An Igbo sociocultural organisation, Igboezue International, has said that the prediction by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), an organ of the UN, that the Igbo language will be extinct by 2050 was way off the mark.
The organisation said the language will not die out. If anything, Igboezue said, the prediction has spurred the organisation to promote Igbo language.
The President General of the group, Mazi Pius Uchenna Okoye revealed this during the launch of a N500 million secretariat and skill acquisition centre, held in Awka, Anambra State.
“This prediction we considered as an insult, aberration, a sacrilege and we have therefore resolved never to allow this happen in this generation or in others to come. We have also remained in the vanguard for the promotion and protection of our cultural heritage. We give credence to moral values and ethos that anchor on discipline, truth, respect and patriotism, among others,” he said.
Speaking on other roles played by the organisation and the scope of the group, Mazi Okoye cited cases where the group fought injustice, championed the cause of good governance and provided a platform to discuss the Igbo agenda and interests.
“We are a pressure group that has taken the front burner in fighting any injustice, marginalisation and insults against Igbo ethnic nationality.
“We deployed our media networks and fought vigorously against the activities of the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen, opposed the grazing bill; illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Chief Ifeanyi Ubah”.
“We are seriously championing a cause for good, purposeful and visionary governance, using constitutional measure available to us”.
“Today’s occasion is part of our mission and vision of providing credible platform to discuss Igbo agenda and interest in the entity called Nigeria, to identify the place of Igbo man in Nigeria.
“We are equally deeply concerned about the level of gross injustice, gang up and marginalisation of the Igbo ethnic group by the federal government,” he posited.
He further lamented the plight of Igbo youths who, according to him, are highly talented and laden with potentials but are frustrated into Biafra agitation as a means of expressing their anger.
He assured participants and donors at the event that the proposed Civic Centre, when completed, will serve as a means of keeping unemployed youths busy and to teach them skill that will make them become employers of labour instead.
The event which was the first of its kind attracted notable politicians, business moguls, traditional rulers and women leaders across the five southeastern states and beyond who donated various sums for the construction of the group’s secretariat and the Civic and Skills Acquisition Centre.
