BY IKENNA ASOMBA

THE Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, has expressed her ministry’s commitment to promote the Igbo language and culture.

Receiving members of Otu Suwakwa Igbo Initiative in her Awka office, Omenugha stated that language and culture collectively form the identity of a people, without which there is no bearing for a race.

The Commissioner, who encouraged parents to always speak Igbo language to their children, noted that “knowledge of one’s mother tongue should be the springboard for the understanding of other languages and subjects. In our commitment to promote the Igbo language and culture, my ministry would soon appoint an Igbo language Desk Officer, to co-ordinate activities for the promotion of Igbo language and culture.

Earlier, the Chairman of the group, Prof. Pita Ejiofor, had informed the Commissioner that they were in her office to congratulate her on her well deserved appointment, noting that the group had no doubt in her ability to bring about the needed transformation in the state’s education sector.

Prof Ejiofor, however, appealed to the Commissioner to use her good offices to ensure the state’s law on the promotion of Igbo language and culture is implemented at all levels of education in the state.

Meantime, the commissioner said the Anambra State Government condemns the continued detention of 234 female students of Government Girls College, Chibok, Borno State, abducted April 14, by the Boko Haram terrorists, describing it as inimical to national development.

Omenugha, who wondered how any reasonable person could conspire to abduct school children who were under tutelage to become useful to the society said: “The Anambra State Government led by Chief Willie Obiano is visibly sad by the ugly development and has since put machineries in motion for the protection of lives and properties in the state.

The government commiserates with the Federal Government and parents of the abducted girls, and as a government committed to children’s welfare, we could imagine the pains they are going through at the moment.”