The level of alarm raised by the gloomy prediction that Igbo language would lose its relevancy and be confined to the archives by 2015 rattled Imolites and the Rescue Mission of Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha in a predictable way. After series of brainstorming, the consensus was that Igbo language must be nurtured almost from the cradle at all cost.
Expectedly, Governor Okorocha and the chairman, Imo Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Imo, HRH Eze Samuel Ohiri rolled out combative measures to forestall the clouding cultural tragedy. Igbo and not English is to become the official language at some designated public occasions in the state.
Similarly, a pass in Igbo language was made mandatory for admission into Imo Secondary schools.
The fire brigade action to repackage the waning fortunes of the beleaguered language was hailed in every home. Nearly everybody caught the bug except few with opposing agenda. Foremost are owners of kindergarten schools and the Imo state ministry of education. The two sing and dance discordant tunes of the Rescue Mission Agenda.
About 17 months ago, the Rescue Mission administration came on board and made the restoration of Igbo language to its former pride of place one of the linchpins of the administration. Within this period, the ministry has continued to close its eyes to the Save Igbo language Agenda of the state government. As the supervisory ministry, what has it done within the past seventeen months to ensure that the crusade to resuscitate Igbo language is on course and executed at the grassroots, the kindergarten schools? Virtually nothing. Maybe because the ministry prioritizes personal issues over public interests.
These generally branded elitist schools still carry out teaching and learning in English. There may be some constraints but are they formidably insurmountable? The non – Igbo kids in the state speak and understand Igbo language much better than their parents or guardians causing the cultural alibi to collapse like a pack of cards.
The Imo Trumpeta does neither understand nor share the ministry’s phobia for Igbo culture. The same applies to its tacit endorsement of the production of cultural hybrids among the generational Igbo children who prefer English to their mother tongue. Because of Igbo man’s cosmopolitan tendencies, these children will grow up and jettison their mother tongue under the acidic influence of acculturation.
The question being put to the ministry of education is. Why must the ministry flout the Rescue Mission guidelines on the resuscitation of the dying dynossaur of a language which ranks among the first three in the federation?
Most worrisome is the fact that the project has been at the cornerstone of Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s administration.
In the execution of the laudable scheme, the Eze Imo directed that Igbo language and not English should be the official language at the palaces of traditional rulers while English also received a red card as a medium of communication at cultural and traditional functions.
Governor Okorocha and Eze Imo should personally intervene and ensure that Igbo language is no longer ambushed and assassinated by the owners of kindergarten schools and their cohorts, the Imo state ministry of education among others.
LETTER PAGE
Abuse of prayers
Dear Editor,
My residence is close to the warehouse of casket makers in Owerri along Old Market Road. These men who work in this department of death indulge in many things except fighting at the warehouse. One of their main sources of happiness is the smoking of Indian hemp on daily basis.
But of all these, the most objectionable is their morning prayer sessions. I think they engaged one of the mobile preachers for the purpose. The main theme is God’s favour for the day. They petition God to bless and prosper the product of their hands, being the only source of their daily bread.
Assuming that God grants this request and people begin to die in large numbers, is this not abuse of freedom of worship? While everybody including government at various levels want and pray for low morality rate, these casket makers implore the heavenly father to bless the work of their hands with abundance, in this case more casket sales.
On several occasions, I was tempted to disorganize the prayers sessions because no one knows who will be their next customer. I was pretty afraid to do this because these heavily-muscled young men can crush any intruder like palm kernel. I later realized that being drug addicts, they may not reason like human beings but like animals.
Ojo Ihem
Owerri
APGA to rule Imo for 20 years?
Sir,
I read with disbelief the alleged wild utterances of a lackey, the then special adviser to the governor of Imo state on inter party affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Ozor that APGA will rule Imo state for twenty years. The pronouncement, crude as it adds nothing to boost the fortunes of the ruling party in Imo. Alhaji Abubakar Ozor was not the first to speculate far into the future. The one time national chairman of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor made a similar projection and later regretted it. He affirmed that the ruling party at the centre, PDP will rule Nigeria for the next sixty years. Chief Ogbulafor did not last in office to nurture his prediction to fruition.
My advice to the governor’s aide is that of the taste of the pudding is in the eating. He has many things to engage his attention than this frivolous reckless statement. The amiable governor is good natured with human sympathy but the same may not be said about his appointees.
It is likely there are many dead woods among them who cannot contribute anything positively to the growth of the party in its new terrain. I am confident these aides will have to go when Governor Owelle Rochas finds the broom.
That time is within the corner, time for accountability. I hope there will be no tears for them because in the first place, they did not deserve any political appointment.
Julius Okeke
Obinze, Owerri West LGA
