The Chairman of Ikorodu Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Alh. Kolawole Fatai has advocated for the promotion and substance of Ijebu Language, as a way of preserving the indigenous language from going into extinction.
Kolawole made the appeal on Wednesday, while featuring as a Guest on the Ikorodu-based Yoruba programme, E B WA DA SI on IKD 106.1FM, hosted by veteran radio presenter, Aremo Owuye.
The IKODASS Chairman lamented the gradual extinction of the local dialect among the current and upcoming generations of Ikorodu Indigenes.
‘We grew up here in Ikorodu by speaking our local dialect, as introduced to us by our fore-fathers. But today, only a few percentage of our indigenes can now speak the dialect. This is an unfortunate development and IKODASS is set to reverse this trend’.
He further explained that the new IKODASS Executive Council, under his leadership is set to host an inter-school debate and Spelling Bee competition among students and pupils in Ikorodu Local Government as a way of preserving the language from the threats of extinction.
The Chairman particularly blamed contemporary parents for not speaking the language nor introducing it to their children, rather they prefer the speaking of English and other foreign languages in their homes.
Alh. Kolawole also explained that IKODASS is a socio-cultural association and is committed to demonstrating the commitment of his administration to the preservation of the language, his executive has decided to adopt Yoruba and Ijebu Languages as official lingua franca during the body’s meetings.
The community leader also used the opportunity to inform the listeners about the five pillars of his administration built on the acronym, A-R-I-S-E, which stands for Accountability, Repositioning & Re-Branding, Innovative Programmes and Initiatives, Sponsorship and Economic Empowerment & Education.
