Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe and Producer of “Properties of the Gods”, Joseph Okechukwu and other crew members The traditional rulers are Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Achebe; the Traditional Ruler of Nnewi, Kenneth Orizu, both in Anambra, and Samuel Asadu, the Enugu State Chairman, Traditional Rulers Council. They made the call when the producer, directors and crew of the new Nollywood movie, “Properties of the Gods”, visited their palaces separately on Wednesday.
They described the practice as discriminatory and inconsistent with the equality of human beings. They said the visit was to seek their blessings ahead of the movie’s nationwide cinema premiere. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the movie, produced by renowned Nollywood actor Joseph Okechukwu, addresses the Osu caste practice and its effects on people in Igboland.
Receiving the team at his palace, Mr Achebe said ignorance was responsible for many superstitious beliefs and practices that had persisted despite advances in knowledge and civilisation. He said all human beings were equal before God and that no individual or group had the right to regard another person as an underclass. “All human beings are equal in the eyes of God, who created all of us.
Whether you are black, yellow or white, tall or short, man or woman, we are all created in His own image,” he said. The traditional ruler described the Osu caste system as a “disgrace” and urged communities where the practice still existed to abolish it, saying that “This discrimination must end forever”.
He said increased knowledge and education had helped society to overcome several superstitious beliefs, adding that the same approach should be applied to the Osu system. Mr Achebe said legislation alone might not be sufficient to eradicate the practice, stressing the need for mass mobilisation and a change in people’s mindset.