I was just reminiscing about the good old times last night(I do this most times) and I came to the sad realization of how our darling Igbo language is fast becoming extinct. These days, the vogue is for parents, even those living in Aba and Onitcha to teach their babies English instead of their mother tongue. This cultural crime is mostly committed by people of the Ibo extraction. If you have noticed, parents from our neighbours, the Hausas and Yorubas make sure their children, no matter where they were/are born, speak their dialects first before the English language. A Yoruba teenager born in the UK or US will always speak his or her native Yoruba language fluently before speaking the English Language. This also applies to the Hausas. But for us, our children have to speak English as a sign of status symbol. If those living abroad can be excused because of some extenuating circumstances, what of those born and bred at home? I remember one day an illiterate man went to collect money owed him by his friend. When he got to his friends house, there was a heated argument over the money and his friend got angry that he started speaking in English. This illiterate man ran back home and brought his son who was in one of the secondary schools to teach his friend a lesson in English. Immediately they got to the debtors house, the boy started, Arise oh compatriots, Our leaders call obey, to serve our fathers land with love and strength and faith... and between each curse, the father will shout asinim ma elee ma sukuul m diire gi ma ofuru ohia, suwa oyibo nwam!!! and when the boy finally landed you will die after my father, his father called him, ozuola nwam, agu oga ji amu nwa ujo??? Last night, I remembered my primary and secondary school days and some of the Igbo books we read then. It was pure fun and I get so nostalgic each time I remember those good old days. Last night, I remembered such books as Utara Nti, Ije Odumodu Jere, Isi Akwu dara nala, Mmiri oku eji egbu mbe, Akpa Uche, Omenuko, Ukwa ruo oge ya, Isi kote ebu, Nti wu nka, Nwa Ngwi puo eze, Ukpana okpoko gburu etc. Students of Alvan Ikoku college of Education will know many of these books because in Alvan, no matter which course you are doing, even if its Engineering, you must choose Igbo as an elective, thus you have such courses as Igbo Chemistry, Igbo biology, Igbo Engineering etc Lol. One of the Igbo books that really touched me last night is Chidi nwa afo nri. I have typed out some of the words I can still remember from that book. Instead of Lion King et al, Ill have to read it out to my daughter as bed time story and make sure she gets to read it herself too. If you can still remember this, then know ye that you are old school, but if you cant, just imagine what you missed! Read with me: ( The title is Chidi Nwa afo nri) Chidi bu nwata di afo iri na abuo. Otu ubochi, ya were puta noro nala nebe akwa. Nne Chidi were kpoo ya si ya, Gini neme gi, gini nesogbu gi, gini mere iji nakwa akwa? Chidi were si nne ya, Aguu nagu m. Oge obula, nri nke ina enye m na adi ntakiri, onaghi eju m afo. Nne Chidi wee baa, kwadobe nri nke ga-ezuru mmadu abuo wee kpoo Chidi, Biko nwam, buru nri rie, ewela iwe. Chidi wee buru nri riwe riwe riwe, ike wee gwu ya, owee jisie ike nerikwa nerikwasi, wee ruo mgbe ofoduru ihe nta ka okwusi iku ume. Owee noro nala neleghari anya, onwekwaghii ike iji aka ya metu nri nke foduru afodu. Nne Chidi wee tie mkpu kpowa ndi agbata obi ha si ha, Unu biko bia lee ihe nke m na ahu ugbua, lee nu na nwataa nacho inwu anwu, odighiikwa nwa ozo m nwere. Otu agadi nwanyi were aka ya tinye Chidi nime onu, gamie nime okpo ya. Chidi wee malite igbo ogbugbo, gbogide wee daa mba. Ewee buru Chidi jebe ulo ogwu. Ndi ulo ogwu wee si na Chidi ga ano otu izu uka, ka ewee wepusia otutu nri ahu oriri. Oge Chidi lotara, otutu mmadu biara mgbaru maka nri ahu ojiri aka ya rie.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 07:42:46 +0000
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