Kunle Abikoye
Royal fathers across Yoruba-speaking communities have been enjoined to lead and sustain efforts that will guarantee the preservation of Yoruba Language.
A lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency, Osun state, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye made the submission at the ‘Culture Day’, organised by the Osun State Chapter of the Yoruba Broadcasters Association (YBA),
While expressing worry that Yoruba culture was gradually going into extinction, Oyintiloye noted that to reverse the ugly trend, traditional rulers, being custodian of language and culture of Yoruba people must speak and promote Yoruba language for the advancement of the race.
Identifying Yoruba Language as a tool for development and identity, the lawmaker who is the Chairman House Committee on Information and Strategy hinted that leaders of Asian, Arabian, French, and European countries and many other countries preferred to speak more of their languages in public functions and have it interpreted into English language. “We are very rich in cultural values, but we allow it to be going into extinction by not paying attention to it, “ he said.
Even in our educational system, we have turned our language to a foreign language and term it vernacular.
The foreign culture and tradition have overshadowed our thinking to the extent that the children of nowadays cannot different between their own culture and foreign culture.
“This trend is extremely abnormal and if allowed to continue, would undermine development among Yoruba nationhood. Therefore, our traditional institutions, government at all levels and well-meaning Yoruba people must rise and lead in the crusade to revive the use of Yoruba language”, Oyintiloye stressed.
Commending the Osun government for striving hard to re-establish the use of Yoruba, he said, the imposition of compulsory teaching of Yoruba language in both private and public school in the state would go a long way.
The lawmaker also expressed delight that both the state government and the assembly are working hands in hands for the preservation of Yoruba Language citing, an executive bill, State of Osun Education (Amendment) Law 2014, which specifically make case for the teaching of Yoruba Language.
Oyintiloye also tasked broadcasters to continue to exhibit professionalism through the use of decent Yoruba Language for news and programming. He also appealed to them to keep, type and publish the script of their programmes and news online for the growth of Yoruba Language, urged parents to build in their children the Yoruba cultural values that could propel them to promote the same culture and language.
