The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ede Dafinone, has urged parents to inculcate the Urhobo Language into their wards to avoid the Urhobo Language going into extinction in the near future.
He made this call at the grand finale of the Urhobo Language competition initiated by late Sen Pius Ehwerido which he sponsored in conjunction with Urhobo Studies Association, USA, in memory of late senator Pius Ehwerido at Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Ugbomro, Uvwie local government area, Delta State.
The competition 1st was won position by Onoji Ogheneruona and he was presented with the Senator Pius Akpor Ehwerido’s Prize while the 2nd 3rd positions were won by Izobo Favour and Urhobe Onome respectively and other seven contestants went home with consolation cash prize.
Sen Ede Dafinone represented by former first Deputy President General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Tuesday Onoge held that Urhobo nation should never allowed her language to go into extinction.
According to him, This Urhobo Language competition is a fantastic one because some of the best scientists in the world today, learned science in their own language.
The Japanese and Chinese learned science in their our language but unfortunately for us who are from this part of the world, when the white man came, our own teachers at the primary school were punishing us for speaking our mother tongue the vernacular.
They never knew as then that language is a such of identity and when you teach a child in their local language they would understand better than when you teach that child in a foreign language.
If you teach the child in a foreign language,the first problem is to teach that child the language before you will teach them what they want to learn.
The part that I considered most impressive is that non of the students studying the Urhobo Language at the Delta State University, Abraka won the competition but a student from the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI did and it will be ringing bell in the heads of our children to learn the Urhobo Language.
In whatever area we find ourselves,it does not mean that we must enter the classroom before we learn Urhobo and speak it better and that is exactly what the boy has shown and I am impressed.” He said.
Also speaking the Chairperson of the Urhobo Studies Association, USA, Prof Mrs Roseline Aziza said, “We are all aware that all our languages ate dying and what gives major identity to people is their language and ones the language die ,the people literally die because there is no real identity.
The language emboldens the culture because it is the language that teaches the children the culture and other things concerning the people who they are, how they behave, what they value and their knowledge systems
Back home here, because we do not have the language to explain to them, most of them are dieing, the languages need to be revived as Urhobo ought to be one of the languages in Nigeria.
Ones you count Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo,it is finish as all other languages are classified as minority languages and nobody cares about it and there is this saying that if you do not value your own plate, nobody will do and that is why we are struggling to ensure that Urhobo does not die.
This competition was initiated by late Senator Pius Ehwerido I 2012 and in preparation for his second edition, he passed away and ever since then, nobody has picked it up.
This competition was in three stages, the first was when the students registered online and on August 17, the first phase was conducted in three centers, Urhobo College, Government College Ughelli and Delta State University Abraka for the students to go the nearest center closed to them.
At the second stage, 50 students were selected and the test of reading and writing comprehension was conducted and it was from there best ten were selected.
We will call the last ten all winners because apart from the three that took the bigger price, everybody that participated in this stage has something to take home.
But it gladdens my heart and we want to appreciate Sen Ede Dafinone for reviving this because after the death of Senator Pius Ehwerido, a lot of people lost interest in competition.
“This competition sponsorship is not particularly for Urhobo Studies Association or Senator Ede Dafinone alone but it is opened for all son and daughters of Urhobo nation.
Speaking on his emergence as the overall winner of the competition, Onoji Ogheneruona said, “Actually I did not prepare for the competition though it is God that gives knowledge and when the call came in, I was like how I mine going to participate.
Though, I won the Urhobo Language competition organizing sponsored by former Ughelli North local government council Chairman, Hon Godwin Adode and when this opportunity came,I summoned the courage to try my best.
The crowd I saw at Government College Ughelli scared me and when my name came out the second stage, I took it as another opportunity and I decided to consult the elderly to ask questions.
I feel very excited to have won this competition and I want say a big thank you Senator Ede Dafinone for giving me this opportunity, as I never expected it at all.”