Ohanaeze advised adopting Igbo language as mode of education – The Whistler Newspaper

The South Eastern University proposed by Ohanaeze Ndigbo should adopt the Igbo language as a mode of education to make a difference, Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie said on Monday.

Chukwumezie, the founder of Maka Odimma Ndigbo, a movement promoting Igbo cultural revival, was reacting to plans to establish a South Eastern University by the Igbo socio-political group.

Recall that the Council of Elders of Ohanaeze, last Thursday, proposed a university of the South-East as a means of restoring a pragmatic education in Igbo land. The decision was taken after the inaugural meeting of the Ohanaeze Council of Business Leaders held in Abuja.

The statement was presented by the Chairman of the Council, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

The statement read: “We have made the decision to no longer depend on the government. We made the decision to focus on education because it is in fact the pillar of our development.

“We are setting up an education committee that will look at education in Igbo country in the past as it is today and what we want in the future.

“It is likely that when the committee presents its report, we will build a university in the South East which will specialize in medicine, engineering, science and technology and the acquisition of skills.

“It’s because skill acquisition is very important today, so that our employees can learn entrepreneurial skills. In the past, the Igbo reflected the history of a people who, by the grace of God, overcame many obstacles to occupy a high position in Nigeria in 1960 when the country gained independence.

Chukwumezie said adopting the Igbo language as the medium of instruction at the proposed university would help revive the rich Igbo culture and restore the eroding Igbo language.

In his opinion, there are many public and private universities in the Igbo country, adding that Ohanaeze should instead create a university with a developmental and revolutionary difference.

Quoting him, “There are many universities in Igbo territory and more than 50% belong to state governments, Igbos, religious groups in Igbo country, etc. So these are Igbo universities.

“Unless Ohanaeze is planning to establish a university that will have the Igbo language as the language of instruction, they should instead think of more necessary things to do like creating jobs, improving health care, restoring security, etc

“It will enthrone a strong Igbo foundation globally. Take China and Japan as examples, they have developed their technologies using their languages, so there is no language barrier.

“A mechanic can go to college and teach his skills to students. It will make us think Igbo, act Igbo and promote Igbo.

“Africa today is at a crossroads because of the confusion of not developing their cultures and applying them to technology. They are therefore neither Africans nor Westerners.

“What confusion is greater than that? A copy remains a copy among many other copies and an original remains the original.

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