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NIGERIANS, LET'S SAVE OUR LANGUAGES

n a recent broadcast by the Nigerian Television Authority NTA, monitored in Atlanta Georgia, USA, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages were advocated for by some Nigerians as the main Nigerian languages to be adopted as the 3 official languages of the country. Among the proponents of this idea were some former Nigerians who have held federal education ministerial positions, but did not see the need to include in the general school curriculums in Nigeria the study of mother tongues a prerequisite for Nigerians children in Nigeria. The same former Nigerian officials saw the need to encourage the study of their ethnic group language and dialects among their people. Now that they seem to be realizing that they failed in duty and obligation during their time in office, they are calling for the adoption of only three languages as official lingual franca for Nigeria out of the hundreds of Nigerian languages spoken by the people. This suggestion is very unfortunate coming from some Nigerians at this time when there is no one, two or three languages that can claim to be main or superior over other Nigerian languages.

It is ironic and a travesty of justice for any section of the Nigerian society to want to kill three hundred or more Nigerian languages for only three. To advocate for the legalization of three languages and make those three the official languages of Nigeria is a disservice and is unfair to Nigeria and its people. There is no one good reason any more to want to recognize Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages as the main languages in Nigeria. For one, the creation of 36 states has reduced every section of the Nigerian communities to a minority. To legalize Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages as the official languages for Nigeria at this time in our life is an act of tribalism and materialistic. Take note that tribalism does not mean ethnicity as is being used by the uninformed. Tribalism as used here means chauvinism (narrow mindedness), improperly cultured and a morally bankrupt idea. Secondly, the three ethnic languages being advocated are dying due to lack of consciousness and because of the self-centeredness, corruption, maladministration and miss-management of the affairs of the Nigerian nation by some members of these ethnic groups. Looking at the over all population of Nigeria, the ruling class constituted by some members of these 3 ethnic groups are very few who have rendered the Nigerian nation to a sleeping giant status in the eyes of other nations of the world. The few members of the three ethnic groups have dominated the affairs of Nigeria over the years to the detriment of the rest of the nation. The greed, inconsiderate, avarice and nepotism should be stopped. Inclusiveness and NOT exclusiveness will prosper Nigeria and Nigerians. Utilizing every wealth of the nation which includes the people, languages and cultures and the natural resources therein will move Nigeria to the height it ought to be.

Thirdly, Nigeria's population is now 140 million and has recognized ethnic groups numbering over 371 (see O. Otitie 2006), and definitely, these large ethnic groups have their different languages and dialects. Do we do away with the wealth and other intangible spiritual values such as philosophy, psychology, science, mysticism, religions, and other wisdom encompassing these huge numbers of ethnicities and their languages for just only three? South Africa, a neigbhour in the sub-region has 11 official languages out of a population of about 43 million. It is inconceivable that any group of persons in Nigeria at this time of our continuing process of political evolution would prescribe a remedy base on a myopic stance for Nigeria. Nigeria at this time is bigger and greater than what three groups of persons would claim as their property. Nigeria has become the property of all Nigerians and that is what it is and should be for Nigeria to gain its proper position in the comity of nations. Those who have ruled Nigeria since Independence have misdirected the internal domestic political affairs of Nigeria based on their myopic and unprogressive views thereby jeopardized the integrity of the African peoples by extension. The group have failed to see that whatever happens in Nigeria impact the rest of Africa. These groups have lost their moral rights to claim the superiority and wisdom of any thing over the rest of other Nigerians. Nigerians need to speak out before it is too late.

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Onima Institute for Tradition USA, Inc has called for the revival, development, promotion and preservation of mother tongues in Nigeria. Onima Institute projects that the languages, cultures, traditions and customs, essence of Nigeria that are currently being allowed to vanish would thereby be protected for posterity. The Institute has developed a comprehensive program which includes the establishment of cultural and educational institutions in which the medium of instructions will be Nigerian. This proposal has reached the appropriate agency in Nigeria for quite a while now. Onima says that a situation whereby two adult Nigerians of the same ethnic group are unable to speak or make complete statement any longer without interjecting or mixing with English, Arabic or French and, children are speaking English with their parents at home is a trend that spells doom for the Nigerian cultures.

It is very important that Nigerians keep, develop, and promote all the languages that are spoken by its people within the Nigerians territory. If more Nigerians are able to speak each other's language it will serve to bring about a united people which all Nigerians should aspire for instead of looking for "unity in diversity" which is not a political sure-game. Nigerians will be a stronger people the more we are able to understand ourselves language wise. It is also very important we come to know why no sane mind should throw away his or her language as a natural gift of the Divine or God. Language is a natural identity here on earth as in here after; it is our passport in life here after. Those amongst us, the many Nigerian religionists, who know and talk about Heaven and Hell after death all the time, ought to have known by now that the individual's language is his or her passport and the key to go through to meet with God for interrogation. As wonderful as He is and as the Giver of all the language, He speaks and understands all the languages, and He will demand the account of stewardship on Earth from the individual in the language he or she was given. It is therefore inhuman and suicidal for one to throw away his or her identity, identity meant by Nature to serve him or her anywhere.

In order to validate our ingenuous nature as Africans, Nigeria ought to recognize all the languages of its peoples as power for the nation and means for development and growth. Nigerians should stop procrastinating and should develop the appetite for long range planning rather than shortsighted planning of national affairs. If Nigerians have embarked on developing Nigerians languages after Independence in 1960, everyone would have seen by now the benefits of such investment. All of our efforts have been directed toward the development of other people's cultures in our citizens which is responsible today for many Nigerians who are speaking English, French, and Arabic languages better than many of the British, the French and the native Arabs. "Mha kia agbede no nwunu ukai tsagbo yei itsoi ya," meaning that we have become a needle that sews people clothes to cover their buttocks but forgot to cloth its own.

Someone had argued that in order for Nigerians to compete favourably for employment positions in the international scene, forums, agencies and world bodies such as the United Nations, English, French, and Arabic should be made mandatory and taught in our elementary schools, secondary and in institutions of higher learning. Yet the teaching of Nigeria's mother tongues to our children is not of a national priority. The idea to place priority on the teaching of foreign languages to our people so that they will be able to compete for international employment is very mundane and highly materialistic. Nigeria should have established a government operated professional language school or institute within the Foreign Affairs Ministry where those who are interested in diplomacy and foreign and international affairs can be trained to compete favourably with others for employment. The preservation of our languages and securing the integrity of the Nigerian culture and people should have been upper most on the mind of our policy makers.

The population of United Kingdom as a whole is 60.6 million; France is 60.8 million and both are 2006 estimates (see TME Almanac 2007). Take note that the politics of the game of number is heavily active because sometime ago, Britain and France were not more than 35 million each in their population, but they have grown since then. Meanwhile they do not expect Nigeria to grow; they want Nigeria to depopulate through drastic family planning or sterilization of its women or castrating the men. However, small in size and population, Britain and France were still able to rule over the whole of Africa. As ex-colonial overlords, they made their languages mandatory at international forums. What stops Nigeria all these years from working to make its languages accepted at the United Nations Organization? That alone, if successful will put a high price and respect on Nigerian languages. The size of Nigeria, its population, natural resources and the human intellectual capacity should enable it succeed. This request and that of agitation for a seat at the Security Council may not be easy, but they are achievable with time if pursued. One of our former Ambassadors to the UN, Hon Jaja Anucha Wachuku was an Orator speaking in English at the United Nations and won a Gold Medal for same. Nigeria also has Professor Wole Soynika as a Nobel Laureate and Professor Chinua Achebe could be a Nobel Prize one day. These intellectual giants did their works in English language having converted their stories from their Nigerian native folklore into English. These feats should instruct us on the powers and strength encompassing our languages.

It has been one of our reasons for canvassing for Nigerian consciousness. If Nigerians are conscious of whom they are and what a Nigerian represents anywhere, Nigerian idea, culture and what have you, will not beg any one for acceptance; people and other nations will compete for acceptance of a Nigerian idea, no matter what it is. For example, many Americans do not like the Cubans but they hunt for the study of Spanish language, which is Cuban. Native Spanish make Spanish an invaluable as a language. Nigeria has the resources to compel others to accept Nigerian languages as something they should learn, but what is other motivation when Nigerians themselves do not care to respect and preserve their own languages? Many Nigerians are materialistic in their thinking and doing. What does a Nigerian language brings to the table? What is the bottom line? What do I gain from learning any other Nigerian languages? These are the type of questions some people without consciousness may ask because such people are in want or need of the knowledge of the intangibles, the invisible realities upon which lay the visible, the tangibles and materialistic world, and most "success" depends on that knowledge of the former.

Finally, one must say that there is no basis for Nigerians to discriminate themselves because the discriminated should not discriminate him or herself. Nigerians are discriminated outside the boarders of Nigeria, a factor that should endear Nigerians to themselves at home in order to survive as a people. All the Nigerians are valuable. Onima Institute is working on the establishment of Research Centers for Cultural Studies, and Youth Academies where Nigerian languages will be the medium of instructions. The Institute hopes that within a limited number of years, products from these academies should be able to speak not less than ten Nigerian languages, and it is possible that within a period of 20 years, a Nigerian should be able to speak many more Nigerian languages. If the languages were not be used, God would not have given them out with the cultures they encompassed. Stop our children from speaking English with their parents at home. It is a challenge, we can make it; Nigerians should be prepared to a point where our newspapers are published in the various Nigerian languages in stead of in English.