IKECHUKWU OKAFOR, Founder/President of Igbo Ga Adi Foundation/IFMA Initiative during the event of the 2014 International Day of African Child which took place on June 19th, in Onitsha, Anambra State. The event which started on the 16th and ended on 19th June was organized by IGBO GA ADI FOUNDATION & IRENE MENAKAYA SCHOOLS.
In his speech, Ikechukwu Okafor who was also the chairman of the occasion said that research increasingly shows that children’s ability to learn a second or additional local language and an international language such as English, French, or German, does not suffer when their mother tongue is the primary language of instruction throughout primary school.
He added that, Fluency and literacy in the mother tongue lay a concrete and linguistic foundation for learning additional languages.
When children receive formal instruction in their first language throughout primary school and then gradually transits to academic learning in the second language, they learn the second language quickly. If they continue to have opportunities to develop their first language skills in secondary school, they emerge as fully bilingual (or multilingual) learners.
As is customary with Igbo Ga Adi Foundation, an organisation saddled with the responsibilities of reviving, projecting and promoting the Igbo Language, culture and identity, joining hands with the Irene Menakaya Schools, AFRICAN UNION and UNESCO rolled out its program for 2014 Day of African Child with the theme ''Child Friendly, Quality, Free & Compulsory Education for Igbo Children"
Day of African Child holds every 16th June in commemoration of the slain African Children whose only crime was to agitate for quality education and to be taught in their indigenous language.
Igbo Ga Adi Foundation ceased the opportunity to not only remember these fallen heroes, but to keep their dreams alive by promoting our indigenous language (Igbo), culture and heritage. We are fast reversing the trend of putting our indigenous language behind others. We insist on proving the prediction of Igbo language going extinct wrong by insisting that Igbo parents, guardians and teachers relate with and teach our children in our native language first before any other language.
The celebration proper which held on Thursday, June 19, 2014 had in attendance, the representative of Her Excellency, Chief Mrs. E.V Obiano, wife of Anambra State governor, Princewill Onyedinefu (Ass. Director of Education, Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO), Mrs. Magdaline Anene-Maidoh (Sec. Gen, Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO), Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha (Hon. Commissioner of Education, Anambra State), Chief Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe (Chief of Staff to Abia State Governor) ably represented, Prof. Leonard Muoghalu, Eze Prof. Mark Odu, Her Royal Majesty,Lady Dora Ekpeh, Representatives of Post Primary School Service Commission, students of various Secondary and Primary Schools, Parents/Guardians, Grand Cereals Ltd.
Wreaths were laid to commemorate the dead children of Soweto who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of today’s gathering.
While speaking, Prof. Leonard Muoghalu who addressed the students, teachers, parents and other dignitaries ceased the opportunity to talk on the prevalent challenge of the Nigerian/African youth – UNEMPLOYMENT.
Speaking on the theme of the event “A child friendly, Quality, Free and Compulsory Education for Igbo Children”, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, Hon. Commissioner for Education Anambra State presented a paper on the importance of "Child Friendly Education".
The event would have been incomplete without the presence of our traditional rulers, one of whom was Eze Prof. Mark Odu, who presented an article titled: A LETTER TO IGBO YOUTH.
The children thrilled the audience with Igbo cultural dances, songs, drama and “akuko uwa" on the importance of Education for the Igbo and African children.
Dr. Adaeze Okika, the proprietress of the co-host school (Irene Menakaya Schools), though resident in the United States, joined the event via skype call to read her address.
The President and founder of IFMA/Igbo Ga Adi Foundation the host of the event, Ikechukwu Okafor ensured that participating schools and individual children went home with educational materials and other gift items such as branded exercise books and pens, Grand Vita, Grand Oil etc (products of Grand Cereals Ltd).
Ikechukwu Okafor while addressing guests stressed that the mother tongue is part of a child’s personal, social and cultural identity, It is this identification we get from speaking our mother tongue that enforces successful social patterns of acting and speaking. Our diverse social background makes us unique and appealing in society.
The mother tongue is an indispensable instrument for the development of intellectual, physical and moral aspects of education. Habits, conducts, values, virtues, customs and beliefs are all shaped through the mother tongue. This automatically means that weakness in the mother tongue means a paralysis of all thought and power of expression.
Mazi Ikechukwu Okafor, the host of the event who doubled as the chairman of the occasion in his closing remarks thanked all who contributed to the success of the ceremony, he thanked the foundation’s PRO/Image maker, Amb. Nelda Chioma and its Zonal Coordinator Mr. Emmanuel Ugokwe for their great contribution to the success of the event.
Okafor also noted that in keeping to the organization’s motto 'Preserving, Projecting & Promoting the Igbo Language, Culture & Identity" it recently concluded Igbo Language Essay Competition in Anambra State, and the Igbo Children's Day for culture held in Abuja. This he said would be organized in all the Eastern States, with Abia State being the next in line.
The ceremony was made even more colorful as Ikechukwu Okafor utilized the opportunity to honour winners of the recently held Igbo language essay competition for all secondary schools students in Anambra State, a program initiated and organized by - Igbo Ga Adi Foundation.
