One Problem With Some Igbo People Of Nigeria

One evening, I was on a bus returning home from Lekki, and there was this man seated next to me. He was an Igbo man and I knew that from the way he spoke to the woman seated next to him and in the way he talked with someone on the phone.

 At first, we were discussing Nigerian politics and some problems of Nigeria and, we moved to some of the reasons why Lagos was too congested. He told me that since there are Ports in Calabar,  Port Harcourt and Warri, he thought that government should make those ports functional so that people can leave Lagos and carry their business transactions in other cities since a lot of people are in Lagos because of the seaport.  When I learnt that he was from my zone,  Abia state, I switched from English to the Igbo language to make our conversation more homely and enjoyable but he never replied in Igbo, rather he replied with the  English language. When I spoke Igbo to him again, he replied with English. Then I got tired of him replying with the English language then I stopped the conversation.

"In many parts of the world, languages are in danger of going extinct. It might be tempting to believe that English has become the lingua franca of global business and the Internet, but when languages die, the loss has repercussions far beyond simply the loss of a lexicon. Individuals lose out on the ability to contribute to the marketplace of ideas, businesses stand to lose a customer base, and an important connection to culture is lost." -Missi Smith.

Igbo people need to learn the act of being proud of their roots and appreciate their culture just as the Yoruba and the Hausa. If you are Ignorant and you are not proud of where you come from or the language, I think there is something wrong with you somewhere. I wonder why you would not be proud of where you come from.  You didn't choose your tribe yourself,  God did. This happens also when you find yourself in Alaba International market or Idumota market in Lagos to buy things, once you speak Igbo to a fellow Igbo man,  he won't reply with Igbo because he may likely think that once he does that, you will beat down the price of the commodity you intended buying.  Or rather, that he would not sell the goods the way he planned to sell it. And these men are full-fledged Igbo men who ought to be the one to uphold this language and culture that is going into extinction.

In my village Nkporo, once it is Christmas season and you happen to be in the village, you will assume that English and Yoruba language are the official languages there. Those Igbo children born in Ghana, Benin Republic and Lagos can't speak the Igbo language.  Even the majority of Children born in Lagos cannot speak Igbo Language but can speak Yoruba and English Language fluently. It hurts me a lot to see the parents of these young ones commending and appreciating them on how fluent they are in English and Yoruba language against their own language. Hence, we talk about unity amongst our people of Eastern Coast.  We talk about upholding our relationship with one another while those things that bring us together are no more of value to our people.

The most bitter part of this is that our parents also take part in this. I have seen an Igbo father communicating with his son in the Yoruba language while this so-called boy can not even say a word or speak Igbo but the father can,  then why is he communicating in a strange language with his son?. 

Although, there are many reasons why languages die. The reasons are often political, economic or cultural in nature. Speakers of a minority language may, for example, decide that it is better for their children’s future to teach them a language that is tied to economic success. But we shouldn't allow our to die.

I stopped going to my town meeting because of this. I won't be in a meeting where we are supposed to use the Igbo language to deliberate on our issues and someone is communicating with us in a strange language. It is disgusting! Shame on us!  Shame on those parents who prefer English to the Igbo Language?  Shame on you fathers whose children are all grown up but cannot speak Igbo!  I know it means nothing to you,  yes,  some people have said that to me. But I think it is necessary we tackle this issue now before it gets out of hand. It is very annoying, very annoying when you meet a brother speak Igbo to him and he behaves like you are speaking Chinese to him. And sometimes, he won't even reply. Remember, this language is our freedom. It is the only thing that can unite us as one body. A language that can keep us safe from our foes, would you allow this language to go into extinction? Would you not pass it to the next generation? Won't you keep this culture blossoming day in day out?  We now have modern Igbo language, a fusion of 80% of English language and 20% of Igbo language together.

This is not common with the Yoruba people and Hausa people let alone the other minor tribes in Nigeria. In Yoruba land, the first language most Yoruba children learn from their parents is the Yoruba language. It is same as their culture but this is not what we see among those parents living abroad.  An Igbo mother in Lagos State prefers teaching her son how to speak English than the Igbo language. The other one in the USA prefers teaching her daughter the western culture to that of Igbo. It doesn't matter where the children were born or raised. Asa, one of the finest artists I have grown up to know was born in Paris and although she relocated with her parents and grew in her state, Ogun, she went back to France to kickstart her music career in the 2000s. Despite this, she is one of the best Yoruba singers. The likes of Brymo, Beautiful Nubia among others are doing great lifting their cultures home and abroad. Today,  Contemporary writers like Tomi Adeyemi, and the rest are writing adventurous stories with Yoruba myths serving as their materials. All over universities in the US and UK, Yoruba culture and Ifa mythology are being studied. I have once watched a video about eleven years ago of some Cuban guys living in Cuba who practised the Yoruba religion. It is that widespread because the Yoruba value their roots.

In Igbo land, we still prohibit our children from speaking Igbo in school, we say it is vernacular and these students graduate without learning how to speak or write the Igbo language. What will happen to this language in the next fifty years to come?  Some Igbo children born and bred in Port Harcourt cannot even speak Igbo how much more know anything about their roots. And the Igbos born and bred in Lagos have made the Yoruba language their language. Over 40% of Agbero in Lagos State are Igbos who have served and nationalized themselves as Yoruba.  Igbo people need to learn and be educated on how to preserve their language and culture from other tribes in Nigeria especially the Yoruba and Hausa People! I don't know why the Igbo language is not made compulsory for all the students in the Eastern zone!  I don't know why a young man who graduated from a college in Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, Ebonyi and Owerri cannot write the Igbo language! Why? Why? Please, can someone explain why? 

By John Chizoba Vincent

chizobavincent@gmail.com

T.Y. Bello's Song "Cold" : A Reflection Of What We Have Become.

I have always admired this particular woman not just because she is a singer, but because of the depth in all her songs. She is an accomplished photographer that sees through the eyes of a lens. She single-handedly changed the story of the bread seller, Olajumoke years ago.

I remember one of her songs which was a celebration of the late Octogenarian, Mama Ekundayo. She went on to showcase the beautiful aspect of motherhood, and how Mama Ekundayo raised hundreds of kids that were not even hers. You can rarely find such noble actions in this society that is fast becoming selfish.

That was the length T.Y. Bello would go to tell the world stories of happenings in our society. Her music and videos are backed up with research and when the lyrics are broken down into lines, you must definitely feel the impact and get lost when trying to find yourself.

From 'The Land Is Green', which took Nigerians by the storm to 'Ekundayo',  'Jesus Jesus' and now 'Cold'. I had downloaded the song 'Cold' months ago before I finished National Youth Service, but I just did not have time to listen to it. So today, while I was looking for a music to listen to that, will ignite my muse and make me write better, I stumbled on 'Cold' by T.Y. Bello. This particular song called on the sleeping Soldiers (not just the Soldiers, but the Citizens also) to wake up to their responsibilities. 

The song shares what is now fast trending in our society. Every man for himself. We are all trying to make money, jostle for power, have fun and make love here and there. So much so that we even forgot that there are wars going on in the North East, the Fulani Herdsmen killing in the Middle-Belt, while hundreds of Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB members have been killed and arrested by the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police. 

 "Give us heart and flesh O God, a true burning for men O God."

This line will touch anyone who still has a conscience left in him. It is a plea to God to give us heart and flesh to be able to see the sufferings of people around us. Nigeria and Nigerians are increasingly becoming selfish, as long as their immediate family is doing great, the rest can go to hell. How are we going to move forward with this kind of attitude?

Our Politicians grew up with this mentality, that is why I don't blame them. When they get into office, all they do is amass wealth and steal funds that even their unborn generations cannot finish spending.

Do you know that your Politicians, after leaving office, retire with different packages which include; houses, cars, drivers, cooks and so on? Now I can confirm to you that it is true.

Have you ever asked yourself why your present Governors picked up their party tickets to run for the National Assembly? If they succeed, they will collect all the lifetime benefits listed above and they still collect many other benefits as a Senators even after their exit from the National Assembly.

 "Have mercy Lord, we are cold, we've turned away from the crying, we've turned away from the dying. So we run, run after money, we run, run, run after power."

Yes in the West here, and every other part of Nigeria that is free from attacks by these demon blood-sucking terrorists and killers. We have turned away from the sad realities of the inhabitants of those in these precarious situations. Indeed I have listened to many people saying that the Northerners are killing themselves to acquire Power. While this may be true, it may also be false.

What about the innocent ones who were massacred in a Catholic church in Benue?

What about those in the IDP camps scattered across different parts of Nigeria?

What about those kids who did not have the means to go to school in your own locality?

What about those kids that ordinarily should be in School and not in the streets hawking?

What have you done to help the situation?

What about those poor women who toil daily to make a living?

How about those boys and girls of tomorrow who don't know where their next meal will come from?

How about you lending a helping hand to that blind man that needs to cross to the other side of the road?

How about you check on your loved ones that you've never called in a year, months and in days?

How about you give a smile to that little employee working with you?

Nigeria is currently ranked the world capital of poverty, but automobiles fill our streets in droves. 

Have you ever visited big eateries like SHOPRITE, KFC, MR BIGGS and so on and see the population that throng their buildings every day?

Where do they get the money?

Are we truly poor as a Nation?

Now do not get me wrong, I am not saying that you should not spend your money, you earn it, so you should spend it. But at the same time, also remember the people in your environment who need help.

There are foreign men and women who would leave their comfort zone to Nigeria to help educate our youths, teach children, give them scholarships, help in cases of disasters. But it saddens my heart these days to see Nigerians who claim to be religious but in the true sense of the word, they are Godless. Some of these whites don't even believe in God, but they are ready to help, even to sell their house to make sure their neighbours, not just their neighbours are alive and well. But look at our very religious Nigerians, look at the Churches, Mosques Pastors and Imams, what do you see?

If we are going to build a sustainable economy, if we are going to have relative peace, we must start investing in the people. If we don't, these forgotten souls will one day raise an army of killers against us.

TY-Bello song 'Cold' is what we all need to listen to, and re-evaluate our lives, change our mindset about Money, about wealth and life in general.

By Adetayo Omotoyosi Adeolu
 omotoyorsiiadeolu@gmail.com

Adetayo Omotoyosi Adeolu is a Writer, Poet, Digital Marketer and a Laptop Specialist based in Lagos, Nigeria.