From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Determined to return Ogwa Anunu Umu Mgbe ancient clan in Mbaitolu Council Area of Imo State to the path of cultural, traditional and religious sanity and embrace progress in all ramifications of human endeavors, a group under the auspices of Ogwa Renaissance Movement with other critical stakeholders have resolved to abrogate all obnoxious cultural and traditional practices like ohu, ume, diala and osu caste systems among others in the ancient community by November this year.
High Chief Myke Onwusiribe ( Ebubu Nna na Ogwa), Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, LOC pointed out that Ogwa Renaissance Movement is the umbrella body, made up of the Presidents General, top clergymen of Ogwa extraction and other Ogwa progessives committed to the abrogation of these men inhumanity to men called caste systems- Osu, Ohu Ume and Diala in Ogwaland.
Onwusiribe said that as a strategic means of achieving the eradication of the inhuman cultural and traditional inhibitions, Ogwa Renaissance Movement resolved to have collaborative partnerships with some non governmental organizations like Pillar of Hope African Initiative, POHAI, Global Family Foundation, GFF as well as National Human Rights Commission, NHRC.
He noted that the historical abrogation ceremony slated to hold on Saturday 5th of November,2022 by 12 Noon at Community Primary School, Alaeze Ogwa opposite Afor Otusi Market will be chaired by Chief Dan Chibuzo Iwuorie ( Ogbuagu Ndi Ogwa) while Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State will be the Special Guest of Honour.
Other eminent personalities expected to grace the occasion were Hon. Henry Nwawuba ( Lets Do More), the House of Representatives member representing Mbaitolu/Ikeduru ( Mbaike), Federal Constituency and Hon. Okey Onyekanma, member representing Mbaitolu State Constituency in Imo House of Assembly.
The guests of honour he also named include: Rev Fr Archbishop A.J.V Obinna, the retired Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastic Archdeaconry, Bishop Chuka Ekemam (MON),Prelate Emeritus of A.M.E Zion Church in West Africa, Rev. Chukwuma C. Opara, Anglican Bishop of Owerri and Major General Rogers Nicholas (Rtd), the former theatre Commander Operation Lafia Doli,Maiduguru, Borno State.
Others are; Prof. Steve Nwokeocha, former Director of Operations, Teachers Registration Council, Abuja, High Chief Dr Kemdi Chino Opara ( Ome Udo na Mbieri), Okenze Pastor Chidi Nnadi, Evangelical Voice Ministry, Accra Ghana while Ogwa Council of Ndi Eze and Ogwa Council of Traditional Rulers are the chief host just as Mr. Chidi Ukomadu and High Chief Everest Ezihe ( Akaekpuchi Onwa na Ogwa) are the LOC’s Coordinator and chairman, Media and Publicity respectively.
According to Onwusiribe, “It might interest us to note that Christianity came into Ogwaland in 1909, the second place the Church started in Imo State after Egbu. Regrettably, while Christianity entered other communities through the evangelistic activities of missionaries, Ogwa clan paid a great price to receive the church and the good news. Three Abazu Ogwa maidens, Mbalete, Ihuaru and Ndumdiroweha were given to Chief Ugorji of Achi Mbieri to lead Ogwa elders to Egbu to bring the gospel to Ogwaland. Till today, nobody knew what happened to these maiden, Ogwaland is yet to appease their young spirits and souls cut short and sacrificed as martyrs of the gospel.
“Christianity brought education and enlightenment in Igbo land and other parts of the world and led to the abrogation of obnoxious cultural practices in the past like killing of twins, killing of children with abnormal birth circumstances and a lot of other atrocities. According to the Scriptures, ” in the days of ignorance, God overlooks”.
“More than one hundred years, Christianity has come to stay in Ogwaland, more than a century, we have read Bible in Ogwaland and have seen Scriptural verses like 2 Corinthians 5:17 that said “if a man be in Christ, he is a new creature and old things have passed away”, the same Bible in Galatians 3:28 said “There are neither Jews nor Gentiles, slaves nor freeborns, nor is there any male or female for we are all one in Christ Jesus, yet we still talk of caste system. What manner of Christians are we? ” he lamented.
The Chairman also observed that, “Ogwaland has been backward, all the towns and villages that came to Ogwa to take the light of Christianity – Atta, Mbieri, Orodo, Mbano etc have all left us behind in development, appointments and every facet of progress. Atta came to Ogwa to take Christianity, today they are hosting a diocesan headquarters, produced a Bishop, a Governor, a Senator, a Senate President etc. Likewise Mbieri that has produced Bishops, Senators, House members, Deputy Governor, Head of Service etc. Ogwa only produces commissioners and none of them lasted long on the seat. What is wrong with us ? “he queried.
He further said that, “other lands have tarred roads crisscrossing their clans but none in Ogwaland; last year alone, Ogwa lost a cream of very important and highly educated personalities including her Ezes, isn’t it high time we sought the face of God to heal our land?
“This is why Ogwa Renaissance came up to perform this cleansing ceremony like some other towns around did ( ironically, we are now learning true Christianity from people that were attending church services in Ogwaland in the past) and redidicate Ogwaland to God for Him to heal our land.
“This Abrogation Ceremony has three phases, the first phase was Advocacy and Sensitization. During this period, we visited the six autonomous communities in Ogwaland and interacted with the stakeholders including the Ezes, Ndi Nze na Ozo and the people. Most agreed that the practice is no longer relevant in modern times and needs to be done away it.
“It was on the strenght of this that we moved to the second phase- the Abrogration ceremony. In this phase, we shall engage with Ndi Nze na Ozo and in a ceremony, they will renounce and reverse ancient agreements and covenants that established such practices. According to one of them, Oke Nze (Pst) Chidi Nnadi, all these covenants were established through proclamations, through proclamations too, they will be reversed.
“Bishops and other men of God will also pray and destroy ancient agreements and covenants establishing such practices and rededicate Ogwaland to God and make Jesus Christ e4the King and Lord over Ogwaland and it’s people, signaling a new dawn, a new beginning in Ogwaland and in the lives of her people.
The last phase Onwusiribe informed would be the implementation phase.
According to him ” this is why we are in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission and the Pillar of Hope Africa Initiative (POHAI) to prosecute and defend the rights of any Ogwa man or woman whose rights of dignity of human person which is an inalienable fundamental human rights will be infringed upon”
He assured that with this in place and in time, Osu, Ume, Ohu, Diala and every other form of discriminations and man’s inhumanity to man in Ogwaland will be history just like killing of twins and children with abnormal birth circumstances.
The chairman passionately appealed to all and sundry to be part of this human oriented historical events by praying, supporting, cooperating and donating generously in making the dream a reality by paying into this accout details:
Ogwa Renaissance Movement
FCMB Account 8460730014.
