Use Yoruba for teaching in primary, JSS — Afenifere tells S/West Govs
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has called on state governments in the region to make Yoruba language the medium of teaching at both elementary and Junior Secondary school levels so that the language does not go into extinction.
Addressing journalists at the end of their caucus meeting held at Pa. Reuben Fasoranti’s residence in Akure, the Ondo state capital, Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary of the group, said that citizens of Yoruba speaking states are now substituting English for Yoruba.
Afenifere further called on parents to ensure that the ability to speak the Yoruba language is inculcated into their children.
Ajayi said; “The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, had its caucus meeting in the house of the leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure today, Thursday April 11th.
“The meeting deliberated on some issues, primarily about Yoruba in Nigeria and Nigeria as a whole. Among the issues deliberated upon that are of concern to Afenifere is the status of Yoruba language particularly in Yoruba land, it’s of great concern to the meeting that many parents are not speaking or teaching their children the Yoruba language.
“We, therefore, encourage all parents to not only be speaking the language in their homes but teaching their children as well. The meeting also called on the governments particularly in Yoruba speaking states, to make it a policy and probably even make it compulsory for the language to be used as medium of teaching from elementary to the junior secondary school level.
“The meeting also deliberated on the visit, a kind of save our souls visit made by some farmers in the South-West to the leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, few days days ago in his house here in Akure, urging him to help urge the Federal Government to take advantage of all available human and natural resources in a bid to help the farmers in the region to enhance agricultural development.
“That there are some facilities that they learnt are available with the government particularly from the federal level that they are not enjoying. The meeting of the Afenifere caucus today, however, encouraged those in charge to continue to give the people information about the available facilities.
“The Afenifere meeting, encouraged the state governors in the Yoruba speaking states to make it easy for farmers in their respective states to be able to access these facilities at the federal level.
“The caucus also took note of the role that Kole Omololu has been playing as the National Organising Secretary, who has always being playing the role of the acting secretary general of Afenifere. The caucus meeting took note of it, commended him for the efforts and recognised him as the acting secretary general of the group.”
