Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, FCA, has called on stakeholders to adopt preventive measures against Cultism.
The Deputy Governor made the call on Monday in Asaba when he received on courtesy call members of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), led by their National Coordinator, Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi.
He stated that concerted efforts must be made by all relevant stakeholders to reduce the incidences of cult related activities in the state as several youths have been lured into joining cult groups thereby jeopardizing their future.
According to him, it will be better to prevent crime than to correct it.
“I am trying to see your activities in another light, instead of looking at from the corrective light; we are now going to look at it from the preventive point of view.
“First a lot of our citizens, once they have indulged in cultism or any other vices, it is very difficult to reverse, even when you arrest them, most of them find it difficult to come out of crime because their spirit is still there.
“So it is better to encourage them not to go into cultism or crime, if we are able to capture that and teach the children even from primary school, secondary on the danger of going into cultism, the danger of taking drugs, we are more likely going to succeed,” he said.
Sir Onyeme commended the leadership and members of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices for their efforts in carrying out campaigns against cultism.
The Deputy Governor who is the grand patron of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and other Vices, pledged the support of the state government to the group, saying that their activities would assist in redirecting youths into productive ventures.
He urged the Delta State Coordinator, Honourable Isioma Okonta not to rest on her oars by ensuring that the message gets to every part of the state and should meet regularly to appraise their efforts.
He noted that cultism and other vices should not be encouraged in the society as it had destroyed the lives of many people, adding that schools and parents should teach their children the dangers of cultism and other vices.
Onyeme called on youths to engage in productive ventures and shun acts that are inimical to their progress adding that the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration have youths empowerment programmes where they could learn skills to better their lives.
The National Coordinator,Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi, earlier in her address said the mandate was a preventive policing strategy rather than arrest and prosecution.
She said POCACOV had recorded success as several cultists s have renounced their membership of cult groups and dropped their weapons adding that the Inspector General of Police, IG Kayode Egbetokun had stressed the need for rehabilitation,reintegration and decriminalization repentant cultists.
CSP Okuwobi said POCACOV had provided the platform for cult members to retrace their steps and be fully reintegrated into the society so that they can be useful to themselves and the society.
She added that the visit was to brief the Deputy Governor,Sir Monday Onyeme who is a grand patron of the body of efforts made so far and their challenges.
