Governor Soludo’s Wife Advocates Mother Tongue As Primary Aspect Of Parenting 

Anambra State governor’s wife, Mrs Nonye Soludo, who advocated mother tongue as primary aspect of raising children, urged parents to prioritize teaching their children their mother tongue and culture over foreign dialects, languages, and ways of life.

The governor’s wife, who stated this in Awka while addressing parents in commemoration of this year’s International Mother Language Day, noted that teaching a child basic ways of life, including their mother tongue, social values and traditions, falls within the primary jurisdiction of parenting.

Mrs Soludo narrated that one of the main causes of social rots originates from a child not being ignorant of their cultural integrity, including the values of hard work, honesty, patience, and truth.

She emphasized that every parent should understand how important it is to raise a child with the right intention, teaching them to appreciate where they come from, their mother language, social norms, and attitudinal responsibilities.

Nonye further explained that one of the things that defines a community’s uniqueness is the distinctiveness of its language, pointing out that while one’s mother language establishes originality, it gives the speaker a strong identity of whole culture.

The governor’s wife frowned at informal school regulations forbidding school children from speaking their mother tongues in classrooms, explaining that one’s language has no inhibition to learning and academic intelligence.

She also noted that parents should lead the revival of dying mother tongues, most importantly the Igbo language, stressing the need to institutionalise the language as every child’s basic learning tool.

Anambra first lady added that mother languages are important to remind speakers about their roots, struggles, uniqueness, successes, and originality and to widen their networks and appreciation of other global cultures.