Reps kicks against new language policy by Nigerian Army

The House of Representatives, yesterday, kicked against the new
local language policy proposed by the Nigerian Army.

The House also urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur
Buratai to stop the implementation of the policy.

The new policy which the House said was announced recently by
the Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Sani Usman, mandated
military personnel to learn and be proficient in the three major
Nigerian languages of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa by December, 2018,
before joining the service.

But by considering and adopting a motion co- sponsored by Hon.
Abiante Awaji-Inombek Dagomie and Hon. Douye Diri, titled “Need to
Stop the Discriminatory Local Language Policy Proposed by the
Nigerian Army”, the members of the House, rejected the
decision.

Moving the motion, Dagomie reiterated the need for the Army to
continue with the practice of communicating in English language in
a multi-lingual Army.

Dagomie, who said that the policy infringed on the fundamental
rights of the minority languages in the country, added that it
would serve no purpose beyond fractionalisation and marginalisation
in the Army.

He said, “Nigeria is home to languages, numbering about 400 and
that language gives insight into the personality and culture of a
people. Therefore, such a local language policy proposed by the
Nigerian Army infringes on the fundamental rights of the minorities
not to be foisted with the linguistic and cultural hegemonies of
major languages. This situation, should it continue unabated, will
lead to discrimination and exclusion from employment opportunities,
promotion and ambush of the legitimate aspirations of overwhelming
numbers of non-native speakers of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa in the
Army.

“Nigerian society is heterogeneous and as such, in contemplating
policies, care must be taken to steer discourse to what is
integrating, progressive and amenable. This is to ensure mass
involvement in the national development and democratic processes
rather than pandering to primordial or tribal biases. The policy
flies in the face of an increasingly globalising world where
proficiency in an international language is the current
inclination. When we all use the same language, we have a common
understanding of precisely what we mean and what is expected.”

The Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, presided over the plenary,
referred the motion to the Committee on Army to interface with the
Chief of Army Staff on the policy with a view to ensuring a stop to
it.

The committee is to report back in four weeks

The House of Representatives, yesterday, kicked against the new
local language policy proposed by the Nigerian Army.

The House also urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur
Buratai to stop the implementation of the policy.

The new policy which the House said was announced recently by
the Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Sani Usman, mandated
military personnel to learn and be proficient in the three major
Nigerian languages of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa by December, 2018,
before joining the service.

But by considering and adopting a motion co- sponsored by Hon.
Abiante Awaji-Inombek Dagomie and Hon. Douye Diri, titled “Need to
Stop the Discriminatory Local Language Policy Proposed by the
Nigerian Army”, the members of the House, rejected the
decision.

Moving the motion, Dagomie reiterated the need for the Army to
continue with the practice of communicating in English language in
a multi-lingual Army.

Dagomie, who said that the policy infringed on the fundamental
rights of the minority languages in the country, added that it
would serve no purpose beyond fractionalisation and marginalisation
in the Army.

He said, “Nigeria is home to languages, numbering about 400 and
that language gives insight into the personality and culture of a
people. Therefore, such a local language policy proposed by the
Nigerian Army infringes on the fundamental rights of the minorities
not to be foisted with the linguistic and cultural hegemonies of
major languages. This situation, should it continue unabated, will
lead to discrimination and exclusion from employment opportunities,
promotion and ambush of the legitimate aspirations of overwhelming
numbers of non-native speakers of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa in the
Army.

“Nigerian society is heterogeneous and as such, in contemplating
policies, care must be taken to steer discourse to what is
integrating, progressive and amenable. This is to ensure mass
involvement in the national development and democratic processes
rather than pandering to primordial or tribal biases. The policy
flies in the face of an increasingly globalising world where
proficiency in an international language is the current
inclination. When we all use the same language, we have a common
understanding of precisely what we mean and what is expected.”

The Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, presided over the plenary,
referred the motion to the Committee on Army to interface with the
Chief of Army Staff on the policy with a view to ensuring a stop to
it.

The committee is to report back in four weeks