By Egufe Yafugborhi

WARRI—RENOWNED sociologist, Prof. Peter Ekeh, has faulted Federal Government’s recognition of only three of the nation’s languages, saying the resultant cultural damage is leading to a gradual extinction of several minority languages.

Ekeh, Professor of African-American Studies and President, Urhobo Historical Society, UHS, raised the issue, in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, in a lecture titled “The Uniqueness of Olomu and its King,” in honour of HRM R. L. Ogbon, Ogoni Oghoro I, Ohworode of Olomu, who is celebrating his centenary birthday.

He said: “Go to Jos, many of the indigenous languages are gone. Some are dying as people do not speak them anymore, because of how the Federal Government restructured things. Government recognizes three languages: Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa. Some conversations should go on among the minority tribes. A serious conversation should go on among the Urhobo people. We do not seem to understand the cultural impact it has on us. If you lose a language, you lose much. If your child has anything to do and has no language other than English or somebody else’s language, it hurts. The Federal Government should do something in this regard.”