Major traditional rulers in the South-East have set December 28, 2018 to abolish the controversial Osucaste system in the region.
In the Igbo tradition, the Osu are said to be dedicated to deities (Alusi) while the Ohu are said to be slaves by birth.
According to a statement on Tuesday, the event marking the abolition of the Osu caste system in Igbo land would take place at the Nri Palace in Anambra State.
The statement quoted the Regent of the ancient Nri Kingdom, Prince Ikenna Onyesoh, as saying it would be “spiritually suicidal” for anyone to continue with the obnoxious Osu practice after it had been abolished.
He said, “Come December 28, 2018, more stringent spiritual implications will be pronounced from Ikpo Eze-Nri against such devaluation of mankind, after an extensive spiritual abrogation exercise.”
The statement also quoted the Eri traditional rulers as saying that they were set for the abolition.
“The whole world needs to witness what is about to happen in our land on December 28, 2018 because such a thing has never happened before.
“The last time in history anything close to this happened was 200 years ago. And mark my words, after these abolition and atonement exercises, anybody who continues to uphold these practices will have themselves to blame.
“It’s time to end these once and for all and unite our people for the new era. It’s time for our estranged brothers and sisters who were sold into slavery to return home. We are more than ready to atone for the sins of our forefathers and reunite with our kits and kins in America, Europe, the Islands, and beyond. It’s time,” the statement quoted the Chairman of Eri Dynasty Traditional Rulers Forum, Eze Nkeli Nzekwe Kelly, to have said.
