Idoma Language: A Rich Lingua Franca On Its Way To Extinction!

Photo Credit: Every Every NG

By Ogiri John Ogiri

Let me begin this write up with a paraphrase of a statement attributed to the late Kenyan literary sage, Professor Ngugi Wa Thiongo. According to him,every language is rich in knowledge.So,when a language dies,the knowledge contained in such a language equally dies. Again, in one of his interviews with the Germany's DW TV in 2008, he said "if you know all,and I mean all the languages of the world and you do not know your mother tongue, that is enslavement. If you know your mother tongue and add all the languages of the world to it,that is empowerment"

It is saddening, however, to know that many Idoma people today by choice seem to be on the side of deliberate enslavement instead of choosing empowerment by first learning their mother tongue before adding other languages to it.

It may interest you to know that the Idoma language is the second most spoken language after TIV language in Benue state. It is spoken by the Alagos of Doma and Keana LGAs of Nasarawa State as well as by the Yalla and Ogoja people in Cross River State. It is equally the dominant language in the southern part of Benue State with almost everyone in Agatu,Apa, Otukpo,Ohimini,Okpokwu, Ado and Ogbadibo local government areas speaking the language as fluently and impeccable as possible. For instance,in Ado,we have Agila,Ijigban,Ulayi etc. Arguably, the presence of a "Z" in the Idoma alphabet is a result of their dialect.  Although, Igede in Oju and Obi speak a different one, they are still considered a part of Idoma. The second Och'Idoma HRH Agaba Idu Abraham Ajéné Ukpabi,the father of Prince Ogiri Ajéné(a former deputy governor) was an Igede man.

Besides, variations exist in the Idoma dialect. For instance, the Agatu dialect differs a bit with Apa and Ochékwu, bearing some similarities with the Agatu's. Otukpo and Ohimini speak the most easily understood dialect. Many Idoma writings and songs in Idoma are done using the central Idoma spoken in these areas. Some of us, who were brought up to sing in the Idoma Catholic Choir way combine Agatu,Ochékwu and the central Idoma dialects when we write and sing. 

In Okpokwu, a unique dialect exists among the Edumoga people to which I proudly belong. From Ugbokolo through Ingle to Okpolikpo and Agamudu; Ekeh to Éfféché, Edumoga dialect dominates. Ugbokolo shares boundary with Ogbadibo Local government (which houses Otukpa, Owukpa and Orokam); Agamudu and Okpolikpo share borders with Ado and Otukpo Local government areas around Utonkon and Akpa(Akwéya) respectively. Okpoga people speak a dialect similar to that of the Ogbadibo people with just some slight variations. These dialectical variations in the Idoma language,nevertheless, has enriched it more and should ordinarily give every Idoma son and daughter a feeling of pride and uniqueness when speaking it. Unfortunately, this is yet to be appreciated by many of our sons and daughters.

Obviously,the Idoma language has never been openly confronted with such a danger of extinction as it has seen today. Apart from those who are based in the rural areas and a handful of others in the city who still speak,and teach their children to speak the language fluently with pride and candour,many Idoma sons and daughters in the urban areas can barely communicate in the Idoma language successfully without employing a combination of code-switching and code-mixing devices. Some do not communicate in Idoma at all. In fact, even those in the village are gradually beginning to imitate those in the urban areas by communicating in the English language however flawed their spoken English may be. They believe,and erroneously so,that the mark of an educated Idoma man is in his ability to speak flawless English language. But we know this is only a myth. I have had occasions when I had to deliberately refuse to answer greetings in English language from some young Idoma persons. Why should I when I have a duty to be proud of my heritage as an Idoma man. In fact, I was shocked when I traveled to my village two years ago and discovered that we now have an English choir in my local outstation. "English choir in a village dominated by native speakers of the Idoma language? What would the choir be singing? How did we expect that the elderly people and the young people, who understood nothing in the English hymns sung in the church,would suddenly feel belong again after several uninterrupted years of being inspired by the melodious renditions of the Idoma hymns led by the outstanding Idoma choir? I wondered endlessly until I gave up. 

My question is,why should I speak English language to my people in my native land? I do not even speak English language to my brothers and sisters in the city except when I have to deliver a lecture in a classroom. I have met many who have told me they understood nothing in the Idoma language but were ready to learn. But I have also met many others who would feel ashamed speaking Idoma language to their brothers and sisters in offices or other work places. It is that bad. On my part, I have always reminded them that any organization who would sanction me for communicating in my dialect with any of my brothers or sisters,except on grounds of security, should be prepared to receive my letter of resignation without delay. I would prefer to go home with my honour and pride as an Idoma man intact to loosing my culture on account of one boss. I have taught English Language to several students in both the junior and secondary schools in Kaduna,Nasarawa and Gombe States in the past but that has not given me the right reason to suddenly abandon my language. Many others have however shown unceremonious apathy to speaking in the native language among their brothers and sisters.

The cumulative effect of our deliberate inability to learn and communicate in Idoma language with our brothers and sisters in our work places or any other social engagements is that we are losing hold of our rich Idoma language. What has happened? What has changed? Why is the Idoma language,as rich as it is, suffering neglect? What is responsible for this deliberate attitude to our language?

A search for answers through time have revealed undue influence of western education as a factor. It is common experience that many Idoma natives who have acquired the Western education seldom take pride in speaking the Idoma language as many of them prefer to communicate in the English language. A young Idoma person who left his or her root to the university in search of western education suddenly returns home with a different accent. He/she is suddenly confronted by a feeling of inferiority complex whenever the need to speak his/her language in the gathering of his/her people arises. Gradually, therefore, such a person begins to lose the ability to speak Idoma language until it finally disappears. His or her children become English men and women without Idoma nationality. We should learn to be proud of who we are. We are first Idoma before we acquire any university degree and become graduates. The activities of the National Association of Idoma Students (NAIS) in promoting the Idoma heritage in their various schools in Nigeria is worthy of commendation here.

Further more, the failure of many of our teachers in our foundational schools in Idoma land to teach primary one to four pupils using the language of the environment as stipulated in the 2004 edition of the revised National Policy on Education in Nigeria is another contributory factor. For instance, when we started primary one, otherwise known as "Ébihi" in the late 80s to early 90s,the first thing we learnt was the Idoma alphabet before the English alphabet. Our class teacher wrote the Idoma alphabet on the board thus; 

Ā (aa) B (bee) GB (as in Ogbeikwu) D (in Odo) E ( as in Eleyi) É ( Ébényi) F (as in Offikwu) G (in Igebu) H (in ihotu) I (as in Itodo) J (in Ijoni) K (in Uka) L ( as in Éllah) M ( as in Omoka) N ( Enayi) NG ( as in Olambi ng) O ( as ohili) Ō (as in ) P (opo) KP (in Okpe) R (as ojira) S ( as in Isaimoni) T (as in Otene) U (as in Upu) W (as in Owéto) Y (as éyé) Z (in Ozoko) CH (in Ochigbo) GW (in Ogweye) KW (in Ikwoyi)  NW (in Onwu) NY (in Onyowo,Onyanta) NM (in Onma,Onminyi).

We learnt this as we learnt the English alphabet. Why not return to this basics?

The failure of Idoma parents living in the city to communicate with their children at home is not helping matters too.I visited a family recently and what I observed shocked me. The parents, who barely had any formal education, communicated with each other in Idoma but immediately their children came back from school, mother and father changed language as they welcomed their children back from school. And the fact that they spoke in a fabricated pigin English got me worried about the future of those children as Idoma children. Parents should be able to lay the foundation for the language to thrive at home.

Many other factors abound but which time and space may not permit me to discuss here. Let me therefore conclude this piece by calling on all sons and daughters of the great and rich Idoma nation to make the speaking of the Idoma language in their homes among their kith and kin a duty to uphold with a religious alacrity. On its part, the Benue State Ministry of Education should encourage more development of Idoma Language study materials both for primary and secondary schools by experts in the language for onward deployment to our various schools in the zone.

Unless we act,I am afraid the Idoma language may be on its way to extinction.

"Opiatoha w'ofu a"

©Ogiri John Ogiri