Ex-minister Makes Case For Edo Language

[Shola Sholaz]

FORMER Minister of State for Works, Mr. Chris Ogienwonyi, has expressed worries over what he described as the seeming extinction of Benin language and called for concerted effort to save the situation.
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The former Minister who made his feelings known, during the first Edo Language competition among secondary school students in Benin City, regretted that some parents from Benin extraction would prefer to teach their children English rather than their native Edo language.
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Ogienwonyi said: "This is not helping us as a tribe, we must understand what Benin Kingdom means in the history of the world, therefore we must all join hands to ensure that we sustain our rich culture which our language is a major symbol."
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He explained that he decided to support the competition organised by the Edo Language Renaissance Project, "because I realised that the objective is very good, urgent and beneficial to Edo people."