OGUN TRADITIONAL RULERS WANTS ‘COMATOSE’ YORUBA LANGUAGE REVIVED
Ogun State Traditional Rulers on Thursday resolved to take it upon themselves in ensuring that the ‘comatose’ stage of Yoruba language is revived both in academic and social life.
The royal fathers under the aegis of Egba Traditional Council converged at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta for a workshop to delibrate and find lasting solution to the threat on the language,which they observed was going into extinction.
The one day workshop was organised by Village Network Empowerment Initiative in conjunction with the Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs
Speaking at the event, Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland,Oba Adedotun Gbadebo who led other traditional rulers at the workshop called on the Yoruba speaking people of the nation not to regard the their language(Yoruba) as vernacular.
The first class royal father declared and warned that regarding the language as vernacular was a slavery word and should not be used and equally cautioned parents not to discourage their children from speaking their native language.
He, lamented that Yoruba language, culture and values was dying, noting that the inability of the children to speak their own language was causing setback for them in their academics.
Hear him ‘Vernacular is a slavery statement, word of people that has been suppressed . They are putting our children back by saying that they should not speak our language but English language. It is better we speak our language and interpret it in English”
Oba Gbadebo explained that the ability of Nobel Laurette, Prof Wole Soyinka to speak the language fluently helped to translate one of D.O Faguwa’s work, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irumole, from Yoruba language to English Language which has been read by people globally.
The monarch,however, urged Yoruba people to promote the language no only in speaking but also in thinking so that the language may not die.
“Let me also promote Yoruba language because if you think in that language you will put all your thought together in that language, you promote that language because anyone who has no language is a dead person.”
The convener of the event , Towulade of Akinale,of Owu Kingdom, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye stressed the need for the revival of the Yoruba language, culture and values among southerners in the country.
“Our focus is to make sure that we sensitize our sons as we need to revive Yoruba language, the cultures of the Yoruba and the values that we need to gain from it in those days so that we can reinvigorate ourselves with by choosing to those values to eradicate the bad values in our society”,the monarch stated
The State Governor,Senator Ibikunle Amosun who was represented by the State Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, jide Ojuko urged parents in the southwest states to train their children in Yoruba language, culture and morals .
Meanwhile,at the event, the Guest lecturer Oladipo Yemitan spoke extensively on the theme: ” Sustainability of Yoruba Language, Culture and Values Towards Eradication of Social Vices Including Corruption In our Society “.
Oba Olufemi Ogunleye welcoming Alake of Egbaland,Oba Adedotun Gbadebo
Cross section of traditional rulers at the seminar
