Imo Communities Move for Abolition of Caste System in Igboland

Tony Icheku in Owerri

Two autonomous communities in Imo State,  Amurie Omanze and Oboro Amurie would on January 4, 2024 set the tone for abolition of the caste system in the South-east geo-political zone as it discards the decades-old practice which classifies some of the communities as second class citizens.

In a press statement, the traditional rulers  of Amurie Omanze and Oboro Amurie, respectively,   Eze Nnajiemere and  Eze Ahamefule Durugwoegebu IV  stated that on January 4, 2024, the caste systems of Osu, Ume, Ohu and Diala would cease to exist  in the two autonomous communities carved out from  old Amurie Omanze ancient community in Isu council of the State.

The caste system in Igboland came to international attention through Nigerian acclaimed novelist, Chinua Achebe, who depicted the practice in ‘No Longer at Ease’, one of his widely read trilogies.

The practice, significantly forbids inter-marriage between the Osu, Ohu, Ume and Diala caste and other members of the community (where it exists) described as freeborn.

In a related development, the human rights organisations,  Pillars of Hope Africa Initiative,  (POHAI), POHAI, G’naira Family Foundation (GFF) and Kemdi Chino Opera Foundation,  (KCOF) in their respective reactions applauded the action as a reward for long years of efforts to abolish  the caste systems in the South East communities where it exists.

The Executive Director of POHAI,  Chinyere Oge-Kalu, said that the abolishment of the caste systems in the two communities was a fruit of years of advocacy by the organisations.

She expressed confidence that more communities in Imo State and the entire Igbo land will soon abolish the reprehensible caste systems, which according to her dehumanises fellow compatriots as second class citizens or /outcasts

 Nnajiemere and  Durugwoegebu IV in their statements explained that the decision to end the caste system was made in agreement with  key community leaders.

He said these included village heads, kindred union chairmen, town union representatives, religious bodies,  clergy, and diaspora union representatives, all of whom appended  their consent to the abrogation document drawn up to draw the curtain on the obnoxious practice.

 Nnajiemere, while  acknowledging the  advocacy by various human rights organisations and community stakeholders, noted  that the formal abrogation would mark an important milestone in the community’s progress toward a  more inclusive and fair society.

“For the past three years, our community has been embroiled in unnecessary  conflicts and skirmishes over whether to abolish these discriminatory cultural practices. They are remnants of stone-age practices that are an affront to the 21st-century global social order,” lamented Eze Nnajiemere.

The royal father  added that an abolition committee, which was constituted three years ago, has been instrumental in driving the change which was arrived at after a comprehensive campaign involving individual and village-to-village consultations.

“For the past three years, our community has been embroiled in unnecessary  conflicts and skirmishes over whether to abolish these discriminatory cultural practices. They are remnants of stone-age practices that are an affront to the 21st-century global social order,”  Nnajiemere stressed.