Obi Japan
Governor Peter Obi: An unrelenting pacesetter
He is also called “Okwute” but I prefer to call him the quintessential Governor that is always on the threshold of change.
If there are bookmakers, political or media pundits, he proves them wrong.
He has a feminine voice that beguile, bespectacled, with a gentle disposition and dogged determination. This enabled him to fight for 30 difficult months before he could recover his stolen mandate from Dr Chris Ngige and in the process, became the first person in Nigeria to unseat a serving governor. With the same vigour, he headed for the Supreme Court, which declared that his tenure in line with section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution started when he took the oath of office and that singular judgment changed the face of Nigerian politics.
Then on February 6, 2010, he achieved what no other mortal at least in the recent history of Anambra State could even dream of, by winning the gubernatorial election for the second time.
Peter (the rock) Obi, a living hero and symbol of change, has done so well since he became the Governor of Anambra State.
Apart from the countless economic development projects that he initiated and completed, Obi has restored peace and stability to a once troubled state.
Governor Obi is a visionary man with proven track record in financial prudence and which has made it possible for him to achieve quite a great deal with the relatively meagre resources that accrue to the state.
Many have advanced different reasons why Obi was re-elected but in my opinion, he won because he endeared himself more to the electorate through his numerous pro-people projects, many of which have been completed.
However, one of his new initiatives, which appeals to me so much is the unique Igbo Language School, a renaissance in Igbo history and culture.
That the use of Igbo, by the Igbo people themselves is in steep decline cannot be gainsaid. This is irrespective of all the efforts of great Igbo language icons like late F.C. Ogbalu. The situation is more worrisome when one considers the heterogeneous and complex nature of Nigeria where the issue of ethnic origin is still paramount.
Language is very important in the cultural, political and economic advancement of a people.
While other ethnic nationalities have come to this awakening, the Igbo are still gripped by the fascination of English grammar even as it was in the colonial era and much to the detriment of their language.
You may love to know that China is a great country today because the Chinese understood the importance of language in any development-conscious society and decided to make Chinese language attain the sophisticated scientific status that has provided the needed catalyst for economic prosperity. It is equally a similar picture in India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand etc.
In Japan, academics teach in Japanese, present their papers in Japanese and do every other thing in their language without qualms. Israel speaks Jewish with pride and throughout the Arab world; it is Arabic that you will hear.
Here in Africa, the Asantes of Kumasi, Ghana speak Asante boldly and if you come speaking English, they will see you as a stranger. In South Africa, the separatist white population became culturally identifiable and politically viable, by using Afrikaans, a corrupt form of Dutch. They did hold sway with it for quite some time but attempts to impose Afrikaans on the black Africans through the infamous apartheid policy came up against a brick wall.
In Nigeria, the Yoruba and Hausa that form part of the country’s majority tripod cherish their language so much that they go the extra mile to avoid any corruption of both languages. This is despite the use of English as lingua franca.
Regrettably, in Igbo land, situated in the Southeast of Nigeria, it is an opposite reality. Igbo land is a place where English is in counterfeit overuse and it overwhelms that even in village gatherings; English instead of Igbo is used and presently, there is this corrupt fusion of English and Igbo in conversation that is called, “EngliIgbo.”
Virtually, every damn thing is either anglicized or swallowed completely by English and this trend if left unchecked will expedite the disappearance of Igbo language in the next couple of decades with grave consequences for the people called Igbo.
In view of this, I congratulate Governor Peter Obi for deciding to take the bull by the horns through his Igbo language initiative which among other things include, the establishment of the first specialized Igbo School known as Ogbalu Igbo Language Centre and the signing into law of the bill making it compulsory for students to pass Igbo in Junior Secondary III before entry into Senior Secondary I.
This initiative, which is also called “Itiputa Suwakwa Igbo”, is indeed a great milestone in the cultural evolution of Ndi Igbo and the knock-on effect on the entire Igbo world-view and quest for economic and scientific advancement is immense.
It is my hope that this Obi’s initiative would be replicated in other Igbo States including Delta State and it should not be a purely government thing. Ohaneze ndi Igbo and other illustrious Igbo sons and daughters including the Diaspora, who have the wherewithal must encourage and support it. Where it is possible, this initiative should be extended in part to other countries (like Britain and the United States) with significant Igbo population.
Surely, the people without a language are lost and one thing incontrovertible is that no matter the level of the pretended Englishness of the Igbo, they remain blacks and Africans.
About the Author
By Benedict Ahanonu,
Japanese Kimono Obi Styles
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