Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city
A socio-cultural organisation, the Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), has lauded the federal government over the new National Language Policy which makes it compulsory for the teaching of indigenous languages at the first six years of a child‘s education-that’s primary one to six.
The group noted that the policy underscores the basis of its agitation for urgent intervention on the threat of extinction afflicting the Esan language, spoken largely by the people in the Edo Central senatorial zone, which had gone unheeded by successive administrations, including that of Governor Godwin Obaseki, and the authorities of the 40-year-old Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State.
Commending the federal government for this policy which it contends may breathe new life to the language of many of the over 500 ethnic groups in the country that are presently threatened with extinction, the group in a statement issued in Benin-city and signed by its President, Mathew Egbadon, and its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tony Iyare, said the government’s move to also ensure that the indigenous language is taught along with English at the first three years of secondary school (JSS1-3) is redeeming.
Showering encomiums on the authorities of Glorious Vision University (formerly Samuel Adegboyega University), Ogwa, for commencing a certificate course in Esan Language, it calls on the Edo State Government and the authorities of the AAU to also kick-start the process of teaching the language.
“There’s no doubt that we require hundreds of teachers versed in Esan language and other instructional materials to see this policy through. But the government can leverage on the several texts already written by many authors on Esan language in addition to tapping from the rich exploits of some local people,” Esan Okpa counseled, arguing that once there’s “a will to promote the teaching of the language, there will always be a way.”
The Esan people are located in five local government areas of Edo State-Esan West, Esan Central, Esan Northeast, Esan Southeast and Igueben,
Okpa stated that Esan language and by extension it’s culture is threatened by extinction because many of its people, including those who live in Esanland are no longer speaking the language.
In August 2021, Egbadon, also the pioneer Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, addressed a press conference on behalf of Esan Okpa in Benin-city decrying this, calling for urgent intervention to save the language.
“We wish to call on the Edo State Government to reintroduce the study of Esan language in its school curriculum at the primary and secondary school levels in Esanland. In the past, Esan language was taught in schools and was even part of the West African School Certificate Examination syllabus.
“We have adequate texts and books in Esan language to support its teaching and teachers in schools in Esan land.
“We will make a similar request to the state-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, to, as a matter of urgency, introduce the study of Esan and other Edo languages and culture as part of the programme in its department of Language Studies,” the group stated.
