I'm laughing now, more than I did on your other post. Anyway, I don't know where you get your information from, but Osu and non-Osu do EVERYTHING together with (in most cases) the exception of marriage. And last I checked marriage is a family to family affair. So, if some family doesn't want to marry a suspected Osu, ke yi ke ole? If a family doesn't mind marrying Osu, then that's them. What of a family who only wants to have Osu inlaws? What will you do then? Cry discrimination against non-Osu? Nonsense. Again, there is nothing you can do about it. Hence, it is not your problem.

The truth is that our forefathers inadvertently (Dumb) sacrificed the MOST Healthy, Brilliant, Beautiful and Handsome young people to serve the gods in the shrines as Osu (you cant give a deformed item to the gods to avoid their wrath) That means Osus are among the best stocks from the Igbo specie?

ChinenyeN, I want to be proven wrong in my post with constructive argument not telling me its not my problem.
Sonya4all as a good Nigerian is only trying to help you guys out of your STEREOTYPIC upbringings (Pls open up your hearts).

Can I hear you say truthfully that what I have posted are lies. No you cant! I stand by the FACTs. (Nothing funny there)

Igbos can do better by allowing their youths to marry whoever the fall in love with whether Diala or Osu and families must stop deciding whom their children must marry. This is a new millenium, we are no longer in the dark ages whence our forefathers were sacrificing their best kids to the gods as Osu.

Any Igbo person in the house? Please contribute to this thread and save the future of your youths by helping them see themselves as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and not Diala or Osu.

THANKS

Guyman02:

The truth is that our forefathers inadvertently (Dumb) sacrificed the MOST Healthy, Brilliant, Beautiful and Handsome young people to serve the gods in the shrines as Osu (you cant give a deformed item to the gods to avoid their wrath) That means Osus are among the best stocks from the Igbo specie?

You seriously can neither qualify nor quantify that statement.

Guyman02:

ChinenyeN, I want to be proven wrong in my post with constructive argument not telling me its not my problem.
Sonya4all as a good Nigerian is only trying to help you guys out of your STEREOTYPIC upbringings (Pls open up your hearts).

Sonya need not concern his/herself with "Igbo" affairs.

Guyman02:

Can I hear you say truthfully that what I have posted are lies. No you cant! I stand by the FACTs. (Nothing funny there)

What you posted cannot be verified. There's no way to qualify the Osu as being the best and brightest, and most beautiful. There is also no way to qualify that they are suffering anything, because, as I have already stated, Osu and non-Osu doing EVERYTHING together. So relax. There's no need for the exclamation point.

Guyman02:

Igbos can do better by allowing their youths to marry whoever the fall in love with whether Diala or Osu and families must stop deciding whom their children must marry. This is a new millenium, we are no longer in the dark ages whence our forefathers were sacrificing their best kids to the gods as Osu.

Again, you can neither qualify or quantify this, and this is even more laughable because you're blowing the whole thing out of proportion even more. Since when did the families decide who their children must marry? Yes, marriage is a family to family affair, where we're from. So, the families are involved in the whole process, but (if you did not know before) it is the children who typically make the final decision (except for cases of arranged marriages). 

Guyman02:

Any Igbo person in the house? Please contribute to this thread and save the future of your youths by helping them see themselves as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and not Diala or Osu.

THANKS

Any knowledgeable person in the house would know that there's nothing that nothing can be done (and nothing needs to be done) because. . .  Surprise, Surprise. . .

1. You can't know who is and who isn't Osu, unless you're familiar with the different village communities, and/or the different families' histories. So, already, we can safely say that only a small (maybe insignificant) fraction of Igbo people actually know which families are and are not Osu, and that the larger Igbo populace has virtually no knowledge of people's Osu family history. Which leads into my next point. .  .

2. People constantly hang with them, dine with them, accept things from them, sleep with them, and even marry them (all of which are traditionally forbidden). So, I fail to see how they could be suffering, if they and non-Osu are engaging in ALL THINGS FORBIDDEN, and if non-Osu don't even know that they are Osu, in the first place.

Long story short, constantly discussing Osu shows that you're still hung up in the past. People have since moved on, if you haven't noticed. So, it isn't your problem, anymore (if it ever was, in the first place).

Go to 'Moment with Mo' website and watch that documentary again. Then you will know that Osu is still a problem in Igboland and your comments have shown that you still believe in it and would discourage your child (if you have any) from marrying an Osu?

In some places they dont go to the same market like in Eziama Orodo (meaning YOU DONT DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER, you lie!)

I know how embarassing it is to you as an Igbo person to have people discuss this kind of ugly issues about your people. But the truth must be told.

You said you eat with them, dine with them, you f*** with them but you cant marry them? Go to any Igbo villages where it is still being practiced and they will show you the houses of the Osus. (Its only when you come to big cities that you dont know who is who)

Every Igbo person can confirm all I have posted to be true. No lies in there. Sorry! Truth is bitter.


The guy who posted this below is an Igbo.
Posted by: indie22
I'm from anambra and don't know much about the osu caste thing, the first time I heard about it was when one of my dad's closest friends had a daughter that was dating an "osu" as they called him. He vehemently kicked against the relationship and swore to disown the girl if she went ahead and married the guy. What surprised me tho, is that this man is a staunch christian as well as a deacon in church. I felt it was hypocrisy in its highest form!


Help the future of your young Igbo generation by sowing love and respect for one another in them and not segregation in whatever form (Diala or Osu)

Sonya4all. Thanks for starting this discussion.

Something can be done, if we talk and tell the young ones to avoid superstitious beliefs. That if you marry an Osu or Diala calamity will befall you, you will become barren, go insane etc.

You seriously continue to make me laugh with these posts of yours. No lie. I don't know what it is, but I am really finding them funny. Anyway, you want to argue with me, yet, at the same time, confirm all that I've been saying? Wow. Well, if you're looking for some Igbo who will feel embarrassed, look in a different direction, because I have nothing to be embarrassed about. The Osu outcast practice does not exist in my culture.  Haha. . @ your attempt to assault my character. This just goes to show how much you don't know. So please, find something better to do instead of scrambling for a non-existent "solution" to a non-existent "problem". The Igbo here obviously know more about it than you do. So, if you really want to engage in discussion, come and seek education, instead of posting "facts". Haha. . gaa gaa la ognu. Abeg, relax. Na simple discussion we de hold fo hia.

And to add too, the Igbo don't have anything to be embarrassed about with this whole Osu thing. If a family doesn't want to marry Osu, then so be it. What will you do, charge them with crimes against humanity? haha. You seem to wrapped up in wanting to argue that you cannot see where you've complimented so many of the things that I've said. So, nnaa, as the Igbo say, were ya nwaayo. haha.

@chi,u r only exibiting ur some tricky igbo pranks,u know that this thing is still actively working,even more active in ur isiala ngwa,so stop tryin 2 confuse us,the fact that i dnt wanna be called igbo doesnt mean that i am not a naijirian!@the other positive posters,thanks for ur contributions,dnt waste ur time arguing with block headed clowns,rather use ur time 2 suggest ideas on how 2 tackle this problm,a man doesnt knw how painful it is 2 lose a lost one until it happens 2 him,dnt be distracted,tnks,

sonya4all:

@chi,u r only exibiting your some tricky igbo pranks,u know that this thing is still actively working[b],even more active in your isiala ngwa[/b],so stop tryin 2 confuse us,the fact that i dnt wanna be called igbo doesnt mean that i am not a naijirian!@the other positive posters,thanks for your contributions,dnt waste your time arguing with block headed clowns,rather use your time 2 suggest ideas on how 2 tackle this problm,a man doesnt knw how painful it is 2 lose a lost one until it happens 2 him,dnt be distracted,tnks,

Haha. . . now I know that this non-"Igbo" is uninformed. You all need to be seriously educated, but it doesn't seem as though that's what you've come here for. Instead, it looks like you all want to present "facts". This just gets funnier by the post. Abi non-"Igbo" are more conversant in the "Igbo" culture[s] than the "Igbo" themselves who live and breath them. haha. .

I actually woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, but this topic has changed things around for me. You all have really put a smile on my face. I am telling the honest truth. This topic is making my day.

ChinenyeN:

I'm laughing now, more than I did on your other post. Anyway, I don't know where you get your information from, but Osu and non-Osu do EVERYTHING together with (in most cases) the exception of marriage. And last I checked marriage is a family to family affair. So, if some family doesn't want to marry a suspected Osu, ke yi ke ole? If a family doesn't mind marrying Osu, then that's them. What of a family who only wants to have Osu inlaws? What will you do then? Cry discrimination against non-Osu? Nonsense. Again, there is nothing you can do about it. Hence, it is not your problem.

Chinenye, I am igbo too but I do not neccessarily agree with U that there is not such thing as Osu caste and that they are not being descriminated against even though I dont agree with the OP's allegations of them being oppressed.
I got to know about Osu caste and Diala caste after secondary sch, i remember reading a story about it in pastor Bimbo's(blessed memory) book, before the ring or so, cant remember well. The story was so touching i got curious, i started asking questions, i remember my mum rebuking me for bringing up such topic in the cityroom with visitors around. That was when I understood the gravity of such a tradition. . I remember my mum told me afterwards about it. . She said their great grand fathers were sacrificed as slaves to the gods and back then, it was a taboo to have anything to do with them, neither were U allowed to call them osu to their face. I know of a serious inter family squabbles that almost resulted in ppl's death just becoz a man accused another man of being from the lineage of Osu. . There was a meeting and the man denied it, he was told he was going to swear to prove his innocence or better still give evidence of his claims. The man later admitted,tendered an appology to the accused family and paid a very heavy fine. U wont know how serious the matter is, until U re set for marriage. . An uncle in Canada was paired up with this very pretty young woman in Nigeria by my dad, it got very serious that my Uncle came down to Nigeria with the intention of marriage. My Uncle met with the lady in our house and next was family introduction, i remember vividly, i was the one with the contract of buying all the demanded drinks(lol). Then suddenly, there was a rumour abt the possibility of the gal's family being osu caste. .Then a delegation of 3 elderly men were sent to make enquiry abt the gal's family, one said actually that they shared thesame boarder but he aint sure if the family is osu caste, the 2nd said they were while the 3rd said two ppl claimed they were not bot another person said they were. When these speculations got to my uncle who had already given out money for renting of hall, buying of wedding gown and so on, the whole plan was halted to an abrupt stop. . My Uncle gave silly excuses about her not being adaptable and all that, infact, it became the subject of a court case as my Uncle demanded for his money. We all didn't know his reasons until much later,till date the guy is still mad at my dad even though he is now married to a Tunisian with a daughter. . The gal too has moved on to marry a very wealthy yoruba guy who also is based abroad. .So it is very unrealistic for anyone to claim it is non existent. I remember once, I told my mum jokingly that if love takes me to yorubaland, calabar or even edo she wont stop me O! She was just lafin at my youthful banters but as soon as even osu i can marry. . O boy my mumsy's countenance changed o! She just retorted: ishi gba wa kwa gi . . Onuku come on shut up your mouth and go inside. . Mehn i was surprise by mum's action o!

Enyi, where did I say that there is no such thing as Osu caste and that they are not discriminated against?

And through your post, you have also complimented what I've been saying. We're in agreement then.

This OSU issue is seriously overflogged. The OSU caste system has fizzled out in most communities. The shrines/idols to whom the OSU people are supposed to be dedicated are no more in existence.

On the issue of marriage, families refuse to give their daughters to certain families for a wide variety of reasons which have nothing to do with being OSU or not.

i've said it earlier that the osu thing is unknown to most igbos until marriage enquiries.for those who may not know,the osu is non existent in ngwa where chinenyen comes from.even in entire southern abia ngwa-ndoki -asa area.it is more of an imo thing and mostly around owerri area.i'm from imo and only learnt of osu from a nigerian movie called taboo and internet.that ''moments with mo'' episode was exaggerated and stage managed.they are merely having a communal crisis.it is like the jos crisis which is just between fulanis and beroms but termed muslim vs christians.

@abagworo,u need 2 ask more question,cos wat i said was as a result of the findings made by my NGO,IT IS EVIDENT NOT ONLY IN IMO.Thanks

sonya4all:

@abagworo,u need 2 ask more question,cos wat i said was as a result of the findings made by my NGO,IT IS EVIDENT NOT ONLY IN IMO.Thanks

Okay, so your NGO is expert in the Igbo culture[s], abi? Please. Stop coming here to paste "facts", and listen to people like Qeenesthr, Abagworo, and I, who have tried to impart genuine information to you (something you seem to not want to receive). You're so focused on you and your NGO being more right that the Igbo themselves. . . as Queenesthr has stated, people [typically non-Igbo] have seriously overflogged the issue of Osu. They just want to keep living in the past, refusing to believe that the Igbo have since moved on.

Dear all,
I took time to study about the Osu thing and gathered info from many sources because of what happened to my best friend in 2005. (True Story)
While we were in the University, he dated a girl for four years. After our youth service he got a good job and told me he was getting married to his heartrob to start life as a responsible guy.
I accompanied him on his first introduction visit to Nnewi in Anambra State (no derogation meant) to formally declare his intention to her family. They accepted our drinks and requested to meet his parents and took details of his place of origin. Next he went with his parents to see the girls family and they fixed a date for the traditional 'Igbankwu' ceremony.
While we were all getting set for the marriage event, the girl told my friend that her family have decided that the event will no longer hold. In shock he travelled down to her village from Lagos to find out from her family why they took the decision. They did not open up to him on their reason and even refused him passing the night in their house. He told me he had to travel to Onitsha and took a night bus back to Lagos.

I intervened and asked the girl to tell me why she is agreeing with her family to call off the marriage plans, after much persuasion she confided in me that my friend is an Osu and that marrying him may bring calamity upon her family, she could become barren or insane and their children will also be Osu.

My friend was not only heart broken but felt Extremely HUMILIATED and was contemplating suicide. He stopped going to work and was crying everyday. I was so afraid of loosing him that I had to summon his mum to Lagos to stay by her son.

To cut short, my friend is happily married now and even blessed with a lovely kid and doing very well. I met his former girl recently and she has seriously aged and not yet married. She also told me that if she had known she would have defied her family then Osu or no Osu and married him as he remains the love of her life and her source of happiness. To worsen matter she told me a wealthy guy from her place came to marry her but one of her uncles scuttled it by telling the man she had slept with an Osu before and the family prevented her from marrying him, hearing that the man fled.

Pls the only way to eradicate this osu thing is by being frank and acknowledging its existence and the destruction it is bringing to many Igbo lives.

Pls I beg us all including ChinenyeN and Abagworo dont try to confuse the people by saying somebody is making you laugh. Be frank with yourselves there is nothing funny about this discussion. (its like Hitler denying the Holocaust and laughing about it)
it is because of your kind of denials and pretensions of its existence that osu has remained in Igboland.

Osu is Apartheid which has to be defeated like in South Africa.

This true story I told here happens everyday in Igboland.

You apparently don't seem to be getting it, Guyman02. Who is denying anything? Stop for a second, and reread the posts for comprehension. Stop trying to argue, and read what we've written. You are complimenting and confirming all the things that I've said thus far. For that reason, I won't repeat myself. All I will say though, is that it is NOT your problem. If you fail to see how it is not your problem (although I have already stated how), then ask, and I can gladly help put it into perspective for you. Other than that, stop pasting "facts", and stop trying to argue. Just read, and TRY to gain some understanding.

Too bad for your friend. Really. BUT, it is NOT your problem. IF you are really hell-bent on "making a difference", then I encourage you to, by all means, find an Osu and marry her. Instead of coming here to paste "facts" and complain about something that you seem to not really know anything about.

A king that refuses to take advice,will fetch water with a basket,@guy,thanks for the testimony,nigeria can only be great when we discover our weakness/failures and learn from their experiences.The osu thing 2 the igbos is like a broom,which u only remember when u want 2 sweep.@chi,i dnt have your time anymore,.

Guyman02:

Dear all,
I took time to study about the Osu thing and gathered info from many sources because of what happened to my best friend in 2005. (True Story)
While we were in the University, he dated a girl for four years. After our youth service he got a good job and told me he was getting married [/b]to his heartrob to start life as a responsible guy.
I accompanied him on his first [b]introduction visit to Nnewi in Anambra State (no derogation meant) to formally declare his intention to her family. They accepted our drinks and requested to meet his parents and took details of his place of origin. Next he went with his parents to see the girls family and they fixed a date for the traditional 'Igbankwu' ceremony.
While we were all getting set for the marriage event, the girl told my friend that her family have decided that the event will no longer hold. In shock he travelled down to her village from Lagos to find out from her family why they took the decision. They did not open up to him on their reason and even refused him passing the night in their house. He told me he had to travel to Onitsha and took a night bus back to Lagos.

I intervened and asked the girl to tell me why she is agreeing with her family to call off the marriage plans, after much persuasion she confided in me that my friend is an [b]Osu and that marrying [/b]him may bring calamity upon her family, she could become barren or insane and their children will also be Osu.

My friend was not only heart broken but felt Extremely HUMILIATED and was contemplating suicide. He stopped going to work and was crying everyday. I was so afraid of loosing him that I had to summon his mum to Lagos to stay by her son.

To cut short, my friend is happily married now and even blessed with a lovely kid and doing very well. I met his former girl recently and she has seriously aged and not yet married. She also told me that if she had known she would have defied her family then Osu or no Osu and married him as he remains the love of her life and her source of happiness. To worsen matter she told me a wealthy guy from her place came to marry her but one of her uncles scuttled it by telling the man she had slept with an Osu before and the family prevented her from marrying him, hearing that the man fled.

Pls the only way to eradicate this osu thing is by being frank and acknowledging its existence and the destruction it is bringing to many Igbo lives.

Pls I beg us all including ChinenyeN and Abagworo dont try to confuse the people by saying somebody is making you laugh. Be frank with yourselves there is nothing funny about this discussion. (its like Hitler denying the Holocaust and laughing about it)
it is because of your kind of denials and pretensions of its existence that osu has remained in Igboland.

Osu is Apartheid which has to be defeated like in South Africa.

This true story I told here happens everyday in Igboland.

compare with this

Abagworo:

i've said it earlier that the osu thing is unknown to most igbos until marriage enquiries.for those who may not know,the osu is non existent in ngwa where chinenyen comes from.even in entire southern abia ngwa-ndoki -asa area.it is more of an imo thing and mostly around owerri area.i'm from imo and only learnt of osu from a nigerian movie called taboo and internet.that ''moments with mo'' episode was exaggerated and stage managed.they are merely having a communal crisis.it is like the jos crisis which is just between fulanis and beroms but termed muslim vs christians.

Abagworo they don't seem to get that we're all essentially saying the same thing. They really seem too preoccupied with being more right than the Igbo, that they fail to see that we're complimenting each other.

Sonya, I'm not all too concerned with whether or not you have my time. You've proven yourself unwilling to listen to an "Igbo" speak on this "Igbo" issue. If anything it shows you're own denial of the genuine truth in what I and others have said.

@ Topic -- One other piece of information to add. . . Some [many, if not most] Osu have no idea that they are Osu in the first place (until marriage, as Abagworo stated, several times). That's how much of a non-problem this is. You're crying for integration of the outcasts, and yet those that you are crying it for are walking around, interacting with people, having no idea that they were outcasts in the first place. So simply stop trying to present "facts" and try to comprehend what is being explained.

I have done several studies after what happened to my friend and part of my findings I have illustrated in my posts if you will re-read them over again.

For those of you denying the tragedy of the osu thing in Igboland and hell bent on keeping the superstitious belief alive whether during marriage or otherwise and even calling their fellow human beings Outcasts! I pray that you one day face the humiliation of rejection and apartheid by virtue of your tribe, religion, creed or colour so that you can understand and feel the kind of pain that my best friend felt when he was labelled an osu by his fiancee and her family.

One way to eradicate this osu caste system is for every progressive minded Igbo person to do away with superstitious belief, if you are confronted with the problem get a prayerful and truthful religious leader to which denominaton your relations belong to tell them that God will not be happy with them for their actions agaist his children in the name of osu and the consequence.

Marry for love and not for Diala or osu or else you throw away your happiness in life. Judge people only by the contents of their character.

Jealousy against the flamboyant display of wealth and affluence by those considered as osu is also a problem. In Ezeama as shown in that documentary, you will observe that the transformer supplying power to the osu area was vandalised, this could be as a result of the richer osu group using their influence to get PHCN to supply them more power than the rest of the community and others felt it was better for all of them to be in darknes. If they refer to you as osu show the diala love by helping them to improve their economic wellbeing. Poverty and ignorance breeds contempt.

WE AND YOU ARE NOT COMPATIBLE (this is always the word used to tell a person he/she is an osu and cant marry their children) You will never see two compatible human beings on earth including husbands and wives. we only tolerate and respect each other in other to be able to live together.

Christians should be true Christians by faith and not just in name as practiced by most people in Igboland. Let Jesus Christ be your guide!

This are just a few suggestions, I know there are many more on how to help our people.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You still want to spend time arguing with yourself? Reread through and show me where it was stated that Osu does not exist. Go back and reread and show me where the existence of Osu has been denied. You're too busy pasting "facts" and "findings", blatantly ignoring what I and others have stated multiple times. You're too busy being more "right" to see how much we are in agreement. You're too busy in your own crusade, blinded by sentiment to see the genuine truth in what I and others have stated.

You obviously did not come here intending to have a real discussion. You came to recruit gullible people to aid in your nonsense crusade. Please carry your own commot. You can find your fellow crusaders on the Internet, through various search engines. Join them and help them in their non-quest in finding a non-answer to this non-problem. Enough with the presentation of your "facts" and "findings". When you're ready to pay attention to those with genuine knowledge, let me know. 'Til then, go and search for your fellow crusaders elsewhere.

Most igbos are pegans bearing christain names

Again with the "facts". It just doesn't get old for you guys, does it? (Rhetorical question. No need for more "facts".

ChinenyeN:

The Osu outcast practice does not exist in my culture (Igbo culture). Haha. . @ your attempt to assault my character. This just goes to show how much you don't know. So please, find something better to do instead of scrambling for a non-existent "solution" to a non-existent "problem". .

ChinenyeN and others,
I repeat     'For those of you denying or pretending about the tragedy of the osu thing in Igboland and hell bent on keeping the superstitious belief alive whether during marriage or otherwise and even calling their fellow human beings Outcasts! I pray that you one day face the humiliation of rejection and apartheid by virtue of your tribe, religion, creed or colour so that you can understand and feel the kind of pain that my best friend felt when he was labelled an osu by his fiancee and her family and also pass through the same humiliation many Igbos labelled osu are facing in their communities today.'

Its only when we admit to an ailment that solution can be sought. Yes you can call me a crusader against any form of stigma.
If you are Igbo please dont give up hope, the battle against osu stigmatisation shall be won through the Gospel of Jesus Christ who drank water from the well of the Samaritan woman (John 4:4-42). Its well!

You're becoming funny again (seriously. This is not a joke, I'm really finding this funny). You're making me laugh, with your attempt to define my own culture for me (talking about where you put "Igbo culture" in parenthesis). It really goes to show how much you DON'T know, as well as how you really aren't reading for comprehension. . .

Anyway, I don't have to explain that post, because Abagworo already did the honors. If you had actually been reading for understanding, then you would have been able to connect the dots between my post and Abagworo's. As it turns out though, you weren't able to do something as simple as connecting my dots, thereby raising my suspicions all the more (my suspicion -- you're not here to discuss and gain insight). So, let me say it again, go and find your fellow, uninformed crusaders elsewhere.

Lol @ defining my own culture for me. As if you actually have insight. . .  Nnaa, you're really failing here.

Imagine him, 'defining my culture for me',u talk as if u are the C.E.O of Igbo nigeria ltd,scumbag,@abotean,i and other sons of ika are proud of u,just like in other threads about the ika issue,i have tried but if fell on most block headed igbos chaird by andre. They are trying 2 make matters long.And u knw silence is the best answer to a fool,as to no matter what we say here can change their perceptiom,and for those saying that ika has no oil,i wuld like 2 let u knw that my village umunede is blessed with crude oil,my grand mother and my mother said that it sprang up in their farm and til date dat land is unproductive,also in owa,few years ago oil was discoverd there,so i see no reason why u have 2 keep say that the igbons hav nothing 2 gain fro claiming ika,we knw wat u want,u want to add delta,rivers,edo cros river to ur day dreaming biafra so as to be knwn as a small oil rich nation,any way keep dreaming,ika is not and wil never be igbon(slaves),i had all my education in the east and even wrote igbo in my waec and had a pass,i hav many igbo guys,but dat doesnt make me igbo,talking about ohaneze ndigbo havin people frm ika joining them,i tell that it is a lie,here in aba,we have a meeting for ikas called otu ika,another is O.N.I.A(oshimili,ndokwa,ika and aniocha)meetings,in ph,we have u.p.u.(umunede progresive union)all these stil exist abroad.So ur claims are baseless,i can never be an igbon,IKA FOR EVER.Thanks.@other ika guys i have a thread created at the culture section we can meet there.Nwe ebon.Ika rii nma! Ori ni enyile

Okay, so now we're name-calling? How mature. It's still funny how he wants to define my own culture for me. His flat, blanket label shows how much he doesn't know, and you showing your support for his statement equally shows how uninformed you are. Stop name-calling. It isn't helping your position in this discussion.

And how did Ika get drawn into this. . ?

@Chinenye
I am yet to understand the basis of Ur arguement, I understand, that some ppl esp the non-igbo come on here just to have a field day bashing everything that is igbo. However, i fail to see what it is, U keep saying that tallies with my own opinion of the topic. Are U saying the Osu caste doesn't exist or it does but it is not a problem that needs the attention we give it? I mean, am confused at Ur stance on this issue, is it just me that thinks U re in denial here. Osu caste is still a big issue in igbo land and please dont tell me U or Abagworo believe it is only in imo state or sth like that. . I remember my elder sister saying she read it somewhere that a particular community in Anambra state had outlawed it, that alone tells U it is an issue there too. Although, I agree with U guyz that igbo families can reject marriages to their childrien for very many reasons osu being inclusive and is sacrosanct too, that is a fact. So please Nwa nne, let me know Ur real stance on this issue so i can at least appreciate the basis of Ur arguement and where U are coming from.

Rhymz, regarding the "Osu does not exist" topic. . . yes, I said that, but I was speaking in regards to my culture, in specific (Ngwa). Abagworo, even went ahead to explain that. Guyman only took that post completely out of context. Of course Osu exists. No one here has denied it. What we're getting across is that it is mainly an Imo state, cultural thing (I don't think all Imo state groups have that practice though. . mainly just Owere and close-surrounding groups, to the best of my knowledge).

In regards to my stance as to whether or not it is a problem. . . no. I don't believe it is, and here's why (although I already explained that, but because you actually seem interested in understanding, instead of arguing, I'll explain it again).

1. As Abagworo mentioned, which is very true by the way, in this day and age, the issue of Osu us UNKOWN to most Igbo until marriage (this also includes the Osu descendants). So, both Osu and non-Osu don't even know that such a system exists until it is time to marry, or they witness a marriage. This leads into my next reason.

2. Knowing full well, that most Igbo don't even know that such system exists, it is also safe to say that many more Igbo [many more than most Igbo] would never even be able to tell you who is and who isn't Osu, because there is no "Osu Identification". There's no way to know who is and who isn't Osu, unless you know the villages of which the person comes from. Which leads to my next reason.

3. Very, very, very few Igbo (basically, an insignificant number of Igbo) actually know which families are and are not Osu, and those very, very, very few people who know, are decreasing in number. The youth have NO IDEA whatsoever. Leading me to my next reason.

4. Osu and non-Osu INTERACT, without a doubt. Virtually no one, outside of the village elders, or people who are really familiar with village affairs, can tell you who is and who isn't Osu, because they don't know who is and who isn't. Tying this back` to #1. They (even Osu) don't even know that such a system exists. So Osu and non-Osu really do everything together. In the past, contact with Osu was forbidden. One could not accept anything from them, or do anything with them. Now, people eat with, sleep with, dine with, sell to, buy from, and do many more things with Osu. Osu and non-Osu do all things forbidden. Leading to my next reason. . .

5. The actual "oppression" that uninformed people such as Guyman and Sonya are suggesting, simply doesn't occur, unless there are some remote villages who have the system heavily institutionalized and enforced, which, 'til date, I have yet to hear of. Outside of those supposed remote villages though, no such "oppression" exists, because of reason #1, 2, 3 & 4. Leading to my next reason. . .

6. Considering all the above, we can see that the Osu are well-integrated into Igbo society. The thing that uninformed people such as Guyman and Sonya are pushing for has already happened, and has already been happening. Guyman and Sonya base their knowledge off of staged documentaries, refusing to listen to what we Igbo have to say on this Igbo issue. Consequently, they over-flog, and blow the issue out of proportion.

7. As you pointed out, "families can reject marriage to their children for very many reasons, osu being inclusive". It is their right to do such. No one can tell them otherwise. That's why I keep telling Guyman that it really is not his problem.

So, in general, I really don't see a problem at all. Marriage is the only time when the Osu system becomes known to people, and considering how the families have a right to make their decisions in the marriage process, there is really nothing anyone can do. It is no one's problem, except the families in question. So, really, there is no Osu "problem", the way people (such as Guyman and Sonya) are seeing it. The Igbo have since moved on. Those who think that there really is a "problem" are actually still living in the past, denying that integration exists.

I hope I was able to clear things up for you Rhymz, and I'm actually glad you're coming here to show an interest in actually gaining some understanding and perspective. It make me more willing to put forth an effort in discussing and explaining.

All these rubish u just blabbed couldve been summarized into 1,and save ur strenght ,because u were repeating the same thing,Mr fact,@all am sorry the inclusion of the ika stuf i was writing about wasnt meant for this topic,it was a mistake@chi,take note

sonya4all:

All these rubish u just blabbed couldve been summarized into 1,and save your strenght ,because u were repeating the same thing,Mr fact,@all am sorry the inclusion of the ika stuf i was writing about wasnt meant for this topic,it was a mistake@chi,take note

  Okay, so you understood what I've been saying all this time, and you know that I've been repeating myself in this discussion, eehn? And you still wanted to spend all that time trying to argue with Abagworo and I  . . . *shaking head*
@ "Mr. Fact". . . I see we're still name-calling. . . how mature.

THE Igbos are found mostly in the South Eastern and South Central Nigeria called Igboland or Igbo society (Alaigbo or Anaigbo). By the late 20th Century the population of the Igbos was about 27 million. The majority of the Igbos are Christians, but some of them practice the indigenous traditional religion, whose major tenets are shared by all Igbo-speaking people of Nigeria . However, a relic of the indigenous religious practice of the Igbos is the dehumanizing Osu caste system, which has divided and alienated the Igbos. Therefore, this paper discusses the Osu caste system, an indigenous religious belief system, practiced within the Igbo nation, with the purpose of bringing the discriminatory, dehumanizing and obnoxious caste system to the attention of the international community. This is because whenever issues of discriminatory practices around the world are tabled for discussion in the international community, the repugnant and discriminatory Osu caste system is never mentioned. The Osu, by definition, is a people sacrificed to the gods in Igbo community. And they assist the high priest of the traditional religion to serve the deities or the gods in their shrine. It is the belief of many Igbo traditionalists that the deities, which were (and are still) perceived in some quarters as being very powerful, would wreck havoc in the society, if they are not appeased. In some special circumstances, those who hold the traditional beliefs of the Igbos could transform a Diala who committed certain atrocities against the land into an Osu. This process involved intricate rituals (offering of libations and sacrificing animals to the earth goddess). Some of the ancestors of the present-day Osu people inherited their dehumanizing social status this way. That method is now a thing of the old; Western influence has affected this practice. Presently, one could acquire the Osu status through inheritance and marriage. For this author, the Osu caste system is a societal institution borne out of a primitive traditional belief system colored by superstition and propagated by ignorance. It is absurd to categorize a human as a sub-human being. Although this author is not a member of the group, he condemns the practice of the Osu caste system because it is a human rights aberration. The Osu caste system, which is a form of discrimination, has caused inter-communal discords and wars between the Osu and the Diala in Igboland. And many lives and properties have been destroyed as a result. According to the United Nations definition, discrimination includes any conduct based on a distinction made on grounds of natural or social categories, which have no relation either to individual capacities or merits, or to the concrete behavior of the individual person. The discriminatory Osu practices involves inequality in freedom of movement and choice of residence, inequality in the right of peaceful association, inequality in the enjoyment of the right to marry and establish a family, (and) inequality in access to public office. That is the crux of the matter with the Osu caste system in Igboland. If one may ask, could a right exist if it is not regularly enforced? To put it differently, can a right exist without a specific legislation that provides for its protection and remedies if violated? Oddly enough, the victims of the Osu system do not have any legal recourse in Igboland. And strangely, some people believe that the humiliating Osu caste system is a part of the Igbo culture nobody should temper with. Fortunately, many Igbos have a contrary opinion. The Osu caste system and the indigenous religious practices of the Igbo nation. All human beings are created equal, but human experiences are heterogeneous. Some people have had it rough all their lives on earth, while others do not have a lot to complain about. Naturally, life has the same meaning for everyone, but the Osu caste system in Igboland seems to have changed the meaning of life for a group of people branded Osu. No historical question gives the Igbos more concern than that of, “ How did the Osu caste system come to be in Igboland?” This section of the paper attempts to deal with the question. There are many versions of oral information on the origins of the Osu caste system. In the absence of documented information, oral sources are central to the study of history in Igboland and other parts of Nigeria . There is a paucity of written information on the issue of the Osu caste system. This is apparently because many people shy away from discussing the issue for fear of being branded Osu lovers. However, available little documented information show that the Osu caste system started out of the indigenous religious practices of the Igbos. And the belief was that these gods could be manipulated in order to protect them and serve their interest. An individual’s fortunes are determined by the by-product of interactions that exist between one ’s “chi”, the deities and the Creator or “Chineke”. Humans interact directly with deities, which function as intermediaries to the Supreme Spirit or Creator. Being in good terms with powerful deities in one ’s domain is an assurance that one is likely to obtain the largesse of creation while, at same time, minimize the wrath of the forces of nature. It is an individual ’s obligation to observe the customs of the land since their violation could offend the deities; and goodwill and protection from the deities depends on one ’s cordial relationship with them.