Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike, Director, Igbo
Renaissance at the Gregory University,
Uturu, Abia, said on Saturday that the
university would soon introduce the Igbo
language as a compulsory course in the
second year.
Madubuike announced this at Uturu during
the 6th edition of the Igbo (Uturu) Cultural
Carnival, which held at the university.
“By the next two years, the university plans
to introduce the Igbo language as a
compulsory subject for all students in the
second year.
“Whether you are Yoruba, Hausa or Efik, you
must take Igbo as a compulsory subject, in
spite of your area of specialisation,” he said.
Madubuike described the Igbo language as
the “soul of the culture of Ndigbo,” adding
that the disappearance of the language
would mean the ultimate death of the
culture.
Earlier, the traditional ruler of Oko in
Anambra state, Igwe Laz Ekwueme, called
for concerted efforts by people of the South-
East to save the Igbo language from going
extinct.
Ekwueme, who was the chairman of the
carnival, expressed regret that the Igbo
language was under serious threat, due to
the decline in its usage as a means of
communication in various families.
He noted that many families of Igbo origin
preferred to communicate in foreign
languages, especially the English language,
with their children.
“More often, nowadays, you find many
parents communicating with their children
and relations in the English language, rather
than the Igbo language,” he said.
Ekwueme regretted that the development
was capable of endangering the Igbo
language, if not promptly checked.
The monarch, who was a former Minister of
Education, commended the Chancellor of the
University, Dr. Greg Ibe, for initiating the
carnival.
“Anything that is done to encourage the
sustenance of the Igbo language and
culture would be encouraged,” he said.
Ekwueme noted that the event would add
value to similar efforts designed to re-
establish and reinforce the Igbo culture.
He urged governors in the zone to rally
support toward the sustenance of the
culture and the language of Ndigbo by
identifying with the carnival.
Prof. Barth Chukwuezi, a director in the
National Commission for Museums and
Monuments, expressed delight that the Igbo
cultural heritage and artefacts could be
found in abundance in Uturu.
Chukwuezi, who is the Head, Educational
Services and Training, said that the
commission often encouraged the people to
communicate in their native languages
during its outreach programmes.
He noted that the Igbo language ranked
among the few native languages in the
country facing serious threats of possible
extinction and called for urgent steps to
stem the tide.
“Once a people’s language and culture go
extinct, then the people literally cease to
exist,” Chukwuezi said.
He advised parents to encourage the use of
the Igbo language in their homes, as a
major means of communication with their
offspring, to save the language from dying.
The initiator and sponsor of the carnival
said that the objective of the yearly event
was to provide a platform for the
transmission of Igbo culture from one
generation to another, among others.
He said that the theme of this year’s carnival:
“Ibu anyi danda” (meaning “resilience and
the indomitable spirit”) of Ndigbo,
underscored the numerous challenges and
struggles faced by the Igbo man.
Ibe noted that God had always rewarded
the Igbo man with huge success in his
vocations and determination to succeed in
life.
The Chancellor explained that the ceremony
was organised as “our contribution to the
cultural heritage of mankind”.
He described the celebration of a people’s
culture as “the celebration of their history,
civilisation and the totality of their way of
life”.
The lecture on the theme was delivered by a
renowned author and publisher, Mr
Chinedum Ofomata.
Highlights of the ceremony included cultural
dances by various dance groups from 16
states of the federation.
Different kinds of masquerades, including
“Ijele” and “Atu” from Anambra, took turns
to perform at the event, which attracted a
large crowd from within and outside the
country.
Source: Punch