Ooni wants indigenous languages for instruction in schools

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11 has stressed the need for the Yoruba at home and in the diaspora to place premium on the speaking and teaching of their language if the race is to make appreciable progress in the comity of nations.

Besides, the monarch has also advocated the use of indigenous languages as means of instruction in the nation’s private and public schools saying such would enhance proper understanding and rapid development of the country particularly in the area of technological breakthrough.

The Ooni spoke on Sunday at this year’s ‘’Mother Tongue Day’’ celebration held at Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall, Enuwa, Ile Ife, Osun state.

He charged the Yorubas to embrace their indigenous language and give it the needed attention, warning that failure to do so might portend serious danger to the survival of the language.

The monarch also advocated the use of Yoruba mother tongue as means of instruction in both private and public schools for a proper understanding of their studies as it is done in other climes.

Tracing the etymological history of languages, Oba Ogunwusi noted that the most spoken languages all over the world today like English had their origin in Yoruba language.

He condemned the situation where foreign languages are being giving more attention over the Yoruba language, which he said is
richer and deeper in content.

He observed that despite the chequered history of Yoruba race with slavery and slave trade wherein their brethren were taken to America and Europe and forced to work in the sugarcane farms, the development did not obliterate the use of their mother tongue completely.

Oba Ogunwusi therefore charged the Yoruba home and in the Diaspora to remember their roots and pay special attention to the resuscitation, sustenance and growth of their mother tongue if they wanted to sustain their cultural identity and heritage within the global community.

He said the Yoruba as a race is unique as they are descendants of Oduduwa just as the Jews are unique as descendants of Jacob.

This unique attribute, the monarch noted has so much to do on their mother tongue, which makes it distinctive from other languages all over the world.

Oba Ogunwusi enjoined the Yoruba to always live in peace and show love to one another saying doing so would promote cultural affinity in their places of abode.