IMO State Government has directed that any student seeking admission into any of the state-owned tertiary institutions must possess Igbo Language at credit level.

Rochas Okorocha stated this while inaugurating the board of Ikemba Ojukwu Convention Centre, Owerri. The board is chaired by the former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor, while the Director General and Chief Executive is the former Minister of Education, Prof. Fabian Osuji.

Imo State University (IMSU) and Imo State Polytechnic are some higher institutions owned by Imo State Government.

Okorocha noted that the requirement of Igbo Language for any prospective student into any of the state’s tertiary institutions was to ensure that the language and culture were preserved.

He noted that the centre was put in place to preserve and showcase the culture of the people of Ndigbo. Late Dim Ojukwu’s son, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu Jnr., in his speech, said the family was glad by the way his father was honoured through the centre.

The Speaker of the State Assembly, Chief Benjamin Uwajimogu and the Chairman of the state Council of Traditional rulers, Eze Sam Ohiri, said the establishment of the centre was by creation of the law in the assembly, stressing that the research, culture and tradition of Ndigbo would be projected through the centre.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96665:imo-makes-possession-of-igbo-language-compulsory-for-admission-into-higher-institutions&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

I'm sure they will soon start lecturing in Igbo!

I dont think this tribalist thinks before introducing policies.

What if other states adopt the same policy?

its their state university. there's absolutely nothing wrong in it, as long as they make accommodation or alternatives for igbo language non-speakers and deficient prospective students.

Is this wat Rochas want to do to us

homerac7: its their state university. there's absolutely nothing wrong in it, as long as they make accommodation or alternatives for igbo language non-speakers and deficient prospective students.

There is something wrong with it sir

homerac7: its their state university. there's absolutely nothing wrong in it, as long as they make accommodation or alternatives for igbo language non-speakers and deficient prospective students.

Everything is absolutely wrong with it.

In theory they have their legislature, it is their state, and as long as Imo people agree with it they can do whatever they want with universities they run and people would just have to get in line or go somewhere else. Whether it is a good idea is another matter. I would find it a tad amusing and hypocritical though, if this pre-requisite isn't backed up by having lectures of all subjects in those state universities also taught in Igbo as well. I mean, beyond flexing what would be the actual point then if the language isn't used?

Pysam: Is this wat Rochas want to do to us

Let him work, thought i heard he is performing wholeheartedly.

Nothing is wrong with it, it's state owned in an igbo speaking area. If one is not fine by it, choose other schools. I'm a teacher in Lagos, all my students are always mandated to study and write Yoruba in SSCE, it's only in Junior class that they have an option of choosing which they want.

I have mixed feelings about this.

When it comes to anything education in Nigeria, I would trust Imo state first before any other state. This is one state where people actually think about education policies before they are implemented.
Igbo language needs a huge shot in the arm by governments of Igbo speaking states. Short of what Imo state government is doing here with its own schools, I don't see any other way out for Igbo language for the younger generation.
BTW if Igbo based outside Igboland feel sidelined by this, then tough luck! I would not like a situation whereby Igbo who are based outside Igboland hijack and shape the future of Ndigbo as a whole without local considerations -Ndigbo and our language. All politics is local.

If other states retaliate, then the SE states need to build MORE universities and institutions of higher learning, to accommodate Igbo who would need them.
We cannot shape our future only by looking around us or behind our backs!

Our language must survive for we to survive as Ndigbo.

If this is true, Rochas is a complete idiot... What if other state owned universities start implementing the same policy?

Onlytruth: When it comes to anything education in Nigeria, I would trust Imo state first before any other state. This is one state where people actually think about education policies before they are implemented.
Igbo language needs a huge shot in the arm by governments of Igbo speaking states. Short of what Imo state government is doing here with its own schools, I don't see any other way out for Igbo language for the younger generation.
BTW if Igbo based outside Igboland feel sidelined by this, then tough luck! I would not like a situation whereby Igbo who are based outside Igboland hijack and shape the future of Ndigbo as a whole without local considerations -Ndigbo and our language. All politics is local.

If other states retaliate, then the SE states need to build MORE universities and institutions of higher learning, to accommodate Igbo who would need them.
We cannot shape our future only by looking around us or behind our backs!

Our language must survive for we to survive as Ndigbo.

very correct...

This is interesting, so whoever doesn't possess igbo language cannot be admitted into IMSU?

Good on paper but bad in practice. Any state institution that makes an unofficial language of the nation mandatory in a public institution is just wrong. Its like California saying its mandatory to speak Spanish to get into any California university just because their is a large Spanish population, even though the offical language of the USA is English. What will happen if other state start this, you'll have to speak edo to go to UniBen or Yoruba to go to UniLag evn though the official language of the nation is english? Its just a bad policy to implement because a public institution is meant to serve the entire populace not just a specific group.

GAR3TH: Good on paper but bad in practice. Any state institution that makes an unofficial language of the nation mandatory in a public institution is just wrong. Its like California saying its mandatory to speak Spanish to get into any California university just because their is a large Spanish population, even though the offical language of the USA is English. What will happen if other state start this, you'll have to speak edo to go to UniBen or Yoruba to go to UniLag evn though the official language of the nation is english? Its just a bad policy to implement because a public institution is meant to serve the entire populace not just a specific group.

This guy dey always yarn jargons?

This is IMSU not FUTO!!!!

State university is different from a federal uni. The federal government would never allow such happen.

State are at liberty to create whatever deem fit for their state.

I am sure Californians pay less tuition than non Californians.

If Other states use language as a tool to gain admissions to their universities the better. I have seen people from the SE who passed yoruba and Hausa in their SSCE exams.

You guys are talking as if yoruba people are feeding you children.
This is a brilliant policy. African languages die because the go from being the languages of learning to the languages of illiteracy in the post colonial era. To be frank 90% of imo indigines speak igbo better than they speak english. They think in igbo, it's their first lanugage. As it stands you must know english to make it to let alone survive in any nigerian university. Why not give the advantage to indigenous native speakers that make up the majority?

What imolite will have a problem passing a test that asks if you can speak igbo or not?
This will also free up competition for admittance from people from other states, which was even now before. This focuses on developing IMO state citizens as an IMO state government should, and if a yoruba person wants to come to school in Imo he has learned english, he can learn igbo.
This makes Igbo once again the language of the educated, revolutionary in post colonial nigeria

at the same time if the rest of the states pass the policy so be it, igbos that want to go there can learn yoruba or hausa the way they learned english. At the same time our decisions shouldn't be based on our capacity to use other people's resources. Imo should develop enough universities to meet local demand and more, and that's the goal. No imolite should have to feel like his state doesn't have enough for him or can't meet his needs.

Okorocha is building more schools and there will soon be little need to go elsewhere for a university education.
That's the true goal. Cutting the competition for getting into state universities with this policy also aids the process.


PLUS there are private and federal schools, let the fed worry about accommodating to the fed and the state worry about accommodating to the state.
Kudos Rochas, you're pioneering an Igbo renaissance

Onlytruth: When it comes to anything education in Nigeria, I would trust Imo state first before any other state. This is one state where people actually think about education policies before they are implemented.
Igbo language needs a huge shot in the arm by governments of Igbo speaking states. Short of what Imo state government is doing here with its own schools, I don't see any other way out for Igbo language for the younger generation.
BTW if Igbo based outside Igboland feel sidelined by this, then tough luck! I would not like a situation whereby Igbo who are based outside Igboland hijack and shape the future of Ndigbo as a whole without local considerations -Ndigbo and our language. All politics is local.

If other states retaliate, then the SE states need to build MORE universities and institutions of higher learning, to accommodate Igbo who would need them.
We cannot shape our future only by looking around us or behind our backs!

Our language must survive for we to survive as Ndigbo.

Ako na uche from a wise mouth.

We're not going to build igbo land based on fears of not accommodating to people outside of it. There should be enough state schools for all state indigines. Simple, imolites should have no reason other than the passion for travel to go to another state looking for schooling and we shouldn't base state policy solely on the minority that wish to do this.

This is absolutely valid. In countries such as India, one cannot join a school or University without knowing the local language of the State.

Onlytruth: When it comes to anything education in Nigeria, I would trust Imo state first before any other state. This is one state where people actually think about education policies before they are implemented.
Igbo language needs a huge shot in the arm by governments of Igbo speaking states. Short of what Imo state government is doing here with its own schools, I don't see any other way out for Igbo language for the younger generation.
BTW if Igbo based outside Igboland feel sidelined by this, then tough luck! I would not like a situation whereby Igbo who are based outside Igboland hijack and shape the future of Ndigbo as a whole without local considerations -Ndigbo and our language. All politics is local.

If other states retaliate, then the SE states need to build MORE universities and institutions of higher learning, to accommodate Igbo who would need them.
We cannot shape our future only by looking around us or behind our backs!

Our language must survive for we to survive as Ndigbo.

You m0r0n! How would you like it if one day a Northern Governor woke up and demanded that all Igbos in the North convert to Islam 'to preserve their religion'?

There are Igbos all around Nigeria in loads of schools...and nobody has insisted that they learn the languages in that region.

If you want your language to survive, ask Igbo parents to teach their kids the language. You cannot outsource that responsibility to the State Government.

This is idiocy at its finest from Rochas...the man is fast turning into a buffoon.

jammyng: Nothing is wrong with it, it's state owned in an igbo speaking area. If one is not fine by it, choose other schools. I'm a teacher in Lagos, all my students are always mandated to study and write Yoruba in SSCE, it's only in Junior class that they have an option of choosing which they want.

Tell me, is there any school in the South West that demands a credit in SSCE Yoruba as a criteria for admission?

texazzpete:

You m0r0n! How would you like it if one day a Northern Governor woke up and demanded that all Igbos in the North convert to Islam 'to preserve their religion'?

There are Igbos all around Nigeria in loads of schools...and nobody has insisted that they learn the languages in that region.

If you want your language to survive, ask Igbo parents to teach their kids the language. You cannot outsource that responsibility to the State Government.

This is idiocy at its finest from Rochas...the man is fast turning into a buffoon.

i believe those so called igbos know their way back home. they are talking of state university not federal or private university.

^^

Bros the weasel you are talking to is gone. He lacks backbone.

This is a rubbish policy and should be condemned, the guy obviously does not want non Igbo speaking guys in th schools.