Urhobo Books Lying In Ruin

By Moses Darah

Prophet Haggai once spoke the mind of God querying the people of Israel, “How is it that it’s the ‘right time’ for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, GOD’s Temple, is in ruins?”

One can compare the above analogy to the state of the about 5,000 copies of a book sponsored by Engr Moses Kragha with the title, ‘Learning Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Urhobo: Speak a new language for national unity’. The book was produced with the belief that “if younger Nigerians, our future leaders, learn to read and speak these languages across the country, it will go a long way in bridging the gaps across the diversity and barriers that the lack of understanding languages bring”.

Four years after the Urhobo Studies Association, Delta State University, Abraka in collaboration with Epifani Communications Limited, Lagos undertook the strenuous exercise to ensure these languages are documented and sustained from the impending language death, not even 10 copies have been sold, despite the fact that the copies with digital audio compact disc were highly subsidized. Today, the books are heaped in my office in Abraka.

On several times, we have approached politicians, social organisations, religious bodies and individuals to buy some copies for their constituents, members and loved ones, but they are probably not interested.

So any time someone will come on social media or anywhere to shout that our language is dying, politely tell the person that he/she is one of the reasons the language is going into extinction.