Igbo traditional rulers, others seek an end to ‘Osu caste’ practice

The traditional rulers are Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe; the Traditional Ruler of Nnewi, Kenneth Orizu, both in Anambra, and Samuel Asadu, the Enugu State Chairman, Traditional Rulers Council.

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They made the call when the producer, directors and crew of the new Nollywood movie, “Properties of the Gods”, visited their palaces separately on Wednesday.

They described the practice as discriminatory and inconsistent with the equality of human beings. They said the visit was to seek their blessings ahead of the movie’s nationwide cinema premiere.

The movie – ‘Properties of the Gods’

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the movie, produced by renowned Nollywood actor Joseph Okechukwu, addresses the Osu caste practice and its effects on people in Igboland.

The movie is scheduled to premiere in cinemas nationwide on 4 September.

Receiving the team at his palace, Mr Achebe said ignorance was responsible for many superstitious beliefs and practices that had persisted despite advances in knowledge and civilisation.

He said all human beings were equal before God and that no individual or group had the right to regard another person as an underclass.

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“Ignorance drives superstition, which is anachronistic in the 21st century.

“All human beings are equal in the eyes of God, who created all of us. Whether you are black, yellow or white, tall or short, man or woman, we are all created in His own image,” he said.

The traditional ruler described the Osu caste system as a “disgrace” and urged communities where the practice still existed to abolish it, saying that “This discrimination must end forever”.

He said increased knowledge and education had helped society to overcome several superstitious beliefs, adding that the same approach should be applied to the Osu system.

More than legislation needed to end Osu caste – Achebe

Mr Achebe said legislation alone might not be sufficient to eradicate the practice, stressing the need for mass mobilisation and a change in people’s mindset.

He noted that Onitsha did not operate the Osu caste system in the conventional sense, explaining that the traditional institution had a different understanding of the term.

According to him, the abolition of discriminatory practices requires sustained advocacy and social acceptance.

‘Nnewi had abolished it’

Also speaking, Mr Orizu, who addressed the visitors through the Crown Prince of Nnewi, Obi Orizu, recalled the Nnewi traditional institution’s decision to abolish the Osu system.

He said the decision was driven by the question of why some people should continue to live in bondage and be denied freedom and opportunities to prosper.

“On his own initiative, and after consultations with the traditional authorities, he decided to abolish the system.

“The ban was significant because immediately after the pronouncement was made, he was put to the test,” Mr Orizu said.

Mr Orizu said the decision had continued to yield benefits and should serve as an example to other communities.

“We cannot say that our forefathers were enslaved and then turn around and enslave other people ourselves. That would be contradictory,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Samuel Asadu, endorsed the movie, describing it as a timely and welcome development.

A philanthropist and media personality, Emmanuel Oko, popularly known as Okwuluora Ndigbo, said the Osu issue was one of the factors hindering the progress and unity of Igbo people.

Mr Oko commended the filmmakers for using cinema as a tool to reshape people’s mindset and promote inclusion.

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“I am from Nkanu, where the practice is worse. People still tell me to avoid those they call Osu, yet some of the people helping me most in Enugu are those they call Osu. I still do not understand it,” he said.

He urged people, particularly in communities where the practice remained prevalent, to watch “Properties of the Gods” and support the campaign against discrimination.

Why we visited traditional rulers – Producer

Earlier, Mr Okechukwu, the movie’s producer, said the team visited the traditional rulers to seek their blessings ahead of the film’s release.

Mr Okechukwu said the movie was not produced to create conflict or attack anybody, but to advance the conversation on the need for Igbo people to embrace one another.

“Our mission is to advance the conversation to a point where our people can easily understand that the time has come for us to embrace one another rather than scatter one another,” he said.

He said the position expressed by the royal fathers demonstrated the need for other traditional rulers in the South-east to embrace inclusion.