Benin — The Benin Cultural Heritage Centre (BCHC), a non-governmental organisation has canvassed the introduction of Edo Language and culture in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools in the state, warning that the language would go into extinction if urgent steps were not taken.

The organisation said said it had put in place a programme to facilitate the immediate training of 3,000 Edo Language teachers to effect teaching of the language in both primary and secondary schools.

The President, Dr. Roland Ehigiamusoe, who disclosed this at a forum in Benin , said it had consulted the Edo Language department of University of Benin and the College of Education Ekisdolor , as well as Edo People in Diaspora to ensure that the language was taught in schools across the state.

He advised parents of Edo State origin to refrain from speaking English language to their children or wards at home, saying, this ugly trend made the group to subscribe to the compulsory teaching of the language in all primary and secondary schools in the state.

According to him, for so many years, the Edo language and culture had been relegated to the background. It is sad that both have gone into coma for lack of timely attention.

Ehigiamusoe who doubles as the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, observed that only a few drastic therapy could revive the trend, and that in some places where the language was until now spoken, had forgotten the language and culture.

The President noted that the fastest and easiest way to destroy the unity of a people was to deny them their language and culture, adding that the importance placed on languages of the immediate environment prompted the United Nations Article on Language Policy to give credence to the Act that stipulates "the medium of instruction in the primary and secondary schools shall be in the language of that environment for the first three years."

The Pro-Chancellor bemoaned a situation where illiterate parents lavishly speak Pidgin English to their children and wards as lingua franca. He advised them to examine their cultural attitude and give their children a lasting legacy.

He called on well meaning citizens of the state to donate generously towards the progamme just as he hinted that BCHC plans to give out scholarships to indigenes who may want to study the language.