Nollywood super star cum politician, Yul Edochie @YulEdochie has scolded teachers in his days who failed to allow students speak their local dialects. He said that those teachers who used to flog him for speaking his local language in school should be shamed of themselves for depriving school kids the right to speak their mother tongue fluently.
The rich boy actor who calls himself “God’s Angel on earth,” said also that he blamed the whites for the anomaly adding that they really messed up with our brains.
Taking to his Twitter account on Monday, Yul Edochie said, “To think that some of our teachers flogged us back then in school for speaking our language. Calling it vernacular. Can you imagine?
“You speak your own language you get flogged. All those teachers should be ashamed of themselves. Oyibo people really messed up our brains.”
Nigeria with over 500 languages has English as its official language. This is spoken in schools, offices, and to those from other ethnic groups whose language is different from one’s language.
Teachers teach in the English language. And exams, seminars, workshops, interviews are conducted in the foreign language, also. Moreover, one’s ability to speak fluently in English may be interpreted as intelligence.
Hence, some teachers may try to force the English language upon students. But Yul Edochie is frowning at such acts and had even produced a movie with the sole aim of promoting local dialects.
A Twitter user reacted to the actor’s comments: “Nobody said we shudnt speak our language it was said we shudnt speak in school if to say na only our language we the speak we for know sabi read and write and even speak.
Ismail Shehu said: “I think you misrepresent the context. You are already a master of your local language. To learn a new language requires you to speak more frequently, especially while in school. You can continue your own language at home.”
Ahmad A. Musa wrote: “I think they flogged not because they wanted to stop you from speaking the dialect as you say, but because they expected rules to be obeyed. Remember, we were also flogged for speaking English when when learning the local dialect. It’s school rules and regulations. My opinion.”
