The Director of the Centre for Continuing Education [CCE] Federal University of Technology Owerri [FUTO], Prof. Vincent I. Ibekwe has urged Nigerian youths of Igbo extracts to speak more of their language just like their counterparts from other tribes in the country.
Prof. Ibekwe made the call in Owerri, the Imo State capital during the maiden edition of the ‘Asusu Igbo Ga-Adi’ Quiz competition organized by Queen Jane Chibuzor Nnadozie who is the Asa Igbo 2014/2015 beauty queen.
In the quiz which was contested by students from the Junior Secondary School in Owerri Senatorial Zone, Prof. Ibekwe urged the students to make Igbo language an everyday thing in their lives. He urged them to be proud of it because the future of the language lies in their hands.
Prof. Ibekwe then said that Igbo language is gradually nearing extinction because families no longer train their children with it and it will only take divine intervention, efforts and inputs from everyone to avert that.
He urged schools to be the first point of call where the language will be spoken, adding that having the language as a single course in the university is one of the greatest things that has happened it.
He hailed Queen Jane Chibuzor Nnadozie for her efforts in organizing the Igbo language quiz competition adding that efforts like that will never die locally, but will be celebrated globally.
He expressed his excitement on the efforts being made so far by well-meaning Igbo citizens, calling for more to be done in saving the language from the extinction which United Nations has proposed in 20 years time.
Professor Vincent I. Ibekwe was one of the special guests at the event which took place on Friday, November 28, 2015 at Pretoria City Hotels, Owerri, Imo State. 16 secondary schools from Owerri Senatorial Zone took part in the competition which had Oneb’s Foundation Academy, Holy Ghost College and Emekuku High School emerging winners [1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively].
