The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa has urged traditional rulers in Yorubaland to speak only Yoruba language in their palaces and at official functions as a way of promoting it.
Obasa made the plea on the floor of the House on Thursday during the second reading of a bill to make the teaching of Yoruba Language in schools and organisations in the state compulsory.
According to him, the Obas and chiefs are the custodians of the language, and such a step has become imperative to promote and preserve Yoruba language from going into extinction.
“There is an urgent need to promote and preserve our language. Teaching and learning of Yoruba language has become important. It is not good enough to prohibit speaking of our language in our schools.
“Our language teaches good morals, it teaches our children to be respectful. English does not give respect to elders. Nobody hinders us from speaking and learning our language.
“We are the one deserting our own language and every nation that forgets its language and cultural values will soon be forgotten.
“We should urge our traditional rulers to desist from speaking English language in the palaces and when at public functions. They are the custodians of culture,” Obasa said.
The lawmaker decried the loss of Yoruba values such as greetings, way of dressing, native songs, names and others that once distinguished the region.
“We need to start using our language in Lagos and we must teach and learn our Yoruba language in all our schools in Lagos State from primary to tertiary.
“Our teachers used to regard Yoruba language as vernacular in schools in our days and the situation is still the same today. Many children don’t know how to greet people in Yoruba culture.
“The bill, when passed into law, be binding on our schools and private schools; all must use the language. Yoruba should be made a compulsory requirement for admission into our tertiary schools too,” he said.
Obasa, who said he usually dressed in native attire when going abroad, said foreign people admired Yoruba dressing more than the owners of the culture.
Earlier, Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, who presented the Bill before the House, said “The National Policy on Education makes the speaking of indigenous languages compulsory, but it’s not being observed.
“If the Bill is passed into law, it would make the translation of all the laws of the state into Yoruba Language easy, as well as books.
“It would promote our cultural values also, our language is our means of identity.”
Ogunyemi, who said that the Bill would further empower Yoruba Language, noted that the House had organised Yoruba Summit on June 2, 2016 to promote the language.
In his contribution, Mr Rotimi Olowo (APC-Somolu I) said that restoring Yoruba Language would make things better for the nation.
Also, Mr Yinka Ogundimu (APC-Agege II) said the promotion of the language would bring a lot of progress into the society, adding that school children would learn easily if they were taught in Yoruba Language.
Mr Abiodun Tobun (APC-Epe I) said: “We must not allow our language and culture to go into extinction. Some students are punished for speaking Yoruba Language in schools.
“We must pass the Bill into law and Yoruba should be made as a prerequisite language for admission into higher institutions.”
The lawmakers took turns to support the bill read for the second time and it was subsequently committed to the House Committee on Education to report back to the House in two weeks.
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