The Bayelsa State Government has said that it will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that the Ijaw (Izon) language is captured in the syllabus of the West African Examinations Council.
The Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Mr. Austin Dressman, stated this on Thursday during the inter-ministerial/agency briefing in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Thursday.
Dressman also urged all Ijaw-speaking people to teach their children and wards the language in order to prevent it from going into extinction.
He said, “We do not have two Ijaw ethnic groups. We have only one Ijaw. And Ijaw is the fourth largest tribe in this country.
“The central Ijaw dialect is Kolokuma Opokuma. The native speakers were taught from childhood to understand that Kolukuma/Opokuma is the central Ijaw dialect.
“It is now our responsibility to move Ijaw language to the next level. Our own Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Education to make sure that Ijaw Language is captured in the WAEC syllabus.”
