Native doctors, under the aegis of Odinala Orumba South, Anambra State, have taken an oath to ostracise any member found engaging in criminal or unethical activities.
The oath-taking took place at Izo Mmili Shrine in Umunze, the Orumba South Local Government Area on Wednesday.
Speaking after the exercise, the Chairman of Odinala Orumba South, Christian Umeh, said the move was aimed at promoting ethical standards among practitioners and ensuring that those aiding criminal activities were identified and expelled.
Umeh stated, “We decided to embark on the oath-taking measure to reaffirm our commitment to ethical practices and weed out any members involved in illicit activities.
“It is also to ensure that those sent out to identify rogue native doctors will not be compromised. Some members were absent today, and those who could not take the oath have until next Monday to do so.”
The Chairman of Orumba South LG, Shedrack Azubuike, represented by King Nwabueze, said he was invited by the group to witness the exercise, describing it as a step in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of making Anambra a secure and prosperous state.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment, and Tourism, Don Onyenji, has clarified that the state government is not against traditional medicine practitioners but is determined to eliminate fake native doctors aiding criminal activities.
Onyenji, who spoke during a meeting with traditional medicine practitioners in Awka, reiterated that Soludo is a staunch advocate of Igbo culture and traditions.
He said, “There has never been a time the governor said traditional practices and native doctors will end in Anambra. Rather, he wants to eradicate fake practitioners who aid and abet crime.
“The state government recently established Agụnaechemba, a security outfit, to go after native doctors involved in criminal activities such as preparing charms for kidnappers, armed robbers, and ritualists.”
One of the native doctors, John Ahamkonye, also backed the oath-taking, saying that the infiltration of fake practitioners had become a growing concern within the community.
