Good Morning Nigerians:The Stigma Of Osu-Caste 'Outcast Saga In Igboland; With Magnus Hyacinth-Episode IV

Graphic photo: a victim of racial discrimination, living in isolation

Reactions and counter-reactions have quite been trailing this issue of Osu-Caste 'Outcast' with the Igbo landscape or by others that promote discrimination against other people; and there seems not to be any moral justification to such, and that is why I'm joining forces with every person who dissents to this act, no matter the religious, political or social affiliation, to stand up against this act of infamy , because obviously, it is wrong, unjust and inhumane. Just like Saint Augustine says "An unjust law is no law at all'. This act of discrimination against people in any manner one perceives it is totally wrong, and it must be condemned and effaced from our human existence.

Sometime ago, I was opportuned to come across a certain Nigerian daily newspaper- which brought the review and preview of Prof. Chinua Achebe's last book titled " There was a Country".


In that print, I was startled with the tenor of reactions generated by that piece which was written by Prof Achebe of blessed memory; as many Nigerians both within and in beyond, especially those that seem to attach much importance to primordial clans against issues that are of great importance for the common good of all that is involved. Most of these people rudely criticized Prof. Achebe just because of his rehash of Chief Awolowo's adroit maneuver in the name of expediency during the Nigeria-Biafra war. But I would say that Prof. Achebe's piece encapsulated the evils that were unleashed  to a particular people during that civil war, which I quite agree with him that it was unjust. And every well meaning Nigerian who looks beyond primordial consideration of clan or ethnicity should as well accede to that simple truth.

I highlighted a bit of my experience over the storm engendered by the Achebe's book, so as to shine more light on what injustice, discrimination, inequality and insensitivity of some persons toward others may seem like.

We the [Igbos] I believe, engaged in that Nigeria-Biafra war which was led by late Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, because of the insensitivity of General Gowon's administration towards the evils that were being meted out to the Igbos by then. And that brings me to this issue of the Osu Caste - which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Igbo race for quite a long time now. If we the Igbos can feel excluded, unwanted, outcasted and inferior to the Nigerian polity by then, due to the attitude of the government of the then head of state; and we rose to our feet to fight for what we felt was wrong; then why do some of us within the Igbo race still engineer the thriving of  "Osu caste" which is explicitly discriminatory, belittling, and down-grading on the persons it's been shown to?

Let us continue from here on Good Morning Nigerians the next time. Keep a date with Magnus Hyacinth on this platform until then...