By Francis Ewherido

So much has been written about the Osu caste system in Igbo land. Therefore, I ignored it for the past three years, recently when something in me snapped and made me do a u-turn. “The Osu caste system is an ancient practice in Igboland that discourages social interaction, and marriage with a group of persons called Osu (Igbo: outcast). Osus are dedicated to the deities (Alusi) of Igboland; they are considered as inferior beings and are usually separated from the Nwadiala or diala (Igbo: real born)” Wikipedia. After so many years, what has changed?

I spent fours in the mid-80s as an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; I never heard about it. I began to wonder whether what I heard before (that the Igbos still practice the Osu Caste System) was true. But I always felt the eerie conspiracy of silence. Sometime after graduation, I told a friend’s brother that my friend and his girlfriend were a perfect match. “Abomination,” he thundered. “My brother can never marry her.” I stood still initially shocked and confused and then it struck me. I decided to probe further whether what I suspected was the reason for the violent response.

When I asked my friend when they were getting married, he smiled wryly and said it would never happen and that it was just impossible. My years in Nsukka had taught me not to probe further, so I ended the conversation.

But over these years, I never stopped wondering. The girlfriend was good enough to have sex with, but not good enough for marriage due to reasons that predate her (Her teeth are on edge because of the soured grapes her forebears ate). It reminds me of something I read about some men in the Middle East. When they want to have sex with a prostitute, they spread a cloth on her body to avoid body contact and the resulting “contamination” or “defilement.” Meanwhile, their penis is in there, condom or no condom. Does a man swim without getting wet? This does not make common sense.

Some of these rejected stones have left Igbo land for other parts of the country—where they are not inhibited or judged by their heritage, but the content of their cranium—and have become cornerstones, providing 10s of jobs for all and sundry, including dialas. They even have dialas as drivers and cooks. Yet they are regarded as sub humans by their kith and kin, and cannot take their daughters as wives, they cannot take certain chieftaincy titles or break kolanuts at certain gatherings. This too does not make common sense.

The Igbos are courageous people. They fought a civil war because of perceived injustice and some Igbos have been agitating for a Sovereign State of Biafra, also because of perceived injustice. Yet they have been too cowardly to confront a worse injustice happening under their noses that predates the injustice they are crying about. This does not make common sense.

My years in Nsukka brought me very close to many Igbos and also helped me to appreciate the culture and the people, including speaking a bit of the language, but I have been unable to understand and appreciate this obnoxious culture. I can ignore the fact that the Nigerian constitution that guarantees our human rights, dignity and freedom of association has had very little impact in erasing the Osu Caste System; also the various United Nations declarations on human rights and dignity.

After all, the UN Headquarters is far away in New York. I can also ignore well educated Igbos with full subscription to this psychological cruelty and torture. But why has Christianity not had a reasonable dent on this tragedy and injustice? Beyond being a religion, Christianity is a dual personal relationship, built on love, first, between God and us, and second, between our fellow human beings and us. This too does not make common sense.

The Igbos are predominantly Christians (Orthodox and Pentecostals). They are in the majority in most churches all over Nigeria. During the annual migration, when they go home for Christmas, many churches outside Igbo land are empty.

The Bible clearly states that Jesus came to set the captives free and when the Son of Man sets you free, you are free indeed. St. Paul added that, “there are no more Jews or gentiles, slaves or freeborn” (Galatians 3:28). Don’t Igbo Christians read these portions of the Bible? How can they allow this open sore to fester? Is it a case of gargantuan religiosity and Lilliputian spirituality? This too does not make common sense. For me, the people who need this freedom more are the dialas (freeborn) who are crippled and blinded by primordial sentiments.

Where are the religious influencers: the priests, the bishops, the Catholic and Anglican Knights? Where are the general overseers and the presiding pastors? What are you telling your congregations? When are you going to start leading and living by example? The story was told of one religious influencer who declared that the Osu Caste system is dead in Igbo land. He was challenged to follow his words with action by allowing his children to marry from these God’s special creations.

That was how the matter died. Christians can wipe out this injustice from Igbo land, but as long as they play the ostrich, it will fester. It is not too late; Igbo Christians, starting with the leaders, must chest out (stand up and be counted) or return to paganism, the harbinger of this injustice. You cannot be lukewarm; you have to be hot or cold. Now this makes common sense

I did not marry one of these special creations because it was not God’s will, but my children read my column, so I am telling them and the whole world is my witness. When the time to get married comes and love takes you to Igbo land, the ungodly Osu Caste system will not form part of our due diligence.

If you marry from there and the people will not accept your children, my grandchildren, as equals, the children will shake the dust of that town from their feet; never to return until they accept that God created all of us equal. This too makes common sense. I am not Ben Bruce, but I am just trying to make common sense.