posted
Umu Biafra The recent events have compelled me to do some soul searching and ask some questions. I realized that our being in America have changed some of us. Which remind me about the saying back home which says " Ndi mechanic mela anyi amakwa ndi bu ndi ara". That is mechanic has caused us not to differentiate between mad person and mechanics. In Igbo land some Igbo gods have taken lives of Ndi Eze who crowned Osu cast chiefs on the same day with Nwa afor and even went further to reck havoc on their families, for disobeying the Village god.
Now because we are here in America the land of freedom and inclusiveness we try to ignore certain things. My crust of starting this thread is about one story I read from Igbo forum wriiten by Ugorji Ugorji, "that both Obiora and Rodulf are of osu cast". If that is the case could that be the reason these two gentlemen are sabotaging every Igbo cause at every turn. We must ask those questions. If you look at those at Abuja that Obasanjo is using to destabilize Igboland today, many of them are of osu cast. So when Nwa afor like Emeka's life is threatened it remind all us what we know and decided to forget. So my dear forum member I like your input regarding this issue.
___________________ Defend your Believes and Integrity. Posts: 130 | From: Smyrna GA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Ibu nnukwu nmanwu, I know that something brought you out from your seclusion. "Ndi Igbo si ewi anaighi agba oso ehihe na efu". meaning that Rabbit does not run out in the afternoon in vein. Then my late brother sir warrior sang no smoke without fire. The point you raised is a very solid one. You are absolutely right, Many people from my area will probably tell you that my village god is probably the most powerful when when it comes to defending one of his own, and also the most powerful when one of his own go contrary to his laws. I have seen people spent their life savings to appease him, because they run foul of mixing with Osu. I know that for many of us western education have made us to ignore certain things, but that doesn't mean it is the way thing should be.
To answer your question my brother I think Ikemba said it best, Osu can never rule Igboland. That is why most of them always find solace in the hands of Igbo haters like Obasanjo.
Certainly this is not the way to go. Not in this time and age. There are more pressing issues. The release of detained MASSOBIANS and so on.
Every human being has 106 bones. Red blood flows in all beings. I am totally opposed to discrimination based on gender, race, colour, creed and conviction. I am opposed to discrimination based on anything.
I am not unfortunate as the targets of this thread. But it will be difficult for me to operate in this kind of environment. Issues like this diminish our values as human beings and as campaigners for freedom.
If this issue must be brought here, let it be how it can be eradicated. That is my honest take. And I hope I am clear enough.
___________________ ON Posts: 136 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Frankly I don't give a damn. Osu or no Osu. What we all need including Biafranigeria is leadership after all Bill Jefferson Clinton or John F kennedy was a catholic both with very weak mind for sloopy sex and possibly one of the 'bestest' Presidents in this blessed/troubled country [USA]. What matters in this world is food and security rather than being fed by another person 6,000 miles away especially when you know you could do better.
I could careless if an Osu or whatever, is able to provide food, improve the life of an ordinary Igbo person and protect lives especially women.
In Enugu, women upon the death of their husband were humiliated, hair shaved, reduced to an infintesimal size and are made to stay inside the house for several days and sometimes are subjected as suspect for the death of their hubby. It was just last year that a bill was passed in that state to stop the debasement of widows in the name of culture. This thread certainly is provocative but in bad taste. Leadership is not about how much education, Phds, family background, it is learned. No one is born a leader,how often do we hear that. It is not instinctive but learned based on circumstances or environment.
Let's discuss about who is able to put food on the table based on good leadership. What Kanu, the Attorney General did Monday was what Biafranigeria needed, leadership and it is up to the people to back him up. Government is by the people not by one person.
If Kanu is Osu that's find with me. Biafranigeria/Igbo need a leadership that speaks for the ordinary person. This is rare in Africa and Biafranigeria as a whole. My biggest bone of contention with Obasanjo is not that he is a mechanic with no classroom education or Yellow Belly [Yoruba] but he lacks leadership and the same is prevelant in the Yoruba world. Lets discuss who in Igbo land is willing to protect us in Dutch City.
Hail Biafra
[ March 23, 2002, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: Waypoint1Biafra ]
Posts: 1672 | From: Minnesota USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
If Obiora and Rudolf are Osu as has been stated, then that explains a lot of things. One thing that Osu and efulefu have in common is that they are easy instruments to use against Igbo people. As for me, I prefer Osu to efulefu. In a way Osu has an excuse for for being bad. Efulefu has no excuse, even though there are some people who are both Osu and efulefu.
Posts: 365 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Again there is not such thing as Osu. It is man made. Nobody is born as an outcast. It is the same believe that we had for twins that some of us have today for outcast. The same also we have for the beauty of a woman as the work of the devil.Please stop making a stooge of yourself. This culture is outdated and we have been fooled by our forefathers for ages. I believed this when I was primary school.
Osu was a result of war, village against village [Ref Things Fall Apart] where the likes of Ikemefuna was sacrificed as opposed to the young girl who was given up for marriage and today some will classify her as OSU because she was a gift to warriors like Okonkwo to spare her people's lives.
My God you guys could do better than yield to such typology.
Hail Biafra
Posts: 1672 | From: Minnesota USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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You are the only person that will start this type of thread. Anyway when was the last time you went to a club? It must be sometime in the 60's or 70's. You said
quote:Then my late brother sir warrior sang no smoke without fire.
Well my brother, go out and you will find lots of smokes without fire. Open your eyes and mind, yo, we are in 2002.
Your attack on Biafra and IG Nwafor is uncalled for. Why are you shooting the messenger instead of the message. Mr Biafra and IG Nwafor didn't create this problem. This problem is being in Igboland before you and I or IG Nwafor got here. It will probably outlast all of us. Whether we agree with this issue or not, Mr IG nwafor have brought it up. It is thought provoking as some have said, do we sweep it under the carpet and pretend that it doesn't exist or do you confront it head on. For Igboland to move forward we have to look back and see who have been dragging us back.
Is people like you Mr Tunde Ednut that I am more concerned with than all the Biafras or IG of this world. People like you who pretend and try to be everything to everybody that is the problem not IG Nwafor. We already know that you are a one Nigeria and Obasanjo apologist, so what you think doesn't cause a lot of people to lose their sleep. SO Mr Ednut you will be better off shooting the message instead of the messenger.
___________________ Biafra: save my bullets when I die, Oh Biafra, Allelua if I surrender and that will be forever. Posts: 272 | From: Birmingham AL | Registered: Mar 2001
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I did not attack anybody. I was only saying that if Biafra can make time to visit today's world, he will notice a lot of "smokes without fire". And please take that stuff about Obasanjo back. If na joke, I no dey funny.
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
The reality is that osu (outcast) can not rule in Igboland, i don't think that any community in Igboland will accept an osu as it's leader, i will aggre with Waypoint1Biafra that osu cast is man made tradition but it has been with our forefathers age long.
Ihis is a situation that require's to be addressed in a general Igbo assembly under a conducive atmostpher.
In our new Biafra, i hope that osu-cast will be a thing of the past, traditions that is not in the interest of the people should be scrapped, since osu caste is man made, it will be left for men also to unmake it.
We will hope for an Igboland that every body will be equaul before our law and traditions as one people.
___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
All of us would like to see all forms of discrimination disappear. Discrimination is a bad thing. But, let's face it. The white man who is preaching all that stuff about equality to us knows when to play the race card in an election. George Bush Senior played the Willie Horton card. Accross America Republicans and Democrats have played the white-hand-black-hand card that Jessie helms used against Harvey Gant. When the Ikemba said that Osu should not rule Igbo, he too was aware of the finer issues of equality and fair play.
But, should Osu rule Igboland? I am with Okwy and Biafra. If Osu is being used by Obasanjo to destroy Igbo, then all Igbo have a duty to ensure that Osu does not rule Igbo. The behavior that Rudolf and Obiora have exhibited on this forum is Osu behavior pure and simple. It must not be tolerated.
Ugorji Ugorji also suggested that most people in Idemili area are osu, so Rudolf and Obiora will be fine in their local area. If they keep their shameful behavior in Idemili, I will have no problem. But, if in public they act osu, then we are going to call them what they are. Nwa afor must never fear osu.
You'd have to ask yourself why the Obasanjo's have a preference for Osu over Nwa Afor or Diala. If the evil doers of Igboland are mostly Osu, why is that the case? Did we try to abandon our culture too soon? If Igbos wish to get rid of the Osu system, let us do so. But that has not happened yet. I am opposed to the practice.
But, I am equally opposed to standing by to watch osu desecrate the shrines of our forefathers. If Osu starts to behave like osu, then no one should be afraid to call them what they are.
Posts: 84 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
All, This issue (outcasts) in Igboland did come up not long ago on this board. The reason I stayed out of it was that like most Igbos, for reasons of self pride would rather wish it away than discuss it in the public. But after a careful review, I am now of the opinion that as sensitive and shameful the Osu cast system is, it is time we start discussing it deeply, honestly and openly. For nomatter how we think about it, there must be a reason (subject of debate) why our fore-fathers introduced it in the first place.
If one may ask, has the actions of some of these Osus, especially the so-called Abuja men/women helped their case? In my opinion, if anything, their proven anti-Igbo activities has weakened the case of those (my self included) who would have loved to see this abhorrent practice discontinued with.
Bottomline: it is the action or inaction of the Osus themselves that will in the long term justify or abolish this unfortunate practice in Igboland. No amount of wishfull thinking or law can make the latter possible.
Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
I am so glad that finally men of intellect have started to debate this issue raised by brother IG Nwafor instead of shooting him the messenger. For long we have tried to sweep this problem under the carpet and hope that it will go away. We have even tried to pass laws outlawing this practice. In my opinion Certain laws are unenforcable. I am with Brother Nwa Aro and Odester, the only way to abolish this problem is for the osu cast to stop alligning with the Igbo haters to distroy Igbo land. As long as they continue to engage in the destruction of Igbo land the problem will not go away.
No amount of law can force people to accept or discontinue this practice. Even some of you here who are playing hollier than thou, I bet you that when most of you went back home to get married your parent checked your future prides background before giving their ok. Yet some of you will come here and pretend that the problem will go away. Like Brother Odester said, is always good to preach against discrimination until it fall on you. Then it will be not in my backyard. Just like in this great country, white people will always preach against discrimination until a black man move into their neigborhood and you will watch them sale their house in a New york minute.
posted
Igboland is not ready for rule by Osu. Moreover, in light of the role members of that caste are playing in Igboland these days, the same type of role that Rudolf Okonkwo and Ndubuisi Obiora are playing against BiafraNigeriaWorld, I withhold my support for changing the rules.
The Osu system is not necessarily a system for discrimination; it is also a system for punishing evil doers in Igbo society such as the evil doers we have seen on this forum. There is no doubt in my mind that those men that have been called osu are working with Chuck Odili of egbeomo.com to destroy BNW. Thus, any of us who opposed the self-hate of that monster at egbeomo.com will soon be labeled as the same person.
Besides, the devotion that Rudolf Okonkwo and Ndubuisi Obiora have shown in their mission to destroy BNW has all the hallmark of Osu atavism. That is my take.
[ March 24, 2002, 01:07 PM: Message edited by: Onyemaechi ]
Posts: 127 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Ada, You are right, we did not make osu, they have been there before our time, we can help them but they can not dictate for us.
they are not better than us, we can make them equal when they stop working agianst us.
___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
For those of you who have attacked me for bringing this issue to the forefront. I think you probably don't love the osu cast more myself. like some body said this problem was here before all of us, unless we address it, it will probably continue to dog us. I do believe in equal right for everybody, but we have to also looking where our problem is coming from. If the osu cast are joining Igbo enemies to destabilize Igbo land, then they are not helping their cause.
If they are hoping that if by joining forces with Federal government of Nigeria that, it will help them, they are making a big mistake in my humble opinion. Because Obasanjo can pass all the law he want to help them, but it will not be enforced in Igbo land. So the best way to solve this problem is to face it head on.
___________________ Defend your Believes and Integrity. Posts: 130 | From: Smyrna GA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Thanks for bringing up this issue. We know that Osu persons are some times called "untouchables." I always wondered why they were called that name. In some villages, those osu would band together and go to fight some Nwa Afor families. When they operate in that manner, they seem invincible. I always wondered why they did that or why people let them get away with that tactic.
Why would an Osu minority be able to take violence to Nwa Afor and get away with it? Later, I discovered that there were some communities where the Osu were not even permitted to attend community gatherings.
I say all this because Nd'Igbo are doing with the Osu, the same thing that we are doing with the minorities. Now, Igboland has only five states and the so-called minorities have six. Now who is the minority?
I no longer wish to be a part of all these dilutions of Igbo culture in the name of modernity. If Osu works against us we have to respond decisively, including by treating them the same way our ancestors treated theirs.
I may be willing to grant equality to Osu, but I am not prepared to grant him superiority.
Osu belu Nwa afo belu, nke si ibe ya ebela nku....
[ March 25, 2002, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: Nwokeoma ]
Posts: 199 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
I find the whole Osu system very disgusting, oppressive and outdated. Cna somebody please tell me what is Osu? Why are we still practicing that primitive tradition.
Some of you have accused them of fighting against Biafra and I ''ll like to know how you knew that the overall Osu people from Ngwa land to Ikwere, Ekpafia to Porthacort, Awka to Ajali, Abiriba to Asaba, are fighting against Biafra. As far as I am concerned the Osu system should be entirely abolished 'cause it has no positive but negative effect on us a great people of Africa.
If one foolish Osu person decides to join efulefus like Rudolf, Orji kalu, Udenwa, Asika etc, that should not be any reason for us go after them. As civilised people we have no right to persecute and discriminate against them just because of the actions of their forefathers so many years ago. What right do we have to deny them leadership in Igboland. I will support any Osu person as long the person knows what he or she is doing. I will marry any woman whether she is Osu or not. I've had them as friends so I don't see anything so wrong about the.
posted
I am sure that most of you in this forum do not really approve of the Osu system. But, it looks like once you found out from Ugorji Ugorji that Rudolf and Obiora are osu you were prepared to use it against them.
I am not saying that they don't deserve it. But, let's take it easy on the osu thing. Even though Rudolf and Obiora may be Osu, we should not openly be calling them that.
Posts: 27 | From: USA | Registered: Nov 2001
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My uncle back home told me that Igboland started to go bad as soon as we start to abandone what our fore fathers thought us. My Uncle said, we Bapthized oshi and called it bribery, my Uncle said in his father's days a woman always answer her husband last name, he refused to accept today' Mrs Okoro nee Nwachukwu nonsense or Mrs Stella Okoro-Nwachukwu. When men used to be men, they come out at Mbara ama and wrestling to settle scores.
Since you people started to tell us to accept osu, that is since they start to sabotage Igboland. Our forefather's didn't have those problem. I remember my uncle telling me that my great great father sold many of his wives just for talking back to him. He sold another for just making the following comment, " Onwa gbawa ije aguwa" The next day my great grand father bought a jar of wine and told his wife that he want her to escort him somewhere. Reaching there he sold her and sold the empty jar too. In those days our forefathers did not tolerate nonsense, do you think if it were in those days, an Osu like Rodulf will come and threatening the life of Nwa Afor like Emeka, I don't think so.
___________________ Biafra: save my bullets when I die, Oh Biafra, Allelua if I surrender and that will be forever. Posts: 272 | From: Birmingham AL | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:The next day my great grand father bought a jar of wine and told his wife that he want her to escort him somewhere. Reaching there he sold her and sold the empty jar too.
Just Inquiring, was any of those sold women your great grand mothers? Did you ever ask your dad or was that not relevant?
I know for a fact that there are many lawyers on this forum. Slice it any way you want. Only an enemy of Igbos will like to see Damian and Ndubuisi become enemies of each other. Any person who creates such an enmity is an enemy of Igbo people as a whole. In that regard, Rudolf should have placed Igbo interests above his personal interests and he should not have misled Ndubuisi into taking his (Rudolf's) side strictly on the basis of communal kinship; both men are from Nnobi. This is the point that should be made about Rudolf - not the Osu business.
When I saw Ndubuisi on this forum, I said to myself, when that guy joins forces with Damian, the Nigerians are finished. Now, i
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