Why the Anioma dialects must be preserved at all cost

The Anioma dialects or what people have referred to as languages must be preserved at all costs if the people must not be assimilated. This is because the rate at which the region is losing its words, names, adages, proverbs etc have become alarming and requires urgent action. We must realize that unless this is done, the languages spoken by the people face extinction and it is a passport to the assimilation of the region by closer ethnic families.

The Anioma people speak languages that are up to 15 chiefly Enuani, Ozzara, Ika, Ukwuani/Ndokwa, Aboh etc. It is particularly sad that we often switch over to the imitation of another language just to be understood when we are in communication with our neighbours. This is adversely affecting our heritage which is supposed to be preserved by all. There are obviously many words that have disappeared from the dictionary of our dialect because of neglect even as we have abandoned those our marvelous and sweet names that once made distinct for those of other ethnic groups close to us.

So sad is it that our Anioma musicians who are supposed to promote our dress culture also appear dressed in attires of other ethnic groups abandoning what should ours. What sense does it make when an Anioma musician is dressed in a foreign attire and singing Ukwani music? What portrayal is he sending to his fellow Anioma brothers and sisters? The earlier we realize that our traditional dress culture should live with us the better for our children. Our musicians also knowingly abandon our own dialect when singing their songs instead preferring something close to those of the South East which can be irritating. Only the patient people will listen to it. It is impossible to see this development the other way round.

What happens when Anioma artistes are on set with their other Igbo counterparts acting? They try to imitate and speak the South East version of Igbo language which makes them appear very unnatural, unserious and sometimes apathetical to watch by the Anioma audience. Igbo language remains Igbo language and communication can take place between any two Igbo speaking persons whether from the South-South or South-East because the language is intelligible to all of them. The implication is that our children are now learning to lose many of the words and names native to us.

Consider that ordinarily there are many names that are unique to us but these names are slowly giving way to those of other ethnic groups especially those close to us. It is regrettable when our parents deliberately set our minds away from those once beautiful names that make us the real people of Anioma. A good example of what I mean here is the advent of “Chi” in the names that we now bear. While the belief in “Chi” which can be safely interpreted to mean a personal god is shared by us all, it often did not commonly reflect in our Anioma native names but today we have inherited it. It neither makes us more or less Igbo but what is ours must be preserved at all cost otherwise, a day will come when we shall suddenly arouse from our sleep and discover that our own well cherished Anioma dialects have suddenly disappeared from our mouths and memories.

This is where groups and organizations such as the Organization for the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC) should play vital roles. They must work towards the preservation of what are ours. Our people must become educated and see reasons why what were theirs should not be readily consigned to oblivion.

Let us all be proud and cherish what have been beqeated to us.