About 119 villages in the nine autonomous communities in Nsukka town, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State have eradicated the Osu Caste system in their communities.
This comes after an unanimous decision of the monarchs, town unions and other traditional institutions in the communities in collaboration with a group, the Initiative for the Eradication of Traditional and Cultural Stigmatization in our Society (IFETACSIOS), to bring to end every harmful practices that had held the communities down.
Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, who spoke during an interdenominational prayer session and declarations of ‘Isu Oho’ by the chief priests and ‘Akpuraruas’ from the three quarters, which make up Nsukka town, held at Ugwuorie, condemned the reprehensive traditional practice.
The Bishop who quoted Galatians 3:28, explained that there was no need for discriminatory practices amongst people created by God.
Bishop Onah who was represented by Rev Fr. Eugene Odo said “this is the first of its kind in Nsukka cultural zone.”
“There cannot be development amidst strife and discrimination. The Osu caste system needs to be eradicated to enable all members of the society to contribute their quota in moving the communities forward because we cannot make progress when we discriminate against ourselves.”
Bishop Onah also appealed to other communities within the Nsukka cultural zone to emulate Nsukka town by initiating steps towards ending harmful cultural practices seen to be anti-people..
