Tuesday 26, September 2023.
There has always been a common theme among people to term what they don’t know or understand to be evil and dangerous. They try to create a perception and come to a hasty generalization for which to back up their claims and believe. Leading to a wrong definition and understanding of the said event or action.
It does not come as a surprise when people describe what is strange to them with wrongful notions and qualifications.This is the best way to categorize the perception of Zikism and the case of Zikhall in the social enclaves of University of Ibadan. Although many Zikites understand what its stands for, there are still a few and mostly outsiders who have a different opinion on the subject matter.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall is a very peculiar hall of residence in the University of Ibadan. There is a saying that goes “when Zikhall sneezes the whole of University of Ibadan catches cold”. That is not to say that the hall is a disruptive hall, but rather to show the social and political influence of the hall in the university scene which has been evident in recent times.
What makes Zikhall stand out amongst other halls is the famed and renowned “Spirit of Zikism”. The Spirit of Zikism which entails oneness, togetherness and brotherhood is the basis and foundation on which the social and political structure of the hall is rooted.
To many outsiders looking in there seems to be a sense of mystery and obscure puzzle about the term Zikism and many feel the foundation of Zikism is based on cultism or sacred society. Many students see Zikism as a backward mantra that promotes actions of miscreant and misdemeanor against other students. One of the aspect of Zikism that has come under serious scrutiny is the ARO tradition which is seen as a vulgar tradition used to attack and assault students most especially the female gender.
The ARO is a traditional act of spontaneous interactive banter between students. It is the use of playful and good-humoured words among individuals or groups in a friendly manner. But in recent times the ARO has taken a turn for the worse as it has been used as a form of attack on personalities and assault on a person both male and female alike.
There has been an age-long movement to outlaw the practice in the school environment. and there have been major moves to that effect due to reports by affected students. Although there have been little to no official report on the incidents, there was a large crackdown on the practice in the Zikhall with students warned to desist from participating in ARO or face the consequences of their actions.
There is a popular saying that says “Omo ti ko n’iya, kii d’egbo eyin” which translates to a child without a mother does not have the luxury to nurse back wounds. This just shows that students should not embark on activities that might jeopardize their future in the school and future especially without a backbone.
This is a warning for most students who come into the University system looking to join and belong to different cults and fraternities. The urge to feel among and stride along has been the bane of the Nigerian youths society as they try to measure up to their peers and this creates enormous peer pressure that leads to them making wrong decisions.
In Zikhall the mantra Zikisim is not cultism is a notion that must be taken seriously, and there is a need to sensitize this among members of the hall who might think otherwise and to other students who might feel intimidated with such mantra. The aim and objective of the Zikism mantra has never changed, it is to create a sense of belonging and togetherness among student residents of the hall and not to create a sense of fraternity or cultism which might be thoughts eliciting from people outside the hall. So it comes as a welcome development when the hall embarked on a rally last week, during the 60th anniversary celebration, to sensitize the people about the Zikism mantra and its distinction from Cultism, like the signs boldly say ZIKISM IS NOT CULTISM.
