campus said: “We are here to commend the governor of Ekiti in combating terrorism by signing into law the anti-grazing bill and by signing into law the bill prescribing death penalty for student cultists.

“By taking this courageous step, the governor has saved the lives of millions of youths and students in Ekiti and we commend him for this. We also appreciate the Deputy Governor for identifying with us and for his fatherly care and we hope this kind gesture shall continue.”

Responding, the Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola, commended the students for their support for the laws passed by the government to safeguard lives and property in the state.

He noted that the anti-grazing law, which was initially condemned by some eminent Nigerians, was currently being adopted by some state governments and expressed the hope that the anti-cultism law would also enjoy the same support.

“We must not fold our arms and allow a few people to destroy lives and the peace in our campuses. This issue of cultism embraces a whole lot of other unwholesome evils, such as rape, intimidation and drug abuse and others,” he stated.