…Move to revive Igbo language, culture

By Steve Oko

UMUAHIA – Igbo women, have expressed furry over the extra-judicial killings in Anambra State, urging Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to do everything within his powers to stop the menace.

Igbo women who spoke under the aegis of Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, urged the Governor to call to order, operatives of the state’s security outfit, Agunechema, and ensure that their operations align with the extant laws of the land.

This is as IWA has called on Igbo women home and abroad, to communicate with their children in Igbo language to avoid the language going into extinction as already predicted by the United Nations.

IWA which is holding series of events in partnership with the UN in Umuahia on February 21 as part of activities marking the Mother Tongue Day, said that “the survival of Igbo language is in the hands of Igbo women”.

Addressing a press conference Thursday in Umuahia, Abia State capital, the National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, commended the spirited efforts of the Governor to rid Anambra of criminal elements, but expressed concern over the modus operandi of the Agunechema security outfit.

She said that the security outfit could arrest suspected criminals but should hand the suspects over to police for investigation and prosecution.

The IWA President argued that summary execution of youths and tagging them criminals would no longer be tolerated by Igbo women who gave birth to the victims.

She, therefore, sought the Governor’s intervention to save innocent youths from falling victims of extra-judicial killings by overzealous security operatives.

” Bloodletting in Anambra is getting out of hand. Arrest suspects and hand them over to the police for investigation, don’t kill them. Parking youths inside trucks and taking them away to be slaughtered is not the way to go.

” We commend the Governor for the crack down on criminals but he must please ensure that innocent youths are not wasted.

” Gov. Soludo, please stop the killings. Agunechema has the right to arrest but has no right kill.  There’s so much bloodshed in Anambra, and we, the mothers in Igbo land are worried, and want it to stop. And it has to stop now”.

On the Mother Tongue Day event, Lolo Nneka said a lot of activities had already been lined up to help trigger the debate for urgent revival of Igbo language and culture.

She encouraged parents especially mothers, to introduce the mother tongue to children at their formative years, so they can be well grounded in their language and culture.

Lolo Nneka who revealed that IWA already had two schools in Lagos “where the Igbo language is taught,” appealed to women and Igbo stakeholders to join IWA in the crusade to revive Igbo language and culture.

” In 2006, the UN predicted that Igbo language could go into extinction in 25 years. We have about six years to the deadline but we have vowed to prove them wrong.

” How can the language of over 40 million people scattered all over the world die? Not in our time! We, therefore, want evey mother to speak Igbo to her children wherever they are. Other tribes like the Yoruba and Hausa are very proud of their language but many Igbo mothers prefer English to their mother tongue.

” This error has to stop. Mothers should be held responsible if Igbo language dies because they are the custodians of language. That you are living outside Igbo land is not any excuse that you should not speak Igbo to your children. Time has come for every Igbo woman to join the crusade”.

She decried the imposition of Yoruba language on Igbo children in Lagos schools, arguing that children should be allowed to speak their own mother tongue and not forcing the language of their host tribe on them.

The IWA President, hinted that the Mother Tongue Day celebration in Abia would be attended by the wives of the five South Eastern states, as well as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator John Azu-Mbata, among other dignitaries in Igbo land.

The event, according to her will be co-chaired by the former Secretary to State Government, SSG, Abia State, Professor Mkpa Agu Mkpa; and the former Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Professor Hilary Edeoga.

Other dignitaries expected at the event include Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; heads of schools, clergymen, traditional rulers, students and other stakeholders in society.

The IWA President was flanked by members of the Abia State executive including its Chairperson, Dr Nene Iroakasi; former Commissioners, Lady Chinedum Brown; Lady Elizabeth Uhegbu; among others, during the press conference.

Later during a courtesy visit to an elder statesman and former SSG, Abia State, Dr Eme Okoro, the octogenarian commended IWA for championing the campaign for the revival of Igbo language, and declared full support for the group.

Dr Okoro who pioneered Agricultural Development Programme, ADP, in the state, urged IWA to also mobilize Igbo women to engage in mechanized farming to enhance their economic wellbeing.