•Culture enthusiasts mark this year’s International Mother Tongue’s Day in Enugu
From Jude Chinedu and Aja-Eze Donald, Enugu
The fate of Igbo language has been of major concern to many culture enthusiasts since the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) predicted in 2006 that it would go extinct by 2025.
Though this year is 2025, and the language has not vanished, yet the threat still lurks around. But concerted efforts are being made by interested groups and individuals to save the fading language.
One of such attempts was the commemoration of this year’s International Mother Language Day (IMLD) in Enugu, which attracted the state legislators, traditional rulers, policy makers, leaders of Igbo groups and students.
The dignitaries included Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu, Deputy Minority Whip, Hon. Okey Mba, Enugu State Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, represented by Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nnaji, former chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers/Chairman, Board of Trustees, Igbo Efula, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu (Ogadagidi), President, Aka Ikenga, Lagos, Agbalanze Chike Madueke, Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Enugu chapter, Mazi ‘Zulu Ofoelue as well as Prof Eddy Ndibuagu of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu.
Participants at the event organised by Igbo Efula, a group committed to the promotion and preservation of Igbo language, charged parents to encourage their children to speak the language.
The Speaker, Ugwu commended Igbo Efula for its unwavering commitment to the Igbo course: “That’s why I had to attend personally despite my tight schedule. We all have a duty to teach our children (the next generation of Ndigbo), the Igbo language. Therefore, I’m glad to see secondary school students participating here today.”
He pledged the state legislators’ resolve to support any efforts that promote Igbo language.
He, then, presented a trophy to Queens School, Enugu, the champions of this year’s International Mother Language Day Igbo Proverbs Competition. City Girls Secondary School, Enugu and Day Secondary School, Independence Layout, Enugu emerged first and second runners up respectively.
In her speech, Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, praised the organisers for steadily working for the promotion of Igbo language: “We all have a duty in ensuring that Igbo language grows and flourishes, rather than going extinct. However, our parents have a big duty in ensuring that their children learn to speak Igbo from their homes.”
Chairman of the event, Chukwuemeka Onyesoh (Okpala Eze Nri) urged Igbo Efula to explore ways of partnering with other organisations that have similar objectives of promoting Igbo language.
In his remarks, Igwe Agubuzu called on the dignitaries to support Igbo Efula to ensure that its lofty and onerous task of reviving and promoting Igbo language was achieved.
Similarly, Igwe Asadu also pledged the support of the traditional rulers in the state in the promotion of Igbo language.
Welcoming the guests, President, Igbo Efula, Mazi Bismarck Oji, explained why the group shifted the date of the event marked on February 21, annually, to March 14.
He said that secondary school students in the state who were the focus of this year’s celebration were on Mid Term break by 21st February: “We took this decision so as to catch them young. Our adolescents are the future of our language. Therefore, more emphasis must be placed on getting to realise why they must speak Igbo fluently, without compulsion. That is the essence of the Secondary School Students Igbo Proverbs Competition…
“According to experts, the surest way of promoting Igbo language is by promoting the Igbo language industry, which implies supporting all those who earn a living through Igbo language such as Nollywood artistes, Igbo language teachers, Igbo language authors, journalists, etc. Logically, it is their business to promote Igbo language and the growth of their business is symbiotically linked to the growth of the language.”
Oji urged government to support such people through employments, sponsorships and incentives.
On her part, chairperson of the organising committee, Lolo Nkeoma Agbo, specifically urged mothers to teach their children Igbo language at home, to ensure the language’s preservation.
The event also featured the launching of a sticker in promotion of Igbo language, musical performance by Bukas, an Igbo language artiste and drama presentation on the importance of kolanut in Igbo culture by pupils of Fresh Grace Montessori School, Enugu.
In addition, there were cultural displays by Fresh Grace Montessori School, Enugu, May Blossom Secondary School, Enugu and City Girls Secondary School, Enugu. Other schools in attendance include College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu, Day Secondary School, Independence Layout, Enugu and Queens School, Enugu.