Non-implementation
of the Rivers State Teaching of Indigenous Languages Law of 2003, has been identified as a key challenge to the development of indigenous languages.
The Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Readers Project, Dr Tony Enyia, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The Tide, stated that the provisions of the law, which was gazetted and published in 2005 made it clear.
“Teaching of Indigenous languages was compulsory for pre-primary, primary and junior secondary school in Rivers State.
“Pupils were to be examined at the end of primary six in the first school leaving certificate, and also junior secondary three leaving certificate examination. But that is not happening,” he said.
According to him, it is in a bid to resolve this and other impediments to the development of indigenous Rivers State languages that the Rivers State Readers Project deemed it necessary to hold capacity building programmes.
He also identified lack of fund as another factor militating against the development of indigenous languages in the state.
“The main challenge we faced was that for six years of our existence we did not get any fund, no money came in, and the approved estimated appropriations were not released for obvious reasons”, he said.
“The reasons include, government’s preference to invest in projects that can be seen, such as roads, schools, classroom blocks and health centres”, he added.
He expressed confidence that government, would release approved budgetary allocation to enable them discharge their duties effectively.
“We’ve been stretching the little fund we have got to be able to accomplish the little we have done,” he concluded.
The 17 languages being developed by the Rivers State Readers Project are Abua, Degema, Egbema, Ekpeye, Egeni, Etche, Eleme, Gokana, Ikwerre, Ibana, Khana, Kalabari, Ndoni, Odual, Ogba, Obolo and Okrika.