I would second this idea of yours and help to enforce it anytime

if given the authority to do so.  Learning our history is

certainly necessary.  As you have rightly put it, it will afford

everyone the opportunity to know and properly understand that we

all have a common ancestry.  However, learning or knowing our

history should not obviate or preempt the introduction and use

of a common language for all Edos now.  How easy will it be to

convince people that they share the ancestral origin when they

are indignantly and vociferously denouncing the use of a common,

unifying Edo language, which they know is the true road map and

bridge to our historical past?   What do we not already know

about or in our history that is preventing us from doing the

right and proper thing?

There is no doubt that our major problem, which will continue to

be our predicament, is our sorry lack of knowledge of our own

history and inability to relate properly with one another. Those

who have vociferously and resentfully denounced the need for one

common language as a unifying force for all Edos are those with

pitiful lack of conversance of who we are as a people.  If we

are going to start teaching our history before we accept one

common Edo dialect as a medium of communication, are we going to

go back to teach all the Edos who are educated in the western

way?  Will teaching them our history make them to accept the

indubitable fact that we all have a common ancestor and the need

for us to begin to use one language?

Mind you, among every group of people, there will always be

Judas, so there will always be people who will continue to

preach and foment discord and disunity among us with their

divisive ethnic stance and rhetoric.  How far can we go with

this kind of mindset that is rooted in odium and distrust? Why

would Edo person want to learn to speak Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo,

etc., only to be vehemently opposed to learning and speaking the

Edo language?

someday, all of us will come to the realization that one common

language for all Edos is very imperative for us to remain viable

and extant as a people within the geographical entity called

Nigeria.

This has really been a very important debate, and I thank our
sister Helen Wright for spurring the discussion.  Sandra, thanks

for following it up.  To all the great participants:  Frank,

Nowa, Benjamin, Dan, Blessing, Okorho Iyi-Eweka, Tina, and all

of you whose names I cannot possibly remember at this moment, I

say good job.  May the spirit of our ancestors be with you all.

I will not belong to Ndigbo, Oduduwa, or Arewa republic.

I am Edo – I will die Edo!

***************************************

I agree with your analysis.  There are signs everywhere that Edo state is

politically, geographically and strategically  isolated and, therefore, wide

open for balkanization and liquidation.  In fact you put your finger on it

in one of your postings yesterday or the day before - lack of leadership and

foresight

What should we do?  Find below some random ideas, some of which may be

controversial:

At primary and secondary levels, I personally favor a two dialect approach.

In other words it should be the long term goal of the State that everyone is

conversant in at least two dialects of the language.  One should be Edo

("Bini") - because it is currently the most widely spoken and developed -

and the other, ANY of the 27 dialects/subdialects in the area.  That allows

individuals the ability to switch to a central form of communication when

necessary while at the same time recognizing and allowing expression for our

rich dialectical heritage.  Different LGAs, (or perhaps Villages) for

example, can opt for more local variants as their "second Edo dialect".

Ofcourse some of the dialects/sub-dialects of Edo are less well developed -

in written form - than others but at least it allows even the smallest

dialect to feel that those who want to learn it can do so with equal

opportunity.  What I intend by this policy is that no matter what your

specific heritage is, you must learn the dialect mix of the location you are

living in.  Thus, for example, if one is living in Akoko-Edo one must become

conversant in at least one local Akoko dialect AS WELL AS Edo.  The problem,

ofcourse would be to choose which one of several Akoko dialects to be the

"second Edo dialect".  In areas with such diversity one could recognize a

municipal level of administration below the local government.

Language teaching  can be done in a simultaneous or sequential or combined

manner.  Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, including the

problem of resources and teachers

1.  Simultaneous Option:  BOTH Edo and a local variant dialect are taught at

all levels through primary, junior secondary and senior secondary in the

region of interest.

2.  Sequential Option:  Teach the local variant at primary level and reserve

Edo for junior and senior secondary levels in the region of interest  (this

is how Lugard enhanced Hausa in the North)

3.  Simultaneous Sequential Option:  Teach Edo PLUS the local variant at

primary level and then focus on Edo at JSS and SSS levels.

4.  [The Awolowo option (meaning how he did things back in the West for

Yoruba):  Teach Edo dialect in schools.  Leave it up to homes and families

and social groups to teach other dialects.]

At degree level, I favor a program whereby there is a generic Bachelors

program in Edo with Masters /PhD degree programs in any of the 27 or so

variants.  This allows us develop a linguistic pool of literate Edo teachers

and researchers with branches of our rich culture fully represented while

enabling the evolution of a core of competent Teachers who can go to local

levels to implement the 'second dialect' policy.

English Signposts and SignBoards in Edo State should be changed to the

language - with translation to English on the side.  On Okada airlines (if

it still exists) and other forms of transportation in and out of the state

English and Edo should be used in communication.  Tickets etc should be

printed bilingually.

Churches and mosques and shrines who are not already doing so should be

encouraged use local dialects in services as much as possible.  If you ask

me, and I know this may sound controversial, we should develop an

interdenominational Church of Edo.  Our externally imposed religious

diversity is a problem.  Edo days and festivals should be given official

status.  By this I do not merely mean Igue or the more well known festivals

inside Benin City.  I mean local festivals across the length and breath of

the State.  Such festivals afford an opportunity to reinforce the culture to

our young ones.  Which level of government should recognize which festival

should be negotiated.

Traditional Sports festivals should be held.  I do not mean soccer or

basketball.  I mean that ALL forms of traditional Edo games in ALL of our

villages should be collated and codified and taught THROUGHOUT the state so

that we can have a yearly traditional sports festival at which medals can be

given.  Some of such games have incredible ability to develop character and

thinking skills

Just as we have National Spelling Bee in the US we should have one for words

and proverbs in Edo State.  We should also have technical "inventor"

competitions.  If we take the trouble to create a museum of Edo Engineering

many would be surprised at the ingenuity of our ancestors

We should develop a state recognized Edo national award system [different

from chieftaincy] to recognize deserving Edoites in various fields of

endeavor no matter where they are in the world.  Example, "Grand Commander

of the Order of Edo" or "Defender of Edo" etc.....  Certainly chieftaincy

should be retained but this award system allows the integration of a wider

segment of modern Edos into the value structure

These are just a few ideas - some of which I have mulled over for several

years but haven't fleshed out in detail.  One area that has caught my

attention is the design of our educational system.  How do we bring back the

old system of parental and family story telling as a method of education?

As the saying goes anytime an old man dies in Africa it is like burning a

library. I have learnt a lot by talking to my father in the few months he

stayed with me here. I make it a point of duty to talk with him everyday for

30 minutes about the family and our heritage.   It is curious that through

all the years of my upbringing the life cycle of schooling and boarding

school and leaving home for school etc prevented the father-son story

telling tradition.  I have since found, now that I am 42, that this was a

dangerous omission from my upbringing.  I wonder how many others out there

have the same problem.

Another area is the related question of guilds.  It has been a source of

concern to me that in the last 50-75 years our families have become

segmented professionally in a "begin again syndrome".  What do I mean?

Nowa's father was a surveyor.  Nowa's grandfather was a farmer. Nowa is a

doctor.  Nowa's son became a lawyer.  Nowa's son's son became an accountant.

etc....  Every generation is restarting and not being handed the baton of

"old money" and contacts and markets.  This is dangerous for the tribe in

the long term.  I have closely studied white people and seen many patterns

of family and group consolidation over generations.  We used to have it in

our guilds.  We seem to have lost it.

 **********************************************

Thanks for providing the Nigerian languages historical perspective below.

The information in your contribution below, is quite useful. It provides a

clearer understanding of where we are and why we are here in the EDO

Language matter.

By the way, the "singularization of tongues" does not implies exclusively

that a new language must be carved out of the existing dialects of the EDO

people. It simply begs for a language (existing or new), to be adopted and

actively taught to the majority of our people...especially the younger

generation. Any of the EDO languages that currently exists, will serve well

as a bridging unifying tongue for all EDOS. Each of the languages, such as

BINI, ESAN and the others already possess much in common with each other.

The variances that exists among them, is not in line with the variances that

exists  between Greek and BINI languages for example. The point is that an

EDO language needs to be officially adopted and taught across the state as

the EDO main language.

I cannot imagine how and why a teacher or a Principal can refuse to

implement a directive given by the governing body to teach BINI in the

classroom and nothing happens to the teacher/principal for that horrible

insubordination. It is expected that there will be pockets of resistances to

such directive, even if the overwhelming advantages were made clear to those

persons. However, the effort has to continue. This is where a firm and

dedicated leadership comes into it.

Nowa, I am concerned that in a world that is continually and perhaps,

RAPIDLY, moving towards unbounded INDIVIDUALISM at all levels, there may be

little room for a people and their culture if they fail to institutionalize

the basic factors that unify and keep them together and strong. There is

also the element of rouge neighboring states, whoes desires include

absorbing and over-running those areas where the people do not care if they

are EDOS or anything else. As strong as the IGBO language currently is and

coupled with their aggressive efforts at acquiring all that is in their

sight, is it not possible that the Igbo language can become the dominant

language spoken in EDO land some 50 or more years from now? How about the

Yoruba? What about an Arabic language sponsored by the Islamic faith that is

steadfastly and in a blanketing format, absorbing all of Nigeria? Without a

strong EDO language that is generally used across the state, ! ;EDO runs the

risk of being submerged and dwindled severely in the distant future.

Now, what do you think we should really do? What direction must EDO work

towards along the line of commonizing/singularizing our tongues? What are

some strategies and programs that can be stepwisely deployed to move us in

the direction of adopting a language for all EDOS and that can guarantee the

desired result for good?

I await your expected response and thanks

 *********************************************************

I wish I was present during those discussions with the honorable Chief to

clarify what he meant. The way other ethnic groups in Nigeria chose

"central" or 'standard' dialects (or had such chosen for them) was as

follows:

Hausa - 'Arewa' dialect was chosen by Lugard based on ease of

intelligibility to colonial officers and the fact that like Shua Arabic, it

already had a written form. The matter was settled. The British later

officially recognized it. That is what is spoken on the BBC Hausa service.

Hausa people did not meet to vote on the matter.

Igbo - Owerri dialect (with some Onitsha) was chosen by the Missionaries as

the written and therefore formal Igbo. Between the Catholic and Protestant

(Methodist) faiths there was a struggle. There was a rival attempt to

merge five different Igbo dialects. It failed because the grammar and

tonation just would not work. The Ibo State Union later backed the Owerri

dialect - with minor Onitsha enhancements. That is what is standard Igbo

today.

Yoruba - This was enabled by the use of the Oyo dialect for the translation

of the Bible by Ajayi Crowder. Through the process of christianization the

Oyo dialect became the dialect of the Yoruba elite. Minor enhancements were

made later on with "Lagos" versions etc... But the Oyo dialect is basically

what is known as 'Yoruba' today. Even though Awolowo was Ijebu he stuck

with the Oyo variant.

Tiv (formerly Munchi) - no debate because Tiv has only one dialect

Efik - central Efik chosen over variant Annang. More widely spoken. The

British later officially recognized it.

Ibibio - not much debate either. Ibibio dialect

Urhobo - Agbarho dialect chosen (by who?) over several others. Supported

by Mowoe et al. The British officially recognized it. Agbarho is still

the formal written and taught Urhobo today - including the recently launched

dictionary

Kanuri - Kanuri dialect chosen over several variants. Most widely spoken.

The British later officially recognized it.

Fulani - fulfulde

Edo - The Bini dialect began being developed as the written form of Edo as

far back as 1910. It was the most widely spoken variant of Edo among the so

called "northern Edo" (later Benin province). Parts of the Bible were

translated into Edo around 1915. In the thirties and forties Edo books

started to appear. The British officially recognized it - and actually

translated the Nigerian Constitution into Edo (as well as eight other

'major' Nigerian languages) in the late forties/early fifties. That is how

Edo became one of the nine major languages Radio Nigeria used to use for

broadcasts. I would have expected Chief Enahoro (as an Edo man and

prominent politician who, by the way, is married outside of his own clan )

to provide political muscle to sustain the momentum for the adoption of

standard Edo. I cant quite understand why there became a need to re-invent

the wheel and create a new dialect to replace the one that was already a

'major National Language'.

The concept of "unification of tongues" as Chief Enahoro says he was

proposing was already tried by Igbos in the 1930s and early forties and

failed. His mentor Awolowo (although an Ijebu) did not try it in the West.

No other ethnic group in Nigeria that has multiple dialects has been able to

create a 'bridging singularized tongue ' composed of ALL the component

dialects if that is what the Chief has in mind. Those that have worked have

focused on one dialect - for whatever reason - and developed it. In areas

of linguistics where the chosen dialect is lacking, supplementation by word

transfer from others is an option. So it is not very accurate to say that

an ethnic group that cannot combine dialects across the board is doomed to

fail. Truth is that no ethnic group in Nigeria has done so without using

ONE dialect as the pillar. In the case of Edo much more progress would have

been made if the last 50 years was spent on optimizing the weaknesses of Edo

with other Edo dialects, rather than trying hard NOT to learn or speak

'Bini'` for God knows what reason - as Hilary pointed out. Speaking one

dialect does not preclude speaking others.

Indeed Edo was formally taught across Benin division and most parts of the

province in schools and later became a formal degree/certificate program at

Unilag. The primary reason why Edo has not flourished is, therefore, not

for want of a dialect that is spoken by a large enough segment of the

population and has historically been regarded as the 'Edo' language in

Nigeria - with no more or less authenticity than Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Efik

etc..... Even inside Benin City there have been complaints of some teachers

refusing to teach Edo for reasons that are baffling - not to mention parents

(including so called Binis) who do not want their children to learn the

language fearful that it might affect their English. At FGGC Benin I am

told that inspite of a federal policy that the local language be taught - ie

Edo - successive Principals came and went refusing to implement it. The

same teachers would later return to their states and proceed to implement

the policy with their own languages.

[Among the Urhobos such tensions have reared their heads recently with some

speakers of the Okpe dialect sought to challenge the long established

Agbarho dialect. But recognizing the can of worms that would result, most

Urhobo intellectuals have stuck with the unifying Agharho dialect - even

though many are not from the Agbarho clan. That is a lesson for the Edos]

I plan to take this up with Chief Enahoro if I get the opportunity to meet

him.

********************************************************

How U dae? Great to read from you.

Not too distant in the past, we had the opportunity of having the Chief,

Anthony Enahoro spend several days with us in Dallas...multiple times.

During some of those visits, he would stay up deep into the nights and tell

us about the old days and the days of HOPEFUL politics for Nigeria and EDO

people. My brothers ViK and Steve can verify the above any day.

In those conversations, we learnt of his efforts since the past 3, 4 or so

decades to get the EDO peoples' leaders to work toward a bridging

singularized tongue for all EDOS. The indefatigible chief lamented that all

his efforts to move EDO forwards along the lines of the Yorubas, Igbos and

Hausas had no support among our leaders. The fact remains that he initiated

the idea of an EDO unification of Tongues amongst EDOS before the Igbos

began their effort as well as the Hausas. But here we are, many decades

later, still wondering about what to do and how to get us organized to

deploy a unitary language thread to bridge all EDos and wrap us into one

family that think and work together as a single team; but living and

breathing together as a fully integrated whole.

The chief elder stateman warned that until EDO is able to do so, we will

continue to be decomposed and ununified in our ways and thinking even when

faced with the clear reality that a joint performance and teaming is in our

devine interest. Well, the LEGACY of this singular failing by EDO people has

impacted us in one form or the other and repeatedly. We lost the Urhobos,

Itsekiris and much of the Ika Ibos to a so called Delta state largely for

the failure to commonize/unify our tongues in the distant past. The lack of

cooperations and even adversarial fights between EDO Senators at the

national Senate level, is a direct spin-off of the old EDO language

diversity of "do your own and let me do my own" syndrome(sp).

If the current state remains, we risk becoming sectionally modularized

without linkages amongst/between us. Worse yet, we risk becoming further

decomposed and compactmentalized for other's/the vultures' picking. It is no

doubt that we need NOW, to worry about the future of the EDO people and

their culture and ways of lives. In one hundred years time, will there still

be an EDO people and culture at this rate of "crumbs set in the wind",

dispatching? Do we want the story to be: "There use to be a powerful people

and kingdom somewhere over there, but no one knows what became of them"?

Should we not unify to save our people and culture now that we can do

something about it and before it becomes too expensive and too late?

I am concern and so should you if you are a proud EDOID.

Enjoy the weekend...BENJAMIN IMHONDE.

**********************************************************

Our hourable elder statesman Chief Anthony Enahoro has long advocated the

adoption and development of one standard Edo language to be taught and used

by our our people. I recall that he spoke on this subject at the Edo

Convention in Atlanta in 1996. Although I did not attend the convention, I

recieved a copy of his keynote speech on the occassion. Why has any of our

leaders/educators and linguists not bothered to explore this idea? Since

other tribes have done this before the Edo people, we know that it can be

done. Would this not have been a good opportunity for our natural rulers to

work with the elder statesman while his yet living among us? It may be that

we are bogged with so much other problems, we tend to neglect the areas of

opportunity......Or is it a case of "uma i gba n'edo?"

Peace.....bea. – Nigerian languages

*******

Thanks for explaining part of the problems concerning the Edo

language.  I know we have discussed this in the past on this forum.  For

those who have forgotten, please note the following:

1- The inabiility of the Edo-speaking people to adopt one dialect-BINI as

the basis for Edo language speakers should be laid at the feet of British

administrators after Benin fell in 1897.  When they recognized the

Urhobo-Agbaroh dialect, they embarked on what I described as the  "language

balkinazation of the Edo speaking world."  This was preceeded by political

balkanisation when the authority of the Oba of Benin was restricted to the

BINI-SPEAKING AREAS of the old Benin Empire.  The rumblings from the Edo

State Traditional Council is a left over of the effect of those British

decisions. Did the British residents not know that Urhobo-Agbaroh or Okpe

dialects as part of the Edo/Bini language? May be not. Did they know that

Esan and Afemai are just dialects of the same language ? Probably not.  The

damage has been done.

2-The first group of Yoruba educated missionaries who came to Benin City

after it fell,  did much to discourage the development of Edo language.

They convenietly forgot that the Yoruba language of Rev Ajayi Crowther and

Samuel Johnson,  was 90% Oyo dialect forced on the entire ANAGO SPEAKING

WORLD, called Yoruba today.  They used the language to unify the Yoruba

groups in a pan-yoruba  political movement,  while they used it to divide

the Edo-speaking world.  Everybody was afraid of Oba Ovonramwen or his

successor, Oba Eweka II.  They wanted them humiliated.

3-With very clan in the Edo speaking world claiming ascendancy over the

others, it has become difficult to have one EDO language, like the yoruba or

Ibos.  We now have the Bini, Urhobo, Isoko, Esan and Afemai Holy Bibles. The

Yorubas and the Ibos have one each.   Which of the clan is ready to give up

her claim?  Dr. Okojie of Irrua might  tell you that Esan is not even a

dialect but a language of its own-probably different from BINI.     This is

where we are

today.  Governor Samuel Ogbemudia had an opportunity to do it but the

objections from many quarters nip it in the bud.  Just as every village has

an Oba nowadays , we are starting to have different Edo reading books

representing those villages.

4-The Ogieraikhi's controversy at UNILAG did not help us.  Outsiders through

stones into it.  They knew he was in a hurry to modernised Edo language.  He

wanted do in five years what it took the Yorubas to do in 100 years.

So the program crash landed.