Igbo land in grip of money rituals, native doctor challenges Southeast Gov
One of the leaders of Traditional Native Doctors in Anambra State, Dr. Ramaz Okoye-Asuzu, also known as Eze-Oba, has raised a fresh alarm that the practice of money rituals, popularly known as Oke-Ite, has taken over the Southeast region, lamenting that it is the origin of ritual killings in Igbo land.
Recall that last year, Governor Charles Soludo, in an effort to curb the disturbing rise of ritual killings by alleged native doctors, announced the registration of practitioners as part of his fight against insecurity in the region.jn in Soludo stated that these native doctors had been accused of providing charms and protective amulets to gunmen involved in killings and kidnappings in the state.
Dr. Ramaz Okoye-Asuzu further stated that the Oke-Ite ritual is a taboo in Igbo land, emphasising that the practice is neither the culture, religion, nor tradition of the Igbo people.
According to him, many people who claim to be native doctors or traditional medicine practitioners are fake, hence he is calling for the establishment of a Traditional Medicine Council in the entire geopolitical zone.
Insideoutnewsng. com, reports Asuzu spoke to reporters at his country home in Agu Ukwu-Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.
He stated: “All the criminals hanging red, white, and black clothes in the bush, trying to pose as native doctors, are all fakes and quacks.”
“They have made our young men and women lazy; they cannot engage in anything meaningful to earn a living. All they want is quick money, and the apprenticeship life of the Igbo people has been forgotten because of the pursuit of fast money.”
“Oke-Ite is not an Igbo tradition; in fact, it is a taboo. Most of these young men and women who claim they are involved in a business called Yahoo-Yahoo are ritualists, and there is no such ritual without human parts, which is evil.”he stated.
He urged the governors of the Southeast, especially Governor Charles Soludo, to inaugurate the Traditional Medicine Council or Native Doctors Board, involving him and his colleagues, to help the government address what he called the evil practices of criminals and ritualists operating under the guise of traditional native doctors.
“We have genuine practitioners like the late Rev. Fr. Arazu, Ifediomimi in Nnewi, Anyafulugo (Ilonze) in Agu Awka, and Awogu in Anaku, Ayamelum Local Government Area. Together, we can regulate and check the practices of bad eggs in the traditional and native doctors sector in Igbo land,” he noted.
