By Okoro Mark Ogbonnaya (Maazi Ogbonnaya)
Many writers write with reasons. Some write because of money, fame, and prizes. Because of this ideology, they end up trying to please the westerners by writing through their prism not what is obtainable in our great enrich African Culture and Society.
I grew up to love writing. I never knew prizes exist, that is why till tomorrow, I don’t care. I do what pleases me. This got me to the university when I published books, many scholars tried to judge me with their own ideologies embedded on western prisms. How can you judge Igbo books using English novels? These same people shout that Igbo language is dying but they are the ones digging grave already when the language is sick, needing just paracetamol to recover.
I was walking around in the Faculty of Arts, University of Nigeria Nsụka when I saw fliers advertising National Language Conferences in various Universities. I was at the same time financially crippled, blind and deaf. Food was hard to get. I drank just garri and fed on fibre biscuit. But this conferences, I must attend. Where I would sleep, I didn’t know or even think of that. But I must attend.
The little money I had, I used it for conferences. This exposed me to different Universities around the South East and South South. I took risk. I didn’t know where I was going. Only God saved me. It was my first year in the University, I had published my first Igbo novel and went to those conferences with the book. Lectures were going on in Nsụka but I didn’t care or ever regret it. (After school what next?)
In these conferences, I was nobody. I stood like an orphan behind, watching the keynote speakers, Lead Paper presenters and scholars presenting their research works. Everyone focused on endangerment of Igbo language. Everybody, “Igbo is going to die, Igbo is going to die”.
Even our Chinua Achebe predicted the extinction of Igbo language by 2020 in his Odenigbo Lecture series of 2000, this made Professor Nwadike to challenge his points.
This time, everybody was quoting UNESCO, quoting Achebe, quoting even animals, oke na ngwere that Igbo language will die completely by 2020. Others say no, by 2050, Igbo will die. One point I heard from one presenter read thus: “The generation of Igbo writers has gone. The 21st century Igbo youths are not propagating the language, however, Igbo will die by 2020”.
Where I was sitting, I was busy looking into their eyes. I was seeing disappointment. These people are Igbo. They are saying Igbo will die but presented their papers in English, blowing heavy-grammatical-constructions as a yardstick for perfect scholar. That is hypocrisy. Right there in the conference hall, during break time, everyone was speaking English. Their children, grandchildren who came with them were all speaking English. That made me believe that these people only write and study for promotion and increase in their salaries not because they love the Igbo language they purport to represent.
I was waiting to hear strong solutions to the problems constituting the endangerment of Igbo language but none of them presented a convincing resolution to me. I was embittered.
At the moment, I was writing English novels and plays. I vowed never to publish any of them until I bring Igbo to limelight. Yes, most people don’t know I am an English writer too, whose one of his novel is over 400 page work and other one has 90,207 words. They laugh at me and encourage me to end Igbo, it will take me no way. Others alleged I could not write or speak English that is why I am writing Igbo. “He writes Igbo because that is only thing he studied in school”.
I took a vow to myself after one of the conferences that before 2020, I would have up to 20 books. When my 20 books are out, I will now know how Igbo will die. They said this generation cannot do any better. I would let them know that this generation can move a mountain. We need not certificates to do that. Age too cannot prevent us. I thought.
Even when I didn’t make a sale, I keep on writing. Even when getting millions of challenges, I keep on writing. Even when I have no food to eat, water to drink, I keep on writing. I must show this people that they are lying. How can they say Igbo language will die by 2020, yet they are Igbo, doing nothing to treat its sickness? They only speak English and collect money.
Yes, by 2013, I had 2 books. By 2015, I published 5 books. This is 2017, I have total number of 14 published Igbo book and others are springing up. The total number of manuscripts numbered to 50, all in Igbo language. It is true that our people are not helping matters. I lack support, financial support and encouragement from our dear Igbo brothers, but I don’t care. I don’t write for you to support me. I will be fine. I don’t write just to make money, if that is the reason, I focus in my English works which I have total number of six (6). I don’t write for fame or prizes, but I write to prove this notion and assertion that Igbo language is going to die in 2020, wrong. I write to prove that this generation has much to offer despite the unfavorable environment we find ourselves. Nobody has supported me on this financially. It is sad that I looked up for assistance but got discouragements as some Igbo brothers would ask me “is it the dying language you’re going to spend your life in? You better go and pave your way”.
Support young ones, they will do great and your name will never be removed from book of history. There are many ways you can support us. Creativity is there, capital is always the issue. Bring the capital, we bring the idea to keep the Igbo Language alive. Amarachi Atama is doing great to promote Igbo language and culture, she needs our assistance.
Who says that Igbo language will die? Haven’t you heard?Onyeka Nwelue has done great recently to promote the Igbo language through film. Who then is shouting that Igbo will die in 2020?
Those people that keep on writing paper every annual conference, shouting up-and-down that Igbo is dying, you’re insulting your personality and profession as a linguist when you have no solution to what you project as a problem. Don’t you have other aspect to research on? This is not research but empirical statements embedded in speculations and assumptions because your children cannot speak Igbo. You call yourself a linguist, an Igbo linguist for that matter, presenting papers that Igbo language is dying, yet you profound no solution to the said problem, your children cannot even speak Igbo, you’re nothing but a shameless and hypocritical scholar.
Igbo has come to stay. That is why I have founded the online Igbo school: “Igbo Master’s Institute” where only the Igbo language will be taught from basic to advance levels by a professional tutor. These are done before 2020. Will Igbo language die in 2020? Unless if I and other lovers of Igbo language die away before the time. Again, if only Jehovah’s Witnesses seize to exist because they publish millions of books in Igbo yearly. They publish in Igbo, monthly. They have Igbo website which has modern Igbo language. They host assemblies and gatherings 3 times yearly in various locations in the South-East, Lagos, Benin Republic, etc. Thousands of people gather together, only Igbo will be used, no “is” or”but”, no code mixing and code-switching. Every week, their Igbo congregations host meetings in Igbo, everyone from children to adults participate. Tell me with these how Igbo will die.
We all need to play roles to promote our Igbo language. Do not feel shy to speak. Allow your kids to speak. Support those who are pushing the language. We all can move it forward and prove UNESCO and those who lack area of research wrong, by kicking against their notions. Thinking my thinkings.