Why the Ibos risk loosing their ground
Why Ibos Should Start Speaking Their Mother Tongue Just Like Other Ethnic Groups In Nigeria
The Ibos are one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria, where by making their language one of the majors out of the three major languages in Nigeria
Three major languages in Nigeria are;
· Igbo
· Hausa
· Yoruba
You might already be wondering why I use Ibo and Igbo.
Igbo is the language the Ibos speak, it is their mother tongue or dialect. It is one of the major three in Nigeria, While Ibo is used to refer to an indigene or someone who is either from the Igbo speaking society by birth or otherwise.
The Ibos has made it a thing of habit not to promote their culture by speaking their language (Igbo), despite the sweet tones and nature of the language. It has become a thing of habit for the Ibos, that whenever the meet their fellow tribesman, they prefer speaking English to their own tongue.
But in the case of the other ethnic groups in the country, like Hausa, Yoruba, Tiv, Idoma etc. it’s the other way round, they more frequently use their parlance. This has so unfortunately made it more difficult for the young ones (children) to speak their dialect (Igbo) when they come of age.
You definitely will agree that up to half of a hundred families use English as their default language of communication, be it Vernacular or Slang.
This has unfortunately, also caused the drop in cultural practice of the Ibos, who does not reside in their hometown. Comparing the other tribes, A Hausa man can and will never forget his culture and the way of live of his people, why? This is because right from childhood, the parents of the child forces the child to attend extra moral lessons on their culture or lifestyle; they speak their dialect more often than any other tribesmen in the country.
It is very difficult to see a Hausa man together with his fellow tribesman and the dump their tongue to use English., neither will you see a Yoruba man with his brother, speaking English instead of their mother tongue.
The Tivs are also a good example, they never use English within themselves, they love using their language as means of communication, to the extend they even tend to use it with strangers able to understand the tongue or not.
If the Ibos do not want their culture to fade away, they should start speaking their mother tongue and be proud of their culture.
