South-East Varsity: Ohanaeze Advised To Adopt Igbo Language As Teaching Mode

The proposed South-East University by Ohanaeze Ndigbo should adopt the Igbo language as its mode of teaching to make a difference, Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie said Monday.

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

Recall that Ohanaeze’s Elders’ Council, last Thursday, proposed a South-East University as a way to restore pragmatic education in Igbo land. The decision was arrived at after the inaugural meeting of Ohanaeze Council of Business Leaders held in Abuja.

The communique was presented by the chairman of the council, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

The communique read, “We have taken a decision that we are not going to depend on government again. We have taken a decision to focus on education because it is actually the mainstay of our development.

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

“It is likely that when the committee comes up with its report, we are going to build a South-East University which will specialise in medicine, engineering, science and technology and skills acquisition.

“This is because skills acquisition is very important today, so our people can acquire entrepreneurial skills. Igbos in the past reflected a history of a people who by the grace of God conquered many obstacles to occupy an exalted position in Nigeria by 1960 when the country got her independence.”

Chukwumezie said adoption of the Igbo language as the means of teaching in the proposed university would help revive the rich Igbo culture and restore the eroding Igbo language.

In his view, there are many state and private universities in Igbo land, adding that Ohanaeze should rather establish a university with a developmental and revolutionary difference.

Quoting him, “There are many universities in Igbo land and more than 50% are owned by state governments, Igbos, religious groups in Igboland, etc. These are thus Igbo universities.

“Unless Ohanaeze is planning to create a university that will have Igbo language as the language of teaching, they should rather think of more needed things to do like to create jobs, improve healthcare, restore security, etc.

“This will enthrone a solid Igbo foundation globally. Take China and Japan as examples, they developed their technologies using their languages, hence there is no language barrier.

“A mechanic can go to a university and teach pupils his skills. lt will make us think Igbo, act Igbo and promote Igbo.

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

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