The founder of IROKO TV Jason Njoku who said
he can’t teach His kids Igbo Language has come
under so much Fire on the internet The Iroko TV
Boss an online television station fashioned after
Netflix that focuses on local content and shows
Igbo movies has been dragged in social media for
his statement that he made saying that he
doesn’t care that his children doesn’t speak his
mother tongue which is Igbo language. This has
drew the anger of Nigerians and his Igbo people.
In his tweet he said “I Will Teach My Children
Chinese And French Language, Not Igbo
Language”
He added “My children are currently learning
French. Chinese Mandarin will be up next. I intend
for them to develop this over the next 10 years.
They can’t speak Igbo (neither can I). Its okay.
The world won’t shake from its foundations.”
Jason Njoku is a Lagos based very successful
Enterpreneur who is the owner of IROKO TV. He is
married to popular Nollywood actress Mary
Njoku.
Taking ride in his inability to speak the language
and also his inability to communicate and teach
his kids the language , He said he cannot speak
Igbo Language and will not teach his children
too. This situation has made people to start
asking why the African man is interested in
copying other cultures and not projecting his, a
situation that has made people to start thinking
of boycotting his channel because he is not trying
to demonstrate what he is preaching which is
showing Igbo and African content to his
immediate family – charity they say begins from
home.
Igbo is a major ethnic group in Africa , numbering
over 38 million with notable strides in literature,
having produced world Giants like Chinụa Achebe
who wrote the world acclaimed Novel and the
best in Africa “Things Fall Apart” and also
producing the likes of Buchi Emecheta,
Chimamanda Adichie, Elechi Amadi ama so many
more that write their books in English with Igbo
nuances. Having made tremendous strides in
sciences like producing one of the best brains in
Africa in the area of super computing , Philip
Emeagwali, the igbo with their wealth and robust
history are one set of people that are proud of
their accomplishment especially the Biafran War
technological strides which no ethnic group has
ever replicated in Africa has one snag – the dying
language. Igbo language specialists have called
for the revival of the language and Google , the
tech giant has incorporated Igbo in their software
program and BBC launching Igbo language service
lately. For a statement to have come out from a
man like Jason, it becomes worrisome to Africans
and Igbo in particular.
One of the few persons that is angered is an
European lady married to an Igbo man who takes
delight in Igbo culture and language took the first
swipe and fired the first cannon at Jason’s camp.
NwanyiOcha as she calls herself meaning the Fair
Lady said “Learning a language is so much more
than learning vocabulary. It’s learning about
(your) culture. I could never deny my kids what is
part of them. That’s why we are speaking Swiss
German and Igbo at home. Isee!”
Nwanyị Ọcha Cautions Jason Njoku On The Need
To Teach Children Their Native Language … The
Swiss woman married to an Igbo man From
Anambra who is very proud of the Igbo culture.
Salvos after salvos started coming in , Ivy
Godwin, an Igbo lady in diaspora said “English is
working on keeping their language alive. China is
fighting to over take English language in
spreading their language. Why can’t we great
Igbo fight to even preserve Igbo language from
going into extinction? I had my son in Lagos but I
made sure while his father speaks English to him,
me I speak Igbo because he can pick English
language outside the house. Sooo pathetic.”
Ifenyinwa Njoku, another Igbo lady added “And I
was encouraging people to subscribe to Iroko TV
that it’s owned by nwaafo not knowing that the
owner who incidentally bears same surname with
me bụ
o..po”
Omokhafe Ikhana said “This boy is simply lost
and I hope he realizes sooner rather than later.,
I’m Edo and my wife is a Lagosian., while my kids
can’t speak my language I’m happy they
understand their mother’s., still thinking of how
I’m going to teach them mine before they become
teenagers…”
Bonaventure Mokwe said “To be able to have
such an inferiority complex frame of thought
puzzles me, when I equate it with owning a TV
station. No Igbo man cares or not if he elects to
speak Swahili but , considering our unpredictable
society , in the event his TV station becomes
politically targeted, he should also cry to the
segment of the population that speaks Swahili.”
Ikenna Nweze said “He doesn’t know his history
and that’s just the simple truth. A French,
English, Chinese, Arab etc will be ashamed of
themselves and won’t even say it out but
Africans and especially we Igbo are proud to say
that we don’t know how to speak our language,
really appalling”
With the outburst of emotions, logic and cultural
correctness, report has it that a lot of languages
in Africa and other parts of the world would be
extinct if care isn’t taken and the need to ensure
that these languages survive becomes imperative.
As a carrier of cultural identity and knowledge,
language plays an important instrument in
humanity. Imagine a world that we all speak only
English, French and Chinese! Wouldn’t it be a
boring world? Variety is the spice of life and
languages are these beautiful varieties we have .
We know how emotional people can be when a
part of them tried to act “exotic” , but Jason is
as Igbo as they come and inability of not
speaking Igbo might not be his making, he was
raised outside Igbo land and Africa. This is one
factor that we must understand. Also we must
come to realisation that his parents might not
have raised him with the language which isn’t his
making so to say. Do folks cut him some slacks
here? Oh yes !
Jason has the right to identify the best language
of communication and if he chooses to teach the
kids Mandarin that is his right and the kids also
have the right to learn Igbo when they show
interest but what we can’t take away from the
Njokus is that though he might not be able to
speak Igbo which isn’t his making to an extent
but he has demonstrated his love for Igbo and he
has projected Igbo to the world through his Iroko
TV channels which has shown countless Igbo
contents, culture and nuances to the global
community. Though he might not be able to
speak the language , one thing we must know is
that he is an Igbo culture ambassador, he has
demonstrated this more than those that have high
proficiency in the language !
Though, the online TV boss has come out to say
that he is proudly Igbo in different tweet and he
said that he is a proud Igbo, just that hecwas
“tasting the waters” to ascertain the reaction of
his people. In his words he said finally that he
felt so bad that when he was in high college folks
called him bastard. “From 13-17 I spent that time
in Owerri. I attended Azara Egbelu Boys and
Emmanuel College. Those Igbo brothers (and
cousins) basically called me a bastard everyday.”
On the flip side, he continued “My kids don’t
know their English names. They are Obi, Kaego
and Nnenna. But they’l regret not learning Igbo?
Do we even think anymore? I just wanted to see
what the reaction was going to be. 40m+ people
speak Igbo. The language is never going to die.
Please calm down now…I have lived and I think
some would say managed in Nigeria for 9 years,
No Igbo. No Yoruba, No Hausa. I don’t even
speak Pidgin. But now I’m a slave. My colonial
masters have brainwashed me. Okay. I accept.
You are all right.”
Asking question on his “Igboness” and originality,
Jason asked “FYI – I am proudly Igbo yet don’t
speak or hear Igbo. Does that make me less
Igbo? I’ve been to Igbo land maybe 4 times in the
last 10 years? Does that make me less Igbo?
Many speak of fatherland. I have never met my
father. Does that free me of the obligations of my
‘fathers.”
https://etimes.com.ng/jason-njoku-the-igbo-man-that-refuses-to-learn-igbo-or-refuses-to-profess-igbo-anthony-nwosu/

na waw oooo

Efulefu

So, whose children will be watching your Igbo station if every parents decides to teach their children French and Chinese??

Do you have French and Chinese stations in Iroko TV??

Nwanyi Ocha of Switzerland got more brains than our very own brother.. Shame!!

His life, his business. Watch some people carry the matter for head like kponkpon.

What is the use of cultural identity if you can't make wealth out of it?,who local language don epp?,the Americans do have a now extinct culture and embraced that of Britain and now look.If you love your culture so much then go back to grass skirt and bushy armpit

Every mallam with him kettle jare. If he refuses to teach his children Igbo, you teach your own children Igbo naw.. No be wetin person like he dey do?

nwa amu na nka

And this is coming from an Igbo man? What's a shame.

It took a white woman married to an Igbo man to correct him.
Too bad.

Anyway you can't give what he doesn't have.

He is making money from Igbo dominated Nollywood though.

Jcole1985:
What is the use of cultural identity if you can't make wealth out of it?,who local language don epp?,the Americans do have a now extinct culture and embraced that of Britain and now look.If you love your culture so much then go back to grass skirt and bushy armpit

He is actually making wealth out of it.
The people in the Caribbean subscribing to his platform did not subscribe to watch French culture.

They want to see the famous igwe.

I'll teach my children nsibidi









The ancient writing system of our people

The chicken has come to roost .

Foolishman.