₦airaland Forum

Truth if not told will sooner than later thrust itself in one's face!

asuustrike2009:
Even in Yoruba movies too although not all. The Yoruba they speak is light

You got my drift! Exactly the reason the piece of legislation is as timely as it is needful.

Klinee:
But how can a State enact a law that is detrimental to those who are non Yoruba speaking lagosians?

It deepens Federalism as migratory patterns are influenced by Laws States choose to enact. For example I do not live in Lagos and will think twice before driving into Lagos in the event of a need to visit so as to avoid running foul of its complex traffic laws. That way Lagos filling stations, Vulcanisers, parking meters and mechanics cum car accessories dealers have lost money they could make from me if I drove. It's a matter of choice. Anywhere you choose to live demands that you blend.

Political statement.

Klinee:
Lagos is a multi-ethnic languages State not just Yoruba and as a Nigeria national, if Yoruba language is made compulsory the same should also be done to other ethno languages that makes up Lagos as a state.

Yoruba language is the language indigenous to Lagos State one of the Federating units under the Federal Constitution we operate. In a Federal System as ours each State can decide to so legislate. Native Americans today are a pitiful example of what it comes to when a people do not consciously preserve their heritage of which language forms a basic block. It smacks of insensitivity and crass disregard for the heritage, norms, mores and ethos of a host community as Lagos is to claim it is a "multi-ethnic languages State" when the settler language is Yoruba. It is akin to the claim by some that Lagos is a "no man's land" simply because the accommodating disposition of its indigenous population made the environment cosmopolitan. The Constitution only allows for a Nigerian to live and make anywhere in Nigeria home but not to dictate to its indigenous people what to do with their heritage. That suggests that a Nigerian who chooses to make a given location in Nigeria his home must blend or have it bland. For example I have found the part of Nigeria where I live good enough to be home though am not a native. It is my choice and I blend. #blendwhereyoulive

WrathOfHadez:
All the French we were made to undergo in secondary schools in Nigeria...how many people remember the language today?

Language is sustainable by culture, power soft or real and influence never by compulsion.

Latin
English
Portuguese
Now Chinese languages were all once global languages learnt for their relevance in the business world, technology and culture.

The Yoruba by their Geopolitical positioning with Lagos as the gateway to Nigeria doesn't need legislative ordinance to maintain the language. 90% of Lagosians speak the language and it's the dominant language in south west even before the English language.

So putting it in a bill is just a waste of legislative time and exercise.

Do you live in Lagos? The typical Lagos resident even if Yoruba responds in English Language more than Yoruba Language. That

positivetaught:
tanx for your observation n contribution, but I'm not suggesting we form a brand new language but simply to make writing some English words conform with our environment for easy understanding n advancement, we can continue using those wording e.g put,sell,bag etc that go in line with our local pronunciations. one good thing is that almost all African dialects follows the same pattern such that anyone who can read Yoruba can read Swahili or Zulu fairly well without learning or understanding them,this means a Yoruba reader can easily learn SEnglishall that would be require is translation n interpretation. This idea came up because I have been trying for long to help my kids master reading English apart from their school studies with very slow success but when I tested teaching them how to read my dialect,I notice they found it easier,I have observe this in many children, learning English as it is takes a very long time of practice n cramming, you would be amazed how some secondary students pronounced some English words but I don't blame them,for instance letter "C' in English can " k" as in carton,or "S" as in certain, cell or "CH" as in chance,change. this is also the case with letter G,you don't find these complications in our dialects where alphabetical sounds remain same even in words so that reading simply becomes a smooth combination of the alphabetical sounds to form a word.infact I have been searching for the technique of teaching kid how to read n write English perhaps you know of one because looking back I remember vividly the trouble we passed through to develop the ability to read n write English but it wasn't the case with Hausa.

Truth is, the matter at hand is not about developing some form of homegrown lingua but about the preservation of The Yoruba language.

Klinee:
This is completely nonsense!!!! Majority of lagosians don't understand Yoruba language. But if they must recognize indigenous language, which am in support of it, they should also try to recognize Hausa and Igbo languages too because of their great population in Lagos.

This is not about recognition of local languages but the preservation of Yoruba language which is the indigenous language of Lagos State. #blendwhereyoulive

positivetaught:
ordinarily this would have been a great idea but on a second thought how would the country look like if this is replicated in every state, rather I will suggest that we should develop our own brand of written English based on our local alphabets pronunciations to make learning easier n faster like the Americans e.g we should spell come as "kom", cotton as "kotin",certain as " satin",etc,the English alphabetical sounds individually n when use in words makes the British English complicated n difficult to learn n teach to children unlike our local dialects. I learnt Hausa in primary school in the north within a year I could read n write it fairly based on that knowledge now I can read most Nigerian languages not perfectly but good enough for the speakers of the languages hearing me to understand which I feel is good enough, let's keep sentiments n pride away n do what will aid our rapid advancement for common good.

I respectfully disagree. First, it is good sense to blend where you live else you become like fish out of water. Second, the language you suggest not having a background in history, culture and tradition is bound to be counter productive with the resultant loss of cultural identity. Take time to look at Afrikaans language in SA. Third, it would lead to people groups scrambling to have their language dominant in the language you suggest because language is about influence. The French forever wish the English language were not this dominant globally. Take it or leave it Britain is this relevant globally because English language is spoken worldwide even by those who pretend not to understand it! Fourth, it should enhance Federalism and political enlightenment and contribute to the reduction of corruption to its barest minimum considering that all politics is local!

LaEvilIMiss:
Unfortunately it is hampered by the FACT that History and Culture has been removed from the curriculum, how do you teach Language without History.. Nigeria is being over-run by stark illiterates in nice suits

History, good to know, is back. https://www.channelstv.com/2016/10/20/nigeria-restores-history-education-curricula/

hatedisplace:
true talk

Hmmmmm. Without passing TOEFL you go nowhere in the bid to access the best of USA education if you are not American.

WrathOfHadez:
A language is only sustainable by its relevance. Never by compulsion.

Making it compulsory will only make students engage it as a mere academic exercise and relegate it for examination marks only.

Same thing happened when itsekiri was lumped into our curriculum in primary schools in Warri then. Most of us thereafter can't make a simple sentence in that language today .

Does the Yoruba language need this legislative fiat of compulsion? No.

Smacks of desperation.

Relevance is a function of usage. A thing ceases to be relevant the moment it is no longer put to use. That exactly is the rason d'etre for the Bill i.e. If nothing is done to stem the tide of the abandonment of the Yoruba language in Lagos State it should soon become irrelevant and unsustainable. Got the point?

Asidethetruth:
This bill is suspicious

I hope is not targetted at a set of people

Tribalism in full blown outft

#thinkoutofthebox

hatedisplace:
our so called culture can't put food on our table. All languages should be scrapped in Africa because it is the reason for our lack of growth. My opinion.

Wow! Not so my friend. To scrap your language is to lose your identity and get lost in the morass that life can be! It is a one-way ticket to mental slavery. One big reason why slave-descended black Americans are largely about nothing and are not one with African immigrant Americans is because they have lost their identity. They know not the language their forefathers spoke and are left to drift in life.

omoelerin1:
This is nice considering the fact that multicultural status of Lagos is having negative effect on Yoruba language and culture in the state. But I thought Lagos is 'no man's land'.

This is not about the no-man's land but about the UN and indeed universally recognized right of a people group to have their heritage preserved. Many appear unaware that language is the basic heritage of a human being and indeed a people group. #mylanguagemyidentity

RussianICBM:
Very easy.
I even thought you wanted to ask something harder like a big complex scientific term.

Some of you actually think Yoruba is a small totally udeveloped language? lol

#adebayofaletionmamind

ScotFree:
I just dey laugh. The yoruba they speak everyday and everywhere, even in their dreams,?? It's in the blood stream. No need to worry about preserving it. It's preserved in stone, blood and genes already.

Just say the Government is looking for more money. The Tax isn't enough anymore.

What is legislated is not left to chance. To be proactive is not to leave anything to chance.

TeamSimple:
Best way to go ... Because some schools now see teaching Yoruba language as a waste of time .. Even the British still teaches English as a subject in their classes.

Time was when Chief Bisi Akande put down Yoruba teachers in their numbers. The LSHA can see better and further!

LordIsaac:
An average home bred Westerner speaks Yoruba-English...hence, that ɓill is useless.

The essence is to preserve the language. Very good piece of legislation. A people's language is life, culture, tradition, future and influence.

Statsocial:
Maybe its not demons afterall. You are just one ridiculous individual. But really don't curse out ppl u don't know before.
There is nothing revolutionary about being insultive or cursing pastors out. If you are a Christian stop it! Foolish people have been doing this from time immemorial from the biblical days of Moses down till this moment. They didn't let the man have rest, they murmur, gossiped and nearly overthrew him for marrying an Outsider who God said no one should. Even Jesus won't tell you that all his apostles are perfect. So take a chill pill because nobody go answer him papa name on judgement day-Whether na Pope Francis, or Queen Elizabeth or Oyedepo you will all answer your name. What you feel about those pastors is irrelevant to God himself and God won't change his mind about them because you said so. Face your own life.

Check his profile.

Bede2u:
Nothing concrete on google about this, just checked. I dont think its wrong to call the north poor considering that its generally known that the British amalgamated north and south to offset north's economic deficit. Why didnt they amalgamate uganda and kenya or south africa and zimbabwe if they were looking just to create a big African country. North Nigeria was the only British colony that was not viable to stand on its own as a country. You need to know also that the British came to what is now Nigeria in 1860 through the royal niger company. They ruled north, south and lagos separately for many years b4 1st joining lagos with south in 1906 and joining north with south in 1914

Just googled the matter and discovered it was Prof ango abdulai made the statement. Well? It's indeed about time we ensure everybody brings something to the table. Oil owners wake up!

He will be duly rewarded!

Bede2u:
lol. Who said this exactly? Where is evidence of this because I knw coal and palm oil major Nigerian export pre-independence and they both came from the old eastern region... which some how was where prospecting was going on. Is it feasible that money from poor north would be used for prospecting oil in rich eastern region?

If I'm not wrong it was Yakassai who said so from the Colonial administration archives. You may wish to Google the matter. Anyway it might be mistaken to call the North poor.

Bede2u:
The north is opposed to restructure for the same reason the west only pays lip service to ìt and doesnt want to pursue it vigorously and for the same reason both north and west want one Nigeria so badly- everybody likes monthly allocation from oil. Who no like free gift? I just hope the owners of the oil will finally wake up and realise who the enemies are.

But it had been stated that income from the sale of groundnuts produced by the North was used as seed fund in prospecting for the oil.

The deed is done. #theNorthtakesnote

This man WAS indeed a Labour Leader and Activist!

Paperwhite:
I wonder why Abacha though gentle looking and slow to speech was that so ruthless despite having an equally gentle and humble wife

"     There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face."
- William Shakespeare in Macbeth.

Fine. How one wished BH financial matters were handled in the same manner.

May Nigeria never come to such a sorry pass. His kind at Aso Rock should be worse and more disastrous than a zillion Rocket Boy, Jonathan and Atiku stdrungk together!

Try the third mainland bridge for real action!

itchie:
I hope you know that the Kurds actually had armed groups fighting for them. The PKK are real armed groups who engaged in a lot of killings and terrorist activities. IPOB has not engaged in armed struggle against Nigeria and yet it is tagged a terrorist group. You can't force a people into a marriage they are not interested in. Kanu or no Kanu, IPOB or No IPOB, Biafra is in the heart of every Igbo man and we will not stop until we get there. It's just a matter of time

I agree.

Iamzik:
Ken saro wiwa and the ogoni 9 would have love to read your submission up here. Alas they were murdered using thesame constitution in use today.

Abacha declared and convicted them of treasonable felony.... Same thing Buhari is declaring Kanu today.

If memory serves me right, Ken Saro Wiwa did not engage in hate speech or did he?

And No..... In a sane democratic society, Ndigbo politicians do not need to be involved for a referendum vote to hold. They are less than 0.1% of the south east population.
Power belongs to the people and not the leader. That is how it should be so that selfish leaders who have been bought and paid for will not keep holding their own people down.

1. What happened to Ken Saro Wiwa CANNOT happen in a democratic Nigeria as it would go all the way to the Supreme Court so his guilt can be proved to the hilt.
2. Power belongs to the people is properly understood within the context of the people VOTING to elect the politicians who become their voice for the elected term of office which can be paused by exercising their right to recall the elected politicians. That is the evidence power belongs to the people. Ndigbo must arise and make Biafra a campaign issue if indeed it is the general desire and we'll see it achieved politicians being what they are. Lately Atiku, a Northern politician has gone for broke by making restructuring a campaign issue for the next Presidential elections. #standupandbecountedforwhatyoubelieve