By Simeon Mpamugoh
US-based Nigerian don and the author of a lingua franca dictionary, which aims to solve the problem of communication in the West African sub region, Professor, Alex Igbineweka, has charged the Nigerian Educational Research And Development Council (NERDC) to deliver the Guosa Language Dictionary Volume 11 it agreed to publish 30 years ago, as government is continuum.
The charge is coming after NERDC took the contract to publish the book but failed to deliver. Igbineweka, a linguistic evolutionist and creator of Guosa language, claimed that the failure of NERDC to keep It own side of a bargain to publish and launch the book, which he wrote was hampering his long sought quest to unite the sub region through his talent and ingenuity.
He said that he had evolved a common united indigenous zonal lingua franca for the promotion of peace, unity, identity, political stability, tourism, arts, culture and science as well as industrial and technological revolution of Nigeria in particular and West Africa in general, adding that this effort had been on hold by the delayed NERDC publication of the book, which, in its letter dated July 1992, and made available to the press, offered to assist him publish and launch the book.
In the letter, NERDC offered and agreed to fund the printing of the first batch of 750 copies of the dictionary at N25.00 per copy, totaling N18,750.00 as at that time.
He said: “I was required to pay the sum of N36,250.00 being my personal commitment and contribution towards the printing of another batch of 2,500 copies of the book. A contract was entered into, and I paid N36,250 in 5 installments of $8,000.00 multiplied by 4 = N32,000 and the balance of N4,250.00 totaling N36,250.00.
“Unfortunately, I lost most of my receipts over the years except the one I made the deposit of N8,000.00 issued to me on November 9, 1994, before I relocated to the United States of America in 1996, and I have been there till date.
“Thereafter, the printing of the book commenced at the Jibowu office of the council in Yaba Lagos under the supervision of one Mr. Abiodun, though at a snail speed, spanning over a couple of years from early 1993.
“On my inquiry about the printing and the launching, I got a letter from one Dr. O. Adeniyi dated September 16, 1993, which gave an elaborate account of why it was delayed: NERDC Printing Press was faulty, and the management decided to contract out the job to Rozet communication located at 11, New Isheri Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.
“In less than two months, the company completed the draft dictionary and NERDC sent me a copy for proofreading. I finished the proofreading in less time and returned it back to them. The Council forwarded the proofread draft to Rozet for final printing, so that it could commence preparation for public presentation launching of the book.
“In August, 1996, Rozet was yet to deliver the book when I got an invitation to address a world conference about Guosa Language at UC Berkeley and the University of Stanford both in California, USA. I quickly notified the management of the Council and Rozet Communication that I was going to be out of the country; and obliged them to complete the contract so that I could travel and showcase the books to the international communities.
“I received an apology that the book was not ready; and that everything would be ready by the time I get back to Nigeria – a case of good medication after death. I had no choice but to leave the country for the international linguistic and cultural conference. Days, weeks, months and years crept by like the grains of sands – no news from NERDC or Rozet.
“In 1998, I wrote a letter and inquired about the fate of the book and got a feedback dated July 27, 1998 from the council saying that the publication would be completed in a few months from the date of the letter. I kept my fingers crossed but to my greatest surprise and disappointment, 30 years afterwards, the publication, which is a project of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, handled by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, N.E.R.D.C hasn’t seen the light of the day, my hard-earned money vanished into the Federal Ministry of Education and the N.E.R.D.C bank accounts or how else could one explain?
“What was my crime? struggling all alone to unite Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub region through the evolution of a common united indigenous zonal lingua franca for peace and national unity.”
Igbineweka is still desirous of having the book published: “I have been able to get at least 4 revised editions of the Complete Dictionary of the Guosa language published in the United States of America, but none of the editions has been officially launched. They are all available at various international network marketing platforms, including Borders Books, Amazon.com, eBay.Com, and the United States Library of Congress, the White House, to name a few. Yet I want NERDC to live up to its own words, commitment and expectations by getting the ongoing Revised Edition of the Guosa language dictionary published and launched, send official copies of the book to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the Political Adviser to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Minister of Education, the Federal Minister of Arts and Culture, the National University Commission, the National Assembly; and the ECOWAS summit or return my money with reasonable interests enough to carry out the objectives of the project.”
Igbineweka recalled that then Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the President late Dr Chuba Okadigbo in one of the replies to his letter dated October 18, 1982 stated in part: “….the introduction of a new lingua franca for Nigeria is a welcome idea. It involves amendment to the Constitution which is largely a legislative affair where the National Assembly is the most suitable organ for initiative…”
He added: “…. To make Nigeria great and to make Nigeria self-reliant, there is every need for creativity. So I am in agreement with (Alex Igbineweka) that the evolution of a lingua franca in Nigeria is a step in the right direction…”
In its own letter dated January 23, 1986, the Federal Ministry of Education had appreciated the efforts and enthusiasm with which the creator prosecuted the project, urging him to seek the cooperation of the universities’ departments of linguistics and Nigerian languages in order to achieve the best.
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, in one of it replies dated July 27, 1998, and signed by one E.O Adebayo, Director, Book Development Center for the Executive Secretary, stated that “the work is still in it typeset form and will be completed in few months’ time and forwarded to you, (Igbineweka) as requested, within then the selling price and postage cost would have been determined.”
Saturday Sun spoke to the Director South West Zone of NERDC Press Centre, Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, Mr Oloruntoba Tope, who noted that some of the state actors in the project had died while some divisions had been merged through decree 53 (Amended) to Act 53. He listed the divisions that were affected by the merger which form the new N.E.R.D.C as Nigerian Language Development Center, Book Development Center, Educational Development and Research Centre, Library and Informatics Center, Curriculum Development Center, Comparative Education Study, and Adaptation Center (CESAC), University of Lagos etcetera.
“I think the book may have been printed since there’s an initial payment left for the author to come and pick it up. I will advise the author to put up a letter to the new Executive Secretary of the council, Professor Salisu Shehu, FCT, Abuja, attaching all the documentary evidence, he might revive the project. I know they developed some languages recently, and Guosa language might just be one of them, I don’t know,” Tope stated.
Efforts made to reach Rozet Communication, which was awarded the contract for the typesetting of the book and the Executive Secretary (E S), was unsuccessful. The E.S. was called several times on the official MTN number, it rang but no one responded to the calls.