I was very much elated
about the Aka Ikenga-Ohaneze
Retreat of 29th-30th
October 2004, at Asaba. When
I read of the Assembly�s discussions, especially about their concern on the
decline of the Igbo Language and what should be done to revive and revitalize
it, I was deeply touched. I was so moved because I knew that they had touched
on the heart of the matter. At the same time, I was grieved for the fact that
the people who would make the reviving and the revitalization happen, precisely
the Igbo Elite, are not really that much interested in the language as they
should be. If they were, things would have been going on quite differently with
the language.
The Theme of the
Retreat
To begin with, a look
at the way the theme of the Retreat was stated said it all. It does not show a
healthy use of the Language. As Paul Odili reported
in his: Inside Story of Aka Ikenga-Ohanaeze
Retreat, in Vanguard (Lagos) November 4, 2004 , he said that it was clear from
the theme of the Retreat which was: Njikoka: A search
for fresh standards, that the organizers were keen to develop a new direction
for the Igbo nation.� The Champion
Newspaper also reported that: The Theme of the event
Njikoka: A search for
fresh standards, was not well understood by many until
the conference started. Participants, wearing a sober mien, captured the
challenges that have confronted Ndigbo since after
the 1967-70 civil war and regretted that while the ethnic group had remained
resolute in its determination to dismantle all roadblocks in its way to
success, some factors have continued to shift its efforts. The event offered
the people the unique pportunity to x-ray the
peculiar intra-ethnic dynamics propelling Ndigbo and
the teething problems, especially, finding their feet in the present day Nigeria politics.
Professor Ben Nwabueze�s
Ahiajoku Lecture 1985, entitled: The Igbo in the Context of Modern
Government and Politics in Nigeria: A Call for Self-Examination and
Self-Correction, it would appear for all intents and purposes, should have been
represented to the Aka Ikenga-Ohaneze
Asaba Retreat 2004, because it touches at the roots
of almost all the matters that were of deep concerned to the participants. Also
the Paper presented by Dr. Victor Chikezie Uchendu as the 1995
Ahiajoku Lecture�
entitled:� Ezi Na Ulo � The Extended Family
in Igbo Civilization, is another document I think should have also been
presented to the Asaba Retreat.
Ahiajioku ka obu
Ahiajoku?
However, I should
suggest that the word should be: �Ahiajioku�, ma obu� Uviajioku� na oburo �Ahiajoku�! It could also, according to dialect, be: �Ihejioku� ma obu �Ifejioku� ma obu �Ivejioku�, maka
na nya bu
emume bu maka� �Ji-Igbo Putalu Ovu-u (New Yam Crop).
Enwe-kwu-lu ike ikpo ya �Otite
Ji Oku�, maka-na obu �Ji Arulu
N�oku� {Yam Roasted in fire) ma obu �Ji Arulu Otite� (Igbo Yam Roasted in� open fire) ka eji ebido ya.
If the spelling is to be shortened with an apostrophe, it should be: �Ahiaj�oku�, oburo kwa �Ahia-joku�, nke n�aburo okwu
Igbo! It is �Ahia-Ji-Oku� ma obu �Uvia-ji-oku�, which is the very first ceremony in the
Feast of the Celebration of the New Yam, and it is the ceremony of cutting a
large tuber of New Yam with a big Machete by the farmer-celebrant, followed by
the ritual of the roasting of the New Yam over fire ma obu �Iru Otite�! The roasted yam is eaten with fresh palm-oil mixed with the condiments of
Salt and Pepper, Utazi (a type of bitter-leaf), Anunu mgwe (small but bitter
garden-egg), Ukpaka (Ugba) Oil-bean preparation. This error of: �Ahiajoku�, I suggest,� should be corrected to read: �Ahiajioku� ma obu �Uviajioku�; �Ihejioku� ma obu �Ifejioku� ma obu� �Ivejioku�; ma obu �Otitejioku.� ��������
Engligbo - The Malady of Corrupting the Igbo Language with English
First of all, I wish to
observe that the way the Theme of the Retreat was stated in a mixture of
English and Igbo did not do justice to its import. In the Theme, Njikoka � is proper Igbo, but the extension of it in
English as: A search for fresh standards is incorrect, and therefore, derogated
from its meaning. As it was reported in the Champion Newspaper, there was some
confusion and misunderstanding of the general purpose of the Retreat. The Theme
was not stated totally in clear-cut Igbo Language, and followed with its
appropriate interpretation in English. But it was written as if: A search for
fresh standards, is the interpretation of Njikoka. Njikoka does not mean A search for fresh
standards. Njikoka
means: Unity is strength. Therefore, it describes the stance Ndi Igbo should take in their efforts while searching for
new standards or new ways of doing things. �Njikoka bu na
Idi N�ofu kachasi mma (Unity is
paramount or strength); Ijikota Onu n�enye
ike (Binding together gives strength); Ikwukota Onu makalichasili (Standing
together is best). The theme could
have been stated as follows: Njikoka: Ka anyi jikota onu we choba uzo ovu-u
iji n�eme ive! Then will follow the full interpretation of it in
English as:� Unity Is Strength: Unity in
our search for fresh standards is best; or Unity Is Strength: United we stand in
the search for fresh standards. The way the Theme was stated in an admixture of
Igbo and English languages, known as Engligbo, does not do justice to it.
One wonders whether
that error of mixing two languages to express or to extend the meaning of the Theme
was observed and commented on at the Retreat? Could
anybody say that it did not really matter once what was being said was
understood? Was the Theme really understood? Is the confusion thrown to the
participants not what The Champion Newspaper reported as stated above? Would
that be the attitude of the new direction to the new destination for the
language and for the Igbo nation? Would that be the appropriate legacy to be
bequeathed by the Igbo elite to the on-coming generations and to posterity? Is it
not said that an idea is not really expressed and understood unless it is done
in the language in which it is conceived, churned over in the mind and
verbalized?� Also that any interpretation
of a thought must be completely stated in the language in which it is being
interpreted for the benefit of those who think in, express and understand in
that language?
Anglisization
of Igbo - Another Problem in the Use Of Igbo Languages�
I think it would also
be very much appreciated if the Igbo Elite would discourage Anglisization of the Igbo
Language. This is quite a different thing from Engligbo. For instance, in Anglisized Igbo,
the plural of Igbo, referring to Igbo people is Igbos; while in proper Igbo it should be plainly Igbo ma obu Ndi Igbo sometimes
written as Nd�Igbo, or Igbo people. There is also another kind of Anglisization
which has emerged, and that is in the coining of scientific and sociological
terms, such as: Igbology. Now this is an Anglisization of a term referring to the study of Ndi
Igbo. This is quite different from such other terminologies in the building up
of Igbo Vocabulary, such as Mahadum = University; Nkanuzu = Technology as produced by the Society for the
Promotion and Propagation of Igbo Language and Culture (SPPILC).
This new terminology � Igbology
- does not seem to tally with the others.
Undiluted
Igbo Language for Igbo Survival is Sine
Qua Non
Language is a prerequisite
for the preservation of a culture. It is the most fundamental mark of cultural
identity. Without language there will be neither any meaningful interaction nor
understanding with one another within a cultural group or among humankind. If
one does not understand or speak the language in his or her environment, there
will be a breakdown in the communication of ideas, and of actions to some
extent. The individual is unlikely to live at ease in that environment, says
the African Community of Manitoba 2004. The goodwill shared by the people in a
society is the product of language and, as John Locke remarked, human beings
are able to enjoy the society in which they live because of their ability to
communicate thoughts to one another.
The Africans of Manitoba,
Canada
put it very succinctly: There is no one indigenous language spoken and
understood by all Africans. But for Ndi Igbo there
is. There is no earthly or heavenly reason why we should be speaking any other
language with each other except in Igbo, in whatever dialect, in which there
should be concerted effort to speak and to understand one another, without any
embarrassment or sarcasm or ridicule. Language is a major aspect of and the
vehicle of culture and, within almost all African countries, there are distinct
cultures. Likewise, in Igbo culture, it could be rightly said that there are
many cultures within the Culture.� But
the language binds us inseparably together, irrespective of the dialects. It is
a sacred duty for the elite to maintain and strengthen this tie by bending
backwards, so to say, in their efforts to preserve it, unadulterated.
Take note that the Africans of
Manitoba, Canada
report that they speak their heritage languages in their homes and with the
members of their organizations when they come together for meetings,
celebrations or hold general discussions on the telephone. Their language of
communication in general with the members of the larger society in Manitoba
is English. Most of them also communicate with their Canadian-born children in
English, while making efforts to teach them their heritage languages. In fact,
some national or ethnic associations, such as the Umunna
(Igbo) Cultural Group of Manitoba Inc., have started heritage language programs
for their children. They realize that ability to understand and speak their
heritage language sustains a historical and cultural link to the homeland in
the old country. While English, French and Portuguese are second languages to
Africans, they are spoken very fluently and understood very well by Africans.
After all, these languages were the lingua franca under colonial rule in Africa.
So for the Africans of Manitoba, language problems or the ability to
communicate in English, the lingua franca in Manitoba
is not a major headache, says the African Community of Manitoba. Aka Ikenga Ndi
Igbo na Oha
na Eze Ndi
Igbo na Ndi Igbo Nine
should be very proud of Ndi Igbo of Manitoba?
Paul Odili continues in his reporting to say that: Discussing the Igbo history, and
the ignorance surrounding it, dovetailed into the observation about the slow
development of Igbo Language. In fact one speaker noted that Igbos do not feel
proud about their language, and challenged those making contributions to do so
in Igbo. This challenge, though good, proved the undoing of many. Some attempts
to use it failed, because a number of them got stuck and could not explain
complex ideas in the language. It was apparent to all that the Igbo Language
was not a highly developed language�
It would not be paying
much respects and acknowledgement to the SPPILC to
say that the Igbo Language is not a highly developed language. I think that it
is widely acknowledged that the SPPILC has done
extensive and commendable work with the language, from enlarging the number of
the Alphabet to improving on the qualities of the pronunciation of the alphabet
to the speaking, writing and reading of it. One can say that they are not tired
in continuing in their efforts to build up the Igbo Language and its
vocabulary. But one can also say that the SPPILC
would appear to be disappointed in that the Igbo Elite has not espoused the
results of their researches on and development of the Language as they should.
The Elite would appear not to have paid much attention to the spoken language
of their kith and kin and the people they interact with in their home villages
and towns. This negligence would appear to nurture the reasons why they find
themselves in a quandary when they are confronted with speaking entirely in
Igbo. The ability to speak undiluted Igbo is a legacy left by the unlettered
Igbo folks. Also the Honourable Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, from his high
academic pedestal and qualifications, scholarship and political positions, has
also left the same legacy. The SPPILC must be
somewhat disillusioned in that the results of their researches and build up of
Igbo Vocabulary seem to have been trampled on the ground by the Elite and are
left only for use in primary and secondary schools and for Radio and Television
Programmes. In order to be on the right path, all the
Elite have to do is to adopt these new terminology and vocabulary and use them.
Also the need for the production of an Igbo Language- English Language
Dictionary is imminent.����
Prof. Chuka Okonjo, while seeking a
practical way of solving the problem of making Igbo a highly developed
language, was quoted as having tasked the gathering to examine the possibility
of making Igbo Language a scientific language in 14 months. He said the
governors of Southeast should be encouraged to work for the promotion of the
language in schools. Prof. Barth Nnaji, responded that it was
possible because a lot of work had already been done in that regard. What is
left he said, is for the leadership of Aka-Ikenga,
and Ohanaeze to liaise with those working on it and
how the 14 month time frame can be met.
The idea of a 14-months
crash programme to make the Igbo Language a
scientific language is a very exciting one. I believe it is attainable if only
the Elite would cooperate. I know that Prof. Chuka Okonjo will not suggest anything he does not know or
believe will work. However, it has to be borne in mind that the problem of
regarding the Igbo Language as incomplete and underdeveloped has persisted
because the Elite has not really been interested in the work of the SPPILC, and in their prodding to use the language.
The
Onus for the Survival of the Igbo Language is on the Igbo Elite
The onus of making the Igbo
Language to live
on is, robustly, is on the Igbo Elite. This is so because it is they who are
carrying the light which, according to the Motto for the famed West African
Pilot, should be shown so that the people will find the way. The elite are the
people who are expected to take the lead and to show good quality leadership in
speaking, writing and reading in Igbo Language. They are the people who should
be up and doing by translating their speeches and preaching into solid actions.
They should beware of one of the most devastating afflictions of the people
which is, namely: To talk and lay out beautiful plans,
but leave the execution of them with much to be desired. Any talk about
preserving the Igbo Nation and the Igbo Culture and Nation without, first of
all, preserving the Igbo Language intact, in spoken and written forms, free of
any encumbrances of dilution and adulteration, may turn out to be a wild goose
chase. One can make bold to plead that all effort should be made so that all
the recommendations and undertakings of the Retreat would not, in long run,
turn out to be an exercise in futility. To achieve these lofty aims, the onus
must be placed emphatically where it belongs - on the Igbo Elite - men and
women.
It is the Igbo elite that should insist that proper Igbo
should be spoken and applied, by themselves as well as by others, in all
circumstances. It is the duty of the Igbo elite to desist from diluting the
language into Engligbo
and adulterating it by Angliization. It is for the Igbo elite to stop
leading the people, the younger generations and the world, into understanding and
believing that the Igbo Language is incomplete; that it does not have enough
vocabulary; and that it could not express itself adequately.� It is for the Igbo elite to stop giving the
impression and telling the world, by their own performances, that Engligbo and Anglisization are acceptable as Igbo Language. It is
for the Igbo elite to show that Igbo Language is not a mumbo-jumbo or
hodge-podge of Igbo and English languages.
It is the duty of the Igbo Elite to write books of Igbo
Proverbs and Sayings and Poetry and their interpretations in good English. It
is for the Igbo Elite to record Igbo Folktales, Igbo and Folklore and Igbo
Etiquette in books, with their Moral instructions, for general readership and
text-books for the younger and on-coming generations. The Igbo Elite lament
that Igbo History was not recorded in writing, but what they can write now, and
which will go down on record and as classics, are just slipping through their
fingers, due to neglect or the looking down on them as not really necessary or
important. The Igbo Elite is, hereby, urged to: Chova ewu oji tupu ochichi agba-a!
Ma obu: Kwo-va mmili ka odi na ogbugba ona, tupu olue
n�ikpulu-ukwu! That is meant to say: Look for the
black goat while it is yet daylight! Or: Throw the pool of water away from you
while it was yet at the ankle, before it gets to the knee! Or: Make hay while
the sun shines!
Who
are the Igbo Elite?
By the Igbo elite I
mean those men and women of Igbo descent, wherever they may be, at home or in the
Diaspora, who are not only literate but are very literate in English. They are
the people who would have to change their minds and attitudes towards the Igbo
Language. I do not mean the teaching and lecturing for the Igbo Language in the
classrooms, high or low. What I mean is the responsibility for speaking,
reviving, revitalizing, promoting, preserving, propagating, advancing and
immortalizing the Igbo Language and vocabulary, of whichever dialect, and the
Union Igbo as the official version. This responsibility rests squarely on the
Igbo Elite.
I say this because it
is they, the Igbo Elite, the greater percentage of them, who:
prefer, at all times,� to speak in English language rather than in
Igbo;
are no longer conscious of which language they
are speaking in - English or Igbo;
would say that they are more comfortable
speaking in English than in Igbo;
speak the mixture of English and Igbo,
known as Engligbo;
lack the necessary Igbo vocabulary to
explain themselves;
are so conversant with English that they also Anglisize Igbo;
address their Parents, Kith and Kin, Umunna, Ikwunne and Village
Meetings in Engligbo;
think they belong to the civilized
society by speaking only in the English language;
feel they are well educated by speaking
more or better English than the English;
would decree that Igbo Language be not
spoken to or by their children in their homes;
make no effort to speak the Igbo
Language in their homes or to teach it to their children;
forget that one who does not speak an
ethnic language has no claim to that nationality;
forget that one who does not speak the
language has no chance of teaching it to others;
carry on the behaviour
patterns as above both at home and in the Diaspora.
parade their children as their status symbol
for speaking only the foreign language;
belong to the Elite societies to the
exclusion of their own Umunna and Town Unions;
enjoy detachment from the less civilized
native people around them;
have not learned about how to love
their language from the British who love their own;
have not learned from our ethnic neighbours about loving and using their languages.
For
all intents and purposes, do not like being Igbo; and therefore,
could not care less whether or not the
Igbo Language and the Nation survive. Period!
The above modes of behaviour, in simple terms, portray the Colonial Mentality
at its peak. These are behaviours the exhibition and
demonstration of which portray inferiority complex where they hurts. It is the Igbo Elite who must rid themselves of this
malaise so as to be able to face the Igbo Nation squarely, looking at them
straight in the face and into the eyes and saying: I am committed to your
survival!
Promotion
and Propagation of Igbo Language
Thanks to the now late Dr. F.C. Ogbalu and his colleagues in the Society for the Promotion
and Propagation of Igbo Language and Culture (SPPILC),
a great deal of work has been done in the promotion and propagation and
preservation of the Igbo Language, as confirmed by Prof. Barth
Nnaji at the Retreat. A great deal of work has been
done in developing and promoting the Union Igbo dialect, as an Igbo official
and scientific language, and in building up the vocabulary. What would appear
to be amiss is the proper and diligent use of their products and the follow-up
on this effort, as they should, by the Igbo Elite. Hence their statement at the
Asaba Retreat that the Igbo Language is not a highly
developed language. It is this failure on the part of the Igbo Elite that
engenders their feeling of inadequacy in the use of the language. The old and
original vocabularies of the language in different dialects are also being
forgotten by the Elite because they are falling into disuse by the Igbo Elite.
This should not be allowed to happen!
�
Even though the official Igbo Language is now a subject in
Primary and Secondary School Certificate Examinations, which is a highly
commendable achievement, it remains for the spoken language in Secondary
Schools to be properly regulated and guaranteed, not outlawed altogether.
However, one can understand the position of the Schools in encouraging spoken
English only in schools, because it is the vehicle of instruction and
communication in their studies, as much as it is also the language of business
and other contacts with the outside world. Nevertheless, there should be a
happy medium so that: Ka nwa madu ghali
emegbuna nwa mmo (neither the child of a human should cheat the
child of the masquerade), ma obu nwa mmo
emegbuna nwa madu (nor the child of the masquerade cheat the child
of the human). But there should be a happy medium which could be struck, and
that would be to speak more of Igbo, say 75%, at home and the same proportion
of English at school.
Above all, it is believed that the SPPILC
is not resting on its oars. What should be the aim as the end product is the
ability of the generality of the people to speak undiluted Igbo Language
anytime one wants to speak in it. Any diluted version will not be Igbo. It
would be a corruption of the language. Children who are learning the language
should be exposed to the correct use of the language.� They should be encouraged and actually
drilled, not only to understand the language but, above all, to speak it
fluently. There should not be any shyness or embarrassment about making
mistakes while speaking. Mistakes should be promptly, but tactfully corrected
and then move on. A well-known dictum is that: Practice makes perfect! It is
only by one speaking the language that he or she would be able to teach it to
others and, thereby, pass on the legacy surely and correctly. Therefore, the
duty for the use, promotion, propagation and preservation of Igbo Language and
culture to run pari-pasu and is everybody�s
business.� While pursuing one challenge,
the others are also being served. It is accepted that the mastery of the Igbo
Language, by speaking, reading and writing of it, as the only vehicle for
carrying on and achieving all of the challenges attendant to a healthy, living
language and culture, is sine qua non.��
Are the Igbo Language and Culture
Surviving in Diaspora?
As Paul Odili went on in his
reporting to say: One contributor, who came in from the US, noted that over there children
born to Igbo families are in complete ignorance of the language. He added that he
was further alarmed when he discovered the malaise had spread to cities around
the country in that parents do not encourage their wards to speak Igbo. Noting
this ugly trend, the audience agreed that everything must be done to halt the
decline.�
The use daily and constant correct use of Igbo Language by
adults and children will not come to pass by magic. It will come only by
determination, hard work and practice. The practice will come only by way of
individual decisions and resolutions to speak the Igbo Language even to
foreigners, and keeping to it. Ndi Igbo are the first
to drop their language and to speak in the language that the visitors or
foreigners among them would understand. Foreigners, in their own situations
overcome this problem by applying simultaneous interpretation. But Ndi Igbo do not do this, probably, due to the lack of the
facilities. But Ndi Igbo are too ready and willing to
inconvenience themselves in order to accommodate others. They would rather drop
the use of their language as a show of hospitality and broadmindedness than
offend their guests and visitors. This demonstration of hospitality for the
strangers can go to the extreme. They also do it in order to demonstrate how
proficient they are in the use of English. It embarrasses Ndi
Igbo and makes them uncomfortable when the strangers among them do not
understand what is being said around them, while their ethnic neighbours could not care less.
By saying that the responsibility for the promotion of the
language rests with the Igbo elite, I mean that it is with them lies the
challenge to do everything humanly possible to see that the use of the language
is in the forefront. If this feat is achieved with the elite, it will really be
monumental. This would mean that the elite would be speaking the language in
their everyday conversations and activities. They would be reading all and
every material in Igbo that is within reach, making efforts to write in the
language and encouraging others, including their children and wards to do so.
It would mean writing letters and all sorts of other materials in the language,
and encouraging others to speak, read and write in Igbo Language. It would mean
that the elite would internalize this expectation as a challenge and live by
it. It would mean serious resolutions by them, individually and collectively,
to consciously substitute the proper use of the language for English, whenever
appropriate. This responsibility means their resolve not only to speak, read
and write, but also to teach and insist on the use of Igbo Language in their
homes. It is the Igbo elite who are in a position to write conference papers
and speeches in Igbo Language and deliver such papers and speeches in Igbo
Language when appropriate. It is they who should appreciate the lack of merit
in promoting Igbo Language in English. To do otherwise is the encouragement of
the downfall of the Igbo Language.
The answer to the question whether Igbo Language and
Culture are surviving in the Diaspora is an obvious and resounding NO! This is
because the people there are not putting in enough interest and attention in
their use, promotion and propagation, especially through their children.
African languages are different from one another and do not include nor have
any indigenous system of writing, said the Africans of Manitoba, Canada. There are over 800 languages
spoken by the various peoples of Africa. This makes it difficult for the average African to
communicate amongst themselves in their own languages. Fortunately, Ndi Igbo have their own language which is spoken, written
and read. It is not certain whether the Society for the Promotion and
Propagation of Igbo Language and Culture has made effort to establish its work
in the Diaspora. But it is most inappropriate and embarrassing to hear two Igbo
elites talking with each other in English or in Engligbo
and Anglisized vocabulary. Other ethnic groups of
Nigeria do not fail this test as much as Ndi Igbo do.
Why is it so? The simple reason is that, probably, the Igbo elite are not as
proud of their language and heritage as the others are of their own.
Since I was visiting in the USA this time around, I have come to
know of an outstanding case, where efforts to set up a Cultural Center was thwarted by some elite women
and men. The Center, if set up, would have carried programmes
such as for the promotion of ethnic Nigerian culture and the teaching and
learning of the languages, including the Igbo Language. These programmes would have been a boon for everybody, especially
for the children in the Diaspora. This good mind and plan was foiled, but I
hope not killed, by greed for money and lack of foresight. This laudable effort
was disorganized by the personal idiosyncrasies of greed for the money of the
organization by some of their leaders. The machinations of a former president
of this organization, who maneuvered herself back into the office, proved an
obvious impediment to that project as all her own agenda and activities ran
counter to the laudable ones of the organization. The success of this project
would have been to give full support to the efforts of the parents in promoting
and propagating the language and culture among themselves and especially among
their children in and outside their homes. As the promotion and propagation of
the language and culture should not be left to parental coaching alone, it
becomes a real great pity that a project such as the one described above, is
being stifled.
All
Rights Reserved������������
Cite as: Oyibo Odinamadu on the Newspaper report of Aka
Ikenga-Ohaneze Asaba
Retreat 2004 Part One.