Igbo na-atọ ka mmanụ aṅụ

I hope na ọbụrụ na ịma asụ Igbo na ị ga na-asụ ya as often as you get the chance to. I hope na ọbụrụ na ịma agụ Igbo na ị ga-etinye onwe gị in spaces where you will see things written in Igbo to read. This is not just because na UNESCO sịrị na every two weeks one language na-edisappear, but because having learned to speak English to a level of proficiency obtainable anywhere in the world, I for one ga-agwanwu gị as onye dị joyfully bilingual na o nweghị ebe ọ gbara Igbo na English.

This issue of disappearance of languages brings to mind nnụnụ a na-akpọ dodo. According to drawings scientists bọpụtara fossils of the dodo sere, ọ na eyitewe ọbọgu. For those that don't know, ọbọgu bụ duck na English. Well, sometime ago dodos went extinct. All of them died. The same thing mekwuru mammoths. Mammoths na eyitewe elephants, enyi. The difference bụ na mammoths na aka elephants agba agba. Same goes for many animals too. M gụwa animals ndị jegoro extinct, chi ga eji, chi ga abọ.

In truth, o nweghị anything any of these animals ka imenwu about extinction because ndị mmadụ ji ha mere nni in an excessive and inconsiderate way. Ndị then amaghị better. They didn't know about extinction. They only knew about eating and survival, and they acted according to ole ha ma. But we know better. We know about extinction. We know about dead and dying languages. We know that na anyị kwụsị ịsụ Igbo, it will go extinct. So we need to do better. My mum na adị asị na ihe mere mmadụ ka ọ dị iche from a tree bụ na ọ sọsọ a tree ka ị ga-agwa na ị ga-abịa echi bịa gbutuo ya, ọ kwụrụ na the same place chere ka ị bịa nya bụ echi ahụ ịgwa mmadụ na ị na-abịa igbutu ya echi, mmadụ ahụ ga eri mbombo ọsọ. The same way anyị kwesịrị isi actia in a hurry gbanyere ịsụ kwụ Igbo more.

I will say however na my position in all of this bụ na Igbo atọ ka. Igbo na-atọ ka mmanụ aṅụ. Ọ bụrụ na ịma asụ Igbo, meere onwe gị ihe ọma by ịsụ ya more often. Believe me, it will gladden your heart. Ngwanu, ya gaziere gị.