By Adadareporters
Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie, founder of Maka Ọdịmma Ndígbo, has called on governors of the five Igbo-speaking states of Nigeria and well-meaning people to encourage one Maazi Ogbonnaya Okoro who wrote a physics textbook in the Igbo language.
Nze Chukwumezie, who spoke with our reporter, said the governors should encourage the domestication of the Igbo language in their various schools using Okoro’s translation as a stepping stone.
In his words, “Our Igbo governors should ensure that Okoro is encouraged and start doing the needful in our states. I base my proposition based on my experience while studying in Belgium in the early 90s. I did my Masters programme in Dutch.
“Many of the Dutch textbooks then were translations of English textbooks. Most books we used were Dutch handouts curled from English textbooks. But today they have sophisticated Dutch textbooks.”
He cited China, Germany and Japan among the developed countries of the world where their development is anchored on their cultural materialism.
Chukwumezie further said, “What I am saying is that our governors should use their positions to develop our educational institutions by making them 100% Igbo. Research is best done in your language and cultural background. Look at China, Japan, Germany etc. People with talents can teach students in Igbo. Mechanics, electricians, plumbers, etc can easily lecture students or take them on practicals in our institutions if we have Igbo schools.”
He recalled that as far back as 1991/1992, a priest, one Rev Fr Chimela Okoroafor, was already developing Igbo computer keyboards, and regretted that such vigour “is currently lacking among Igbo scholars”.
Also speaking, a pedologist, Frank Akamigbo, emeritus professor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said, “We should encourage this author to publish more subjects in Igbo language by probably co-opting specialists into his team. We are the only major language group in Nigeria that do not have this policy of teaching our language compulsorily to all students to the Senior Secondary School Certificate level.
“In some states in USA, our children undertake Igbo language lessons. It will never be easy but we need to make a start.”
A priest, Fr Emefiena Ezeani, likened the eurocentric quest of Ndigbo to victims of ‘colonialysis’.
Quoting him, “It is simply disheartening to be aware of the extent of damage, we, Africans, especially, the Igbo are doing to ourselves. Of all Africans, we seem to have the highest degree of ‘Colonialysis’, a mental disease of the colonised. This disease makes the patient (the colonised) have inordinate desires to be like the coloniser, and to have whatever the coloniser has, and to unconsciously reject what he/she is or has, as a people, e.g. names, language. We must change this attitude to move forward as a people.”
