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Osu Caste System and Human Rights in Igboland, 1900-2017

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Osu Caste System and Human Rights in Igboland, 1900-2017 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjss.v20i1.7 GLOBAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES VOL 20, 2021: 69-76 COPYRIGHT© BACHUDO SCIENCE CO. LTD PRINTED IN NIGERIA. ISSN 1596-6216 69 www.globaljournalseries.com; [email protected] OSU CASTE SYSTEM AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN IGBOLAND, 1900-2017 O. T. ABIA, NNEKA SOPHIE AMALU AND CHRISANTUS K. ARICHE (Received 5 February 2021, Revision Accepted 12 April 2021) ABSTRACT Discrimination and caste systems are rife in every society. In Igboland, the Osu caste system is a form of discriminatory practise where the Igbo society is divided into the Diala and Osu. The problem is that this divide comes with human rights restrictions and violations on the part of the Osu which go unreported and unaddressed at both national and international discourses. Literature on the Osu caste system has majorly focused on various aspects with little attention paid to the human rights dimension of the Osu caste system. Thus, this paper seeks to examine the Osu caste system within the human rights prism. The natural rights theory of John Locke is used as framework of analysis. Findings reveal that the people call Osu face all forms of discrimination and violations of their fundamental human rights. Education and psychological counselling, among other factors were recommended in order to eliminate the caste system. Also, religious bodies as well as the social media can play a vital role in the campaign against the Osu caste system. KEYWORDS: Osu caste system, Diala, Human rights, Discrimination, UDHR INTRODUCTION system is one of such problem made by man and is the second system of social stratification in In human history, every age and people have which status is determined by birth, marriage is their own problems, either natural (earthquakes, restricted to member of one‟s own caste and is flood, etcetera.) or man-made. In every society, lifelong (Henslin, 2005, Ember et al., 2005). social stratification, discrimination, prejudice and Amongst the Igbo of South-east zone of Nigeria injustices do exist and may differ from one (Amalu, 2018, p.107), there is the caste system – society to the other. It can take several forms, be the Osu caste system. It is perhaps among the it economic, social, religious and even political. It world's longest surviving status discrimination as exists among individuals, ethnic groups and that of the Indian caste system; and it is believed nations. While one group claims superiority over to be as old as Igboland itself, or as “old as the another, some nations claim superiority over killing of twin babies, the killing of innocent another and it is called different names by children for developing first the upper incisor different cultures in different societies. The caste (teeth) the offering of human sacrifices, the O. T. Abia, Department of History and International Studies University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria Nneka Sophie Amalu, Department of History and International Studies University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. Chrisantus K. Ariche, Department of Philosophy University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. © 2021 Bachudo Science Co. Ltd. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. 70 O. T. ABIA, NNEKA SOPHIE AMALU AND CHRISANTUS K. ARICHE problematic ideas of reincarnation and others are born with some natural rights which they which were practiced in the ancient Igbo nation strive to protect and preserve; and cannot be and other nations in Nigeria and Africa at large” taken away from them. Hence, in the context of (Onwubuariri, 2016, p.55). The system is a this work, everyone whether Osu or Diala in tradition that has been handed over from one Igboland is entitled to basic natural rights; at generation to the other and has not been least, right to life, liberty and property amongst influenced to a great extent by westernization, others. Thus, the consistent discrimination and Christianity, civilization, advancement in science, denial of certain rights of people branded Osu is globalisation or even democracy and the human an aberration and inimical to the natural rights rights culture; the people continue to give strict theory as posited by Locke. Thus, according to observance or face dire consequences. Mgbada Omorogbe (1991, p.97) “when we talk of the (2016, p.351) argues that “of all the customs of equality of all men, we mean ontological equality. Igboland and perhaps Africa at large that Simply put, what makes a being „human‟ is the Europeans considered repugnant to natural same in all men and that all men are equally justice, equity and good conscience such as twin human, no man is more of a human being than killing and extra judicial killing of thieves, the Osu another man. caste system has been the most obstinate in resisting extermination”. While claiming that the The Osu Caste System: A Brief Exposition system appears to be the most fundamental and Like most social systems, the origin of the Osu unshakable, he further states that “it is caste system is very vague, unclear, and there is fundamental because it is almost aboriginally no consensus as to when the system was attached to the traditional system of people- established, Amadife (1988) traces the origin of making the necessary distinction between those the Osu caste system to the era when the gods “free” and “properly” born with legitimacy into the were believed to demand for human sacrifice society and those regarded as “illegitimate” by during festivals, so as to cleanse the land of virtue and circumstance of their birth or arrival in abomination; then the people would contribute to the society or, indeed, ultimately by circumstance the general purse for a purchase of a slave or for of their being dedicated to one god or the kidnapping one. other”(Mgbada, 2016, p.55). Another school holds that the Osu caste system The Osu caste system has become an iota of originated from the Nri Kingdom. It is believed disunity, humiliation, infringement, isolation, in that in the olden days, Nri people possessed the places where they practiced. The Osu some hereditary powers and rites to proclaim experience all forms of dehumanization and cleansing to any kingdom where abominations discrimination, social exclusion and human rights were done in the past consequently, any abuses throughout their lifetime as a result of community or kingdom that refuted or regretted their status. Human right are legal entitlements the cleansing by the Nri spiritualist or any village which every citizen must enjoy without fear of the that is unable to meet up with requirements government or fellow citizens (Amalu, 2019, p. needed for the cleansing was viewed as impure; 135). Any culture or society (tradition and and any community that was termed impure was custom) that abridges the people‟s freedom of referred to as Osu or untouchable. association violates their human and civil rights, However, it is the position of the paper that the which clearly is a violation of the Universal Osu caste was non-existent before in Igboland at Declaration of Human Rights by the United the beginning. Those who later became Osu Nations General Assembly on 10 December, were first free born or sons and daughters of the 1948, which stands as the cornerstone document soil. There are various ways in which the Osu for human rights all over the world. Thus, it is status can be acquired. It can be acquired against this backdrop that this paper seeks to through birth by Osu parents, intermarriage and examine the human rights dimension of the Osu commensality. Historically, a person became caste system in Igboland. Osuif she was purchased and dedicated to the This work is hinged on the John Locke‟s (1632- god to atone for a crime the purchaser had 1704) theory of Natural Rights which states that sought sacred help in difficult times, or to secure “men being by nature all free, equal and asylum (such as women who refused the killing independent, no one can be put out of this estate of their twin babies, or babies whose upper teeth and subjected to the political power of another came out first). Some of these modes of without his own consent” (William, 2002, p.28). acquiring the Osu status is now obsolete as This theory attests to the fact that human beings Western influence has affected this practice; in OSU CASTE SYSTEM AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN IGBOLAND, 1900-2017 71 modern-day, inheritance and marriage are the discrimination is a fundamental right that every strongest factors (Dike, 2002). One thing certain citizen or individual should enjoy irrespective of is that, in whichever manner the status of Osu is tribe, race, colour, sex, and so on. That is why acquired, it is permanent. the law has expressed in Article 7 of the To identify an Osu is not difficult. Some parts of Universal Declaration on Human Rights 1948, his body, like an ear or a finger is also cut to that: “All are equal before the law and are entitled identify him. Apart from the marks, “one can also without any discrimination to equal protection of identify an Osu by their inherent devastating body the law.” All are entitled to equal protection odour. It is said that Osu has a very bad body against any discrimination in violation of this odour that no matter how they try to remove it Declaration and against any incitement to such with perfume it does not go” (Onwubuariri, 2016, discrimination. The Osu discrimination cuts p.65). Another way of identifying an Osu is by the across the social, cultural, economic and political places they live. They are found in outskirts and spheres. The Osu caste system is a degrading fringes of the community.
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