By Joshua Olomu
Dr Emeka Rollas, immediate past National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has called for urgent and collective steps towards reviving the Igbo language to avoid it going extinct.
Rollas made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of a one-day summit organised by Igbozurume International on Saturday in Abuja.
Igbozurume is a socio-cultural organisation aimed at uniting ‘Ndi-Igbo’ both within Nigeria and in the Diaspora, and as well addressing issues affecting them.
The summit organised by the 19 northern-states members of the organisation, brought together Igbo professionals and leaders from different background, as well as cultural enthusiasts.
According to Rollas, the Igbo language is the soul and identity of the Igbo people, and preserving it is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
He expressed regret at what he called the sharp decline in Igbo usage among younger generations, attributing it to schools’ and parents prioritising the use of English.
He said that the steady erosion of the language, if left unchecked, poses a serious danger not only to cultural identity but also to the rich cultural heritage and history of the Igbo people.
“It should be a source of serious concern to every normal Igbo person because it is affecting us in our families.
“My children are also affected and every other day I keep making them understand that they need to speak the language.
“It is laughable that there are more Chinese that speak Igbo these days than young Igbo people.
“This is because the Chinese take the language as part of what they teach their children in schools.
“Why can’t Igbo states in Nigeria make the language a compulsory course across the universities and other higher institutions so that our young ones will take it more seriously,” he said.
The former AGN helmsman therefore called for a return to native tongue proficiency by encouraging parents, schools, and communities to stop prioritising English over Igbo language.
Rollas, who was conferred with a chieftaincy title; ‘Ahaejiagamba Ndi Igbo’ at the event, expressed delight for the honour.
He described the title as a call to greater service to the Igbo nation and Nigeria at large.
“I am very excited for this recognition, because I believe I have contributed towards propagating the Igbo identity through the work I have done in the Actors Guild of Nigeria and in Nollywood in general.
“I decided to accept the title when they wrote to me that I will be so honoured,” he said.
Cletus Amaraegbu, National Coordinator of Igbozurume and convener of the summit, said Rollas and others were honoured for contributing to societal progress through their works and positions.
“When you look around, you will see that some of the great men in Igbo have gone; so we have to look for young Igbo men to continue where they stopped, and we have to encourage them.
“Somebody like Emeka Rollas has served in different capacities in shaping our film industry, a powerful vista of our culture,” he said.
NAN reports that the highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the book, “Igbo Book of Records”, a compendium that explores the history, culture, innovation and contributions of the Igbo nation to humanity.(NAN) www.nanews.ng
Edited by Chidi Opara
