The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices(POCACOV) on Thursday, engaged school children numbering about one thousand, five hundred together with their teachers and school heads, covering Nsukka/Obollo educational zone.
According to a statement by the national coordinator of the programme, SP Ebere Amaraizu, “the forum was organized by a body known as Beyond School Walls Initiative with the Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) and featuring Police Campaign Against Cultism and other Vices (POCACOV).
The event which took place at the hall of St. Theresa College Nsukka, has the theme: Challenges facing 21st century teenagers as well as inspiring young minds.
Engaging the school children, SP Ebere Amaraizu, maintained that cultism is an envelope containing many vices and advise children/youth to always say no to cultism and other vices in order to become that champion.
He pointed out that lack of believing in oneself had led to getting involved into vices, hence he further advised youth to have positive minds and avoid cutting corners.
“Avoid bad companies and be bold to break the silence by reporting to either their guardians, parents, teachers about any body who want to coerce them into joining any unlawful group,” Amaraizu admonished.
He further informed the gathering that the Inspector General of Police is poised towards reducing the incidences of cultism, associated violence and other vices through community oriented policing tenets which has made the campaign community driven to galvanize stakeholders support across the country.
“The inspector General of police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu is interested in saving the Nigerian youths from claws of cultism and also getting those involved back to the society through POCACOV initiatives and POCACOV is now collaborating with National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) through its community development services to endure sustainability of the programme which is nationwide,” he added.
Many resource persons gave talks such as education and career choices, handling peer pressure, materialism and get rich quick syndrome, recognizing and reporting teenage related abuse.
POCACOV also used the platform to play its jingle and the newly composed anti-cultism song which is aimed further at deepening the message of POCACOV to the Nigerian youth.
