DO YOU KNOW THAT YORUBA UNIVERSITIES APPROVED IGBO STUDY YEARS BEFORE IGBO WAS FIXED AS A SLAVERY- SUBORDINATE FIELD OF STUDY INTERFIXED WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES IN A FEW UNIVERSITIES IN IGBOLAND? THE PROBLEM OF NDỊ IGBO: SOME SECRETS I MUST REVEAL.

By

Okoro Mark Ogbonnaya (Maazi Ogbonnaya)

Some might claim that since University of Ibadan is the first University in Nigeria, for that reason, it is not something special if it was the first varsity to start Igbo studies in the Department of Linguistics and African Languages. That will also warrant me to ask, when was the University of Nigeria Nsụka founded? 1960, it became an active varsity. What then were Igbos doing towards their language studies back then?

Okay. Some said that Nigerian-Biafran war prevented studies of Igbo language and other studies, but immediately after the war what happened to the Universities in Igbo land? Oh the university of Nigeria closed down? Was it not after the war that Prof. E.Nọlue Emenanjọ did his masters in Linguistics, with Igbo as a base language? Where? – University of Ibadan around 1972. Were people still fighting then?

Was it not 1974 to 1977 that Prọf. Ịnnọ Ụzọma Nwadike studied Education/Religion/Igbo at the University of Ibadan?

Was it not around 1977 that Prọf. Goddy Onyekaọnwụ studied English and Igbo at the University of Ibadan?

Was it not around 1972 that Prọf. Nnabuihe Ugonna who had his PhD in English did his PGDE in Igbo Linguistics in University of Ibadan and swapped over to Igbo, abandoning English?

Was it not around 1974-77 that Ichie C.C. Ekwealor studied Igbo at University of Ibadan?

Was it not same University of Ibadan that Betram Iwunwa Osuagwụ did a program in Igbo?

Was it not the same University of Ibadan that M.N Okonkwo did a program in Igbo?

Was it not the same University of Ibadan that J. Onwuchekwa studied Igbo around 1974?

Was it not same University of Ibadan that John O. Iroaganachi studied Igbo?

If I should continue mentioning names, Mark Zuckerberg will call me a noise maker. What happened to the Federal University situated in Igbo land where its Vice chancellor was an Igbo man? What I called Linguistic-self-hate and politics caused it. Let me not go far yet.

Do you know that University of Lagos began Igbo studies years before anything Igbo study started in Igbo land? Up till now, I doff my spec for Igbo studies in University of Lagos. Prọf Iwu Ikwubuzo, Prof. Mrs. Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche, Prof. Asoonye Uba Mgbemena, Prof Sam Ụzọchukwu and Dr. Bright Nnabuihe are key heads of Igbo studies in Unilag presently. University of Lagos as I am writing this now offers Igbo more than the University of Nigeria Nsụka people claim offers high in Igbo. I have studied the curriculum of the Igbo study of the University of Lagos and University of Nigeria Nsụka and see that almost all the course codes in Unilag are written in Igbo, while it is the other way round in Nsụka where a lecturer will be teaching an Igbo course in English.

Now what is the problem?

University of Ibadan began to offer Igbo in 1972. From 1979/1980 academic session, Postgraduate studies had already exist. A full degree programme for Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Igbo began too.

In 1974, the University of Lagos, Akoka started Igbo programme as a proficiency and functional language. In 1975, it was stepped up to 100 level courses, and from 1979/1980, session the degree programme in Igbo started. The postgraduate studies started shortly after this.

Coming to the University of Nigeria Nsụka, Igbo was never given a deep respect just as other western universities. Renowned Igbo linguistics like Rev. G.E. Igwe and Dr. O.O Okoroafia taught Igbo in the Department of Languages. Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture fought for Igbo to be regarded in the University of Nigeria, Nsụka. Through the fight of SPILC, sub-department of Linguistics/Languages in the Department of Languages graduated the first set of Linguistics and Igbo in 1978. Remember that Universiy of Port Harcourt started Igbo programmes in 1977/1978 session, running masters and PhD in Igbo. Imo State University started Igbo program in 1981. University of Ilorin are poised to start Igbo programme in 1978, but financial constraint posed a problem. Alvan Ikoku College of Education began Igbo program in 1974. Anambra State College of Education in 1978 began a full-fledged Department of Igbo Language and Culture. In 1978, Federal Advanced Teacher's College, Okene, Kwara State began Igbo courses. In the 1981/82 academic session, the Anambra State Government opened Eha-Amufu College of Education and Nsugbe College of Education and all run department of Igbo. Federal College of Education, Pashin, Plateau State; Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State; Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Ogun State; Federal College of Education, Azare Bauchi State, etc began Igbo studies. SPILC and the 1979 constitution which implies that three Nigerian major languages must be taught, made it possible.

University of Nigeria Nsụka used English to teach Igbo until 1988 when Professor Nwadike came into the services of the varsity and changed it.

University of Nigeria Nsụka promised SPILC to establish the Department of Igbo Language and Literature as they requested in 1980/81. SPILC wrote several memoranda to this institution to start a degree courses in Igbo. It is a perplexing issue that the University of Nigeria Nsụka situated in Igboland, headed by an Igbo man as VC and run mainly by Igbos gave the society a precondition– that is endowing a chair at the cost of N30,000 annually for the first 10 years. Condition before their own language would be appreciated and honoured. We are talking of Igbo language, not Hausa or Yoruba. The question is: how many chairs were endowed by Igbo people when in 1972 and 1974, the universities of Ibadan and Lagos, all in Yorubaland respectively started Igbo studies in the degree courses?

Despite thousands of books SPILC donated to UNN, nothing happened. Today is 5th August 2017, University of Nigeria Nsụka does not have Department of Igbo. Igbo is mistakenly attached as a slave pressed to ruin in the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, UNN.

Ndị Igbo which way my people? Until we know that we contribute quota to our problems, some will continue blaming others for their shortcomings caused by "oke amamihe". The problem of an average Igbo man is "linguistic-self-hate".

Noted.

Ungrateful will always be 1

Rubbish!
Ui started before unn, civil ear destroyed unn, many schools have Igbo department in the east stop misleading people with half truth

Is this the extent that your tribalism has taken you?

The question you should be asking your self is Do westerners travel to other states?
Will any Lecturer be willing to go to the East to teach yoruba?
A Yoruba Lecturer prefers going to teach white people in London Yoruba rather than go to the north or East to teach Yoruba,

Secondly all this tribal sentiment ends here, I have western friends.

You don't expect me to read dat Biko someone should sunmnarize it

Except FUTO all the universities in igboland offers igbo language and they are automatically employed by the state government, radio and TV stations. So stop talking rubbish

prodigy24:
Rubbish!
Ui started before unn, civil ear destroyed unn, many schools have Igbo department in the east stop misleading people with half truth

Did you read the post?
You seem to have comprehension issues if at all you read it.

amliftedhigher:
Except FUTO all the universities in igboland offers igbo language and they are automatically employed by the state government, radio and TV stations. So stop talking rubbish

This is problem. Even the topic you couldn't understand.

Is the post or the topic talking about the school Igbo language are currently taught?

How many of them have Igbo department as a separate and independent department?

Yoruba schools started teaching Igbo language long before it was initiated in east. Take time and read it

MyNewJackeT:
Is this the extent that your tribalism has taken you?

The question you should be asking your self is Do westerners travel to other states?
Will any Lecturer be willing to go to the East to teach yoruba?
A Yoruba Lecturer prefers going to teach white people in London Yoruba rather than go to the north or East to teach Yoruba,

Secondly all this tribal sentiment ends here, I have western friends.

First the post is talking about the time Igbo language was introduced in South East and South West. Or do Igbos need to travel to get their language being studied in their region?

What's hard for you to see than this comment that has nothing to do with the post. I doubt if you read it. The person that wrote it is my friend, he has written several Igbo books being used for both undergraduate studies and secondary school. He studied in UNN and BBC also use him to do some Igbo translations. The name is not uncommon to any one who just left secondary school or who did a course in Igbo language in UNN or south east.

mrphysics:


First the post is talking about the time Igbo language was introduced in South East and South West. Or do Igbos need to travel to get their language being studied in their region?

What's hard for you to see than this comment that has nothing to do with the post. I doubt if you read it. The person that wrote it is my friend, he has written several Igbo books being used for both undergraduate studies and secondary school. He studied in UNN and BBC also use him to do some Igbo translations. The name is not uncommon to any one who just left secondary school or who did a course in Igbo language in UNN or south east.

That is your people for you. The will always shift goal post.

Pigsandidiots:
That is your people for you. The will always shift goal post.

That's the truth my brother. They know how to deviate the topic to score some cheap point

Let's appreciate something for once.




Just check our unis and how they handle Igbo language.

We are our own problems.


Appreciate!!!

Kudos op.