A book aimed at promoting the Eleme Language has been launched in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Osaro Ollorwi, the book author, said this is sequel to the approval of Eleme Language as one of the languages to be taught in schools.
The book is titled “Eleme Counting System”. The author noted that the step taken by the federal and the Rivers State government for indigenous languages to be taught in schools was quite encouraging and exciting, stressing that it would help in developing the Eleme Language in particular.
According to him, “the same federal government through the National Policy on Education made it compulsory for indigenous Languages to be taught in schools, especially, nursery, primary and secondary schools. The Rivers State government for instance, through Rivers State decree or Acts made it compulsory for all the communities in Rivers State to use indigenous language as an agent of instruction in schools. So, government is doing its best to encourage this language but the people are not helping to develop their language.
“Because, they are not helping to develop their language, that is why we are trying to develop the language, and right now there is a bill before the Eleme Legislative Assembly to make the teaching and learning of Eleme Language compulsory in all the schools. This is in-line with the Rivers State indigenous, language acts, it’s also in-line with the National Policy of Education of the federal government so since you cannot teach a language without resource material, the book we have launched today is a resource material and it deals with the counting of Eleme numerals”.
Ollorwi who is the chairman of Eleme Language centre as well as author of the book, expressed joy over the launch of the book, pointing out that, they have been able to expand the frontier of the Eleme Language to ensure the language passed through what he described as Eleme Language Engineering. He also noted that counting in Eleme Language has been extended through the book beyond four thousand as it had been in the past to a level whereby they can conveniently count in thousand, million, billion, trillion and quadrillion.
Speaking on the making of the book, the author stated that it took him four years to write the book, adding that the size of the book was made as small as possible in order to make it easy and affordable for readers. Mr. Ollorwi who identified lack of sponsorship as one of their greatest challenges said the printing of the book was purely voluntary and advised the people of the areas, especially the political class and other public spirited individuals to support the book, the author while expressing satisfaction over the attendance said despite the absence of the Eleme political class invited to launch the book, he was not discouraged, pointing out that the Eleme Language was more important to him than any individual serving in government. Osaro said Eleme language was there before government appointment and will still remain after government has passed away adding that the language cannot be allowed to die because some people few individuals did not honour their invitation.
“My joy is that Eleme society were here to welcome the book to make it a working document for the people. Our years of research was not in vain because the women, men, youths, chiefs were all here to embrace it and we are happy about it. The people that showed up were the people designed to midwife the book.
On her part, the royal majesty Emerewa Mrs. Evelyn Adagoka, the twin mother of Eleme Kingdom, who spoke at the occasion condemned the conduct of the political leaders of Eleme for lack of unity among them said their absence from such occasion was unpatriotic and wicked.
