the Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), Abia, said on Saturday that the university would soon introduce the Igbo language as a compulsory course in the second year.
Madubuike announced this at Uturu during the 6th edition of
the Igbo (Uturu) Cultural Carnival, which held at the university.
"By the next two years, the university plans to introduce the
Igbo language as a compulsory subject for all students in the
second year.
"Whether you are Yoruba, Hausa or Efik, you must take Igbo
as a compulsory subject, in spite of your area of
specialisation,'' he said.
Madubuike described the Igbo language as the ''soul of the
culture of Ndigbo,'' adding that the disappearance of the
language would mean the ultimate death of the culture.
Earlier, the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra state, Igwe
Laz Ekwueme, called for concerted efforts by people of the
South-East to save the Igbo language from going extinct.
Ekwueme, who was the chairman of the carnival, expressed
regret that the Igbo language was under serious threat, due to
the decline in its usage as a means of communication in
various families.
He noted that many families of Igbo origin preferred to
communicate in foreign languages, especially the English
language, with their children.
"More often, nowadays, you find many parents communicating with their children and relations in the English
language, rather than the Igbo language,'' he said.
Ekwueme regretted that the development was capable of
endangering the Igbo language, if not promptly checked.
The monarch, who was a former Minister of Education,
commended the Chancellor of the University, Dr. Greg Ibe,
for initiating the carnival.
"Anything that is done to encourage the sustenance of the
Igbo language and culture would be encouraged," he said.
Ekwueme noted that the event would add value to similar
efforts designed to re-establish and reinforce the Igbo culture.
He urged governors in the zone to rally support toward the
sustenance of the culture and the language of Ndigbo by
identifying with the carnival.
Prof. Barth Chukwuezi, a director in the National Commission
for Museums and Monuments, expressed delight that the Igbo
cultural heritage and artefacts could be found in abundance in
Uturu.
Chukwuezi, who is the Head, Educational Services and
Training, said that the commission often encouraged the
people to communicate in their native languages during its
outreach programmes.
He noted that the Igbo language ranked among the few native
languages in the country facing serious threats of possible
extinction and called for urgent steps to stem the tide.
"Once a people's language and culture go extinct, then the
people literally cease to exist,'' Chukwuezi said.
He advised parents to encourage the use of the Igbo language
in their homes, as a major means of communication with their
offspring, to save the language from dying.
The initiator and sponsor of the carnival said that the
objective of the yearly event was to provide a platform for the
transmission of Igbo culture from one generation to another,
among others.
He said that the theme of this year's carnival: ''Ibu anyi
danda'' (meaning ''resilience and the indomitable spirit'') of
Ndigbo, underscored the numerous challenges and struggles
faced by the Igbo man.
Ibe noted that God had always rewarded the Igbo man with
huge success in his vocations and determination to succeed in
life.
The Chancellor explained that the ceremony was organised as
''our contribution to the cultural heritage of mankind''.
He described the celebration of a people's culture as ''the
celebration of their history, civilisation and the totality of their
way of life''.
The lecture on the theme was delivered by a renowned author
and publisher, Mr Chinedum Ofomata.
Highlights of the ceremony included cultural dances by
various dance groups from 16 states of the federation.
Different kinds of masquerades, including ''Ijele'' and ''Atu''
from Anambra, took turns to perform at the event, which
attracted a large crowd from within and outside the country.
Via: NAN
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