Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
South-East Governors’ wives; the newly-elected President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, SenatorAzu-Mbata; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; among others, have been identified as some of the dignitaries to attend this year’s Mother Tongue Day in Umuahia Abia State.
According Igbo Women Assembly organising the event in partnership with the United Nations, other stakeholders from across South-East are also expected at the annual event to 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.
Addressing a press conference Thursday in Umuahia, the National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who gave the International Conference Centre, Umuahia; and February 21, as the venue and date of the event respectively, restated the readiness of IWA to revive Igbo language and culture.
She called on Igbo women to join IWA in the campaign, so as to stop the UN prediction in 2006, that Igbo language would go into extinction after 25 years.
The IWA President expressed disagreement that some Igbo parents especially mothers, are not proud to speak Igbo to their children.
Describing mothers as the custodians of language, Lolo Chimezie urged Ndigbo all over the world, to introduce their mother tongue to their children at their formative years.
Lolo Chimezie who disclosed 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 for the revival of Igbo language and culture.
She said: “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.”
IWA kicked against what it called a smart ploy to impose 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.
Abia State IWA executive members including its Chairperson, Dr Nene Iroakasi; former Commissioners, Lady Chinedum Brown; Lady Elizabeth Uhegbu; among others, were present at the press conference.
Speaking further, IWA condemned the spate of extra-judicial killings going on in Anambra State, and demanded the immediate halt of the barbaric act.
The women, urged Governor Charles Soludo, to rise to the occasion and ensure that the scourge was eradicated.
IWA frowned at the modus of operation of the Anambra State security outfit, Agunechema, and pleaded with Gov. Soludo to call the operatives to order.
IWA applauded Gov. Soludo for his quest to get Anambra rid of criminals but expressed worry over the modus operandi of the Agunechema security outfit.
The IWA President argued that while the security outfit could arrest suspected criminals but it had no right to execute them summarily but hand them over to the conventional security agencies for investigation and prosecution.
“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 Igboland are worried, and want it to stop. And it has to stop now.”
